Melbourne e-scooter rider who died was ‘travelling at well over 20km/h’

A 28-year-old man has died after he crashed his e-scooter when he hit a speed bump in Melbourne’s north.

The man was not wearing a helmet when he collided with the speed bump on Cornwall Road at Pascoe Vale on September 22, according to Victoria Police.

Police officers inspect an e-scooter in Brunswick on Monday.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

The Pascoe Vale man was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries but died on Friday.

“From my knowledge, he didn’t have a helmet. He was doing well over 20km/h,” Fawkner Highway Patrol Sergeant Michael Free said on Monday.

“I believe there’s also questions about whether he’s using a phone while riding,” Free said.

The officer said the tragic accident was avoidable.

There was another scooter crash on the weekend where a young child was riding with an adult, Free said.

“With the speeds involved, the impacts and then the trauma that results is quite significant,” he said.

It comes as police started a blitz on private e-scooter riders along the Upfield bike path at Brunswick on Monday morning.

Scooters with a motor more powerful than 200 watts are illegal to use on public footpaths.

“I’ve seen an e-scooter that had a 2400 watt motor on it, capable of 65 kilometres [per hour] with a 110 kilo person on it – you can imagine if that goes wrong, it’s going to be pretty nasty,” Free said.

It is illegal to ride a private electric scooter on public roads, with people caught doing so facing fines of between $182 and $909.

Investigations into the fatal e-scooter crash are continuing and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

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