Ventura County teen charged after allegedly leading police on e-motorcycle pursuit
A Ventura County juvenile was charged on Tuesday after allegedly leading police on a pursuit while riding an e-motorcycle in June, according to a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors charged the minor with two felony counts of evading a peace officer and evading a peace officer while driving the wrong way, two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and operating a motorcycle without a valid license and four infractions for driving the wrong way on a divided roadway, failing to wear a helmet, operating an unregistered vehicle and driving without insurance.
The incident happened on June 10, when the teen allegedly led Ventura police on a "dangerous pursuit through city streets, onto State Route 126, and across the Buena High School campus," the release said.
According to the DA's Office, the Ventura Police Department was in the act of conducting an organized e-bike enforcement operation at Ventura Community Park when they "observed the juvenile riding an e-motorcycle on park grass."
"When an officer attempted to conduct an enforcement stop, the juvenile allegedly fled northbound on Kimball Road," the release said. "The juvenile is accused of driving northbound in the southbound lanes ... while weaving through traffic before riding the wrong way onto the northbound State Route 126 off-ramp."
The teen is then alleged to have ridden on the freeway at "freeway speeds" before exiting at Victoria Avenue. There, prosecutors claim he failed to stop at a stop sign before driving the wrong way and entering the Buena High School campus.
"Officers later located the abandoned e-motorcycle in the alley of a nearby neighborhood," the release said. "As officers investigated, the juvenile and the juvenile's stepfather arrived at the scene. The juvenile was cited and released pending juvenile court proceedings."
The e-motorcycle was impounded after the citation was issued, prosecutors said. The teen is due in court on July 20 for arraignment.
'Unlike electric bicycles, electric motorcycles are subject to the same laws as traditional motorcycles, including licensing, registration, insurance and helmet requirements," prosecutors said. "They are not permitted to be ridden on park property or other areas where off-highway vehicle use is prohibited."
Police were conducting their e-bike enforcement operation after they received more than 100 calls for service at the location for juveniles riding e-bikes and e-motorcycles in the area in an unsafe manner.
