Bend Teen Dies While Riding E-Bike

A Bend teen died after being struck by a minivan across Highway 20

By Jack Harvel

A15-year-old Bendite died on Saturday after being hit by a minivan in northeast Bend. The collision happened on NE Highway 20 and Dean Swift Road around 4:30 pm, when a blue Dodge Caravan turned right onto the highway and hit the teen, who was riding on a e-bike with a passenger on the back.

The bike was traveling westbound on the sidewalk on the eastbound section of Hwy 20, and the teenager wasn’t wearing a helmet. The teen suffered life-threatening injuries, and a Bend Fire medical team transported them away from the site but were unable to save them. A Bend Police Department spokesperson said the passenger wasn’t harmed. The Oregon Department of Transportation closed off a section of the highway for about half an hour while the BPD’s crash reconstruction team investigated the crash. The driver cooperated with police and wasn’t charged or cited, but the BPD said the investigation is ongoing.

Earlier this month, the City of Bend and BPD shared rules for using e-bikes in the city. Bend follows Oregon state laws on e-bikes, which state people must be 16 years old to ride and that e-bikes can’t go faster than 20 miles per hour without pedal assist. Additionally, cyclists younger than 16 are required to wear a helmet. Public officials responded to the crash by calling for safer cycling infrastructure and clearer rules for e-bikes.

“Other cities have figured out how to prevent these tragedies. I'm working towards making sure Bend figures it out too,” Ariel Mendez, a Bend City Councilor, wrote in a tweet.

State Representative Emerson Levy wrote that she often gets messages from