Sunshine Coast Boy Charged Following Fatal E-Bike Crash
A 15-year-old boy has been charged following an e-bike crash in Mountain Creek on October 30 that resulted in the death of an eight-year-old child.
Police arrested the teenager on Tuesday and charged him with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death, unlicensed driving, and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle. He is scheduled to appear in the Maroochydore Children’s Court in November.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:30pm on a bike path near the Sunshine motorway.Eight-year-old Zeke Hondow was critically injured in a head-on collision with another e-bike and died at hospital later that evening.The 15-year-old rider sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Both boys were wearing helmets at the time of the crash.
The charges come as concerns grow over the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters.Queensland Health reports that injuries related to these vehicles have more than doubled in the past four years.A recent study in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health revealed 176 children aged five to 15 were hospitalised with e-scooter injuries on the Sunshine Coast in 2023 and 2024.
Eight people died in Queensland last year while riding e-scooters or e-bikes.A parliamentary inquiry into the safety of e-bikes and scooters is currently underway, with a final report expected in march.
