Elmhurst boy charged after striking pedestrian with e-bike, police say

ELMHURST - A 14-year-old Elmhurst boy struck a woman exiting a local business while riding a bicycle with an electric motor Monday, police said. 

What we know:

The woman was knocked to the ground and sustained minor injuries, according to the Elmhurst Police Department.

The boy was allegedly driving a Talaria XXX electric motorcycle on the 500 block of South York Street. Police said they learned the boy’s bike had a 2400-watt electric motor and was therefore classified as a motorcycle according to the Illinois Vehicle Code. 

Talaria XXX electric motorcycle. (Elmhurst Police Department)

Legal e-bicycles have a maximum motor power of 750 watts and are not permitted on sidewalks in Illinois. Police said the boy’s bike was more than triple the legal e-bicycle motor size and was not a street-legal vehicle.

The 14-year-old was charged with operating a motor vehicle on sidewalk, no valid driver’s license, no registration, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. The boy’s father was charged with permitting an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle. 

Both have pending DuPage County court dates.

Illinois law requires that e-bicycles must have pedals, have 750-watt or smaller motors, and cannot be ridden on public sidewalks. Class 3 e-bicycles can only be ridden by those age 16 or older.