A Hastings woman, who faced a life-threatening situation when a teenager on an e-bike collided with her on a sidewalk last summer, is determined to raise awareness about the risks involved.
On the evening of August 12, 2024, Stotko was taking a stroll along West 15th Street when she was struck from behind by a 14-year-old boy riding an e-bike at a speed of 25 miles per hour.
The force propelled her into the air, rendering her unconscious as she lay in a pool of her own blood. In a dramatic turn of events, she was swiftly transported to a hospital, where medical professionals conducted urgent surgery.
She endured a ruptured eardrum, fractured facial bones and other skull injuries, damaged nerves, and a brain hemorrhage. After struggling to breathe independently, she found herself reliant on a ventilator for several days. While she managed to overcome the immediate challenges, a complete recovery remains out of reach. She continues to experience persistent ringing in one ear and has lost her sense of smell and taste.
“I don’t have any memory of the accident itself,” she said. “When people see me around, they think I’ve recovered, and I haven’t, and I never will.”
“We heard this big bang….” recalled Good Samaritan Travis Rolfe. “He came up from behind her and hit her so hard that she flew up in the air and turned around.”
Stotko revealed that she has yet to receive any communication from the teenager who struck her or from his family. She stated that he was issued a citation, yet faced no further repercussions for the incident that resulted in her life-changing injuries, prompting her call for more stringent regulations on e-bikes.
The incident resulted in approximately $20,000 in personal medical costs, and the lawyer she consulted informed her that she had almost no options for recourse.
Authorities in South Lake Minnetonka have issued multiple alerts regarding the risks associated with e-bikes, highlighting that numerous riders, frequently teenagers, consistently violate traffic regulations and pose significant hazards to both themselves and motorists. In Excelsior, officials have unveiled a massive digital display aimed at keeping residents informed about e-bike regulations.
According to state regulations, individuals must be a minimum of 15 years old to operate an e-bike, and those under 16 are required to possess either a driver’s license or a safety certificate for usage.
Certain categories of e-bikes, including off-highway motorcycles, face restrictions on public road usage.
Regulations differ significantly across various cities.
