DeMari Disna, a six-year-old from Steinbach, is confined indoors for the remainder of his summer following an incident where he was struck by an electric bike. The accident occurred while he was walking on a trail with his older sisters and friends at a nearby soccer park. DeMari’s mother, Shannon Broesky, rushed him to Bethesda Regional Health Centre, where after a 19-hour wait, he received a soft cast for his broken tibia and fibula in his left leg. Subsequently, DeMari was transferred to the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg for a hard cast.
Despite the injury, DeMari is handling the situation well, but his high energy levels are curbed due to the restrictions imposed by the injury. Broesky, who usually keeps an eye on her children playing in the park from home, did not witness the accident but was informed by her daughters that a teenage girl accidentally collided with DeMari, trapping him under the e-bike.
This incident has prompted Broesky to advocate for stricter regulations on electric bikes. She had previously observed near-misses involving such bikes but had not been overly concerned until her son was directly affected. The Manitoba government is currently in the process of formulating legislation concerning battery-powered bikes and scooters.
Transportation Minister Lisa Naylor expressed concern over the incident and emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Manitobans by continuously reviewing and updating regulations. Steinbach’s Mayor, Earl Funk, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the potential dangers posed by fast e-bikes in inexperienced hands.
Following the incident, discussions within the council have intensified, with a renewed focus on enhancing regulations and educational efforts. Morden, a city in southeastern Manitoba, has already established its own bylaws, including helmet requirements and adherence to traffic signals for e-bike users. Mayor Nancy Penner stressed the need for consistent guidelines across the province, particularly regarding age restrictions for e-bike usage.
Penner emphasized the importance of age restrictions to ensure the safe use of electric vehicles, citing instances where parents expressed concerns about their children’s safety while riding e-bikes. Broesky, on the other hand, is more focused on fostering accountability rather than confrontation, expressing forgiveness towards the teenager involved in the accident.
As the community looks to address the aftermath of the incident, there is a growing consensus on the necessity of clearer regulations and heightened safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.