A teen was killed while riding his over-powered e-bike - which could reach speeds of up to 70mph - after he smashed into a pole. Jamie Michael Jones was riding his motorised bicycle on a cycle path by the B5441 in Sealand, Flintshire, when he veered off the cycleway and hit a telegraph pole on December 12, 2021.
North Wales Live reported that the electrically assisted pedal cycle ridden by the 17-year-old at the time was a non-road legal replica with an 8000w motor capable of reaching speeds of over 70mph. In the UK, electric bicycles must not exceed 250w and cannot travel over 15.5mph in order for them to be road legal.
Forensic collision investigator Gordon Saynor told an inquest held at Ruthin County Hall on March 29 that the power output of the e-bike meant that it should have been classified as a motorcycle and should not have been ridden without a licence. Even so, travel information taken from mobile map updates from Jamie's phone showed he had been travelling at an average speed of 26mph at the time. You can get more local news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
