VISTA — A 26-year-old man riding an e-bike died Saturday from injuries he sustained in a collision with a vehicle at Breeze Hill Road and South Melrose Drive, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
The collision occurred at approximately 3:48 p.m. on Aug. 29 when the e-bike rider ran a red light and was struck by a northbound vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office reported that the driver remained at the scene and spoke with responding deputies. The rider was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Sheriff’s officials said they believe this was the first e-bike fatality in Vista. Other North County cities have already recorded fatal collisions involving the increasingly popular mode of transportation, including an 86-year-old Oceanside man who died following a collision with a vehicle while riding an e-bike near Calavera Hills Community Center and Park in Carlsbad.
Two years ago, the Vista City Council approved funding for an e-bike safety education program using $100,000 in state grant funding from Proposition 64 cannabis tax revenue. The training program, which a city spokesperson said more than 390 people have completed, provides a rebate toward the purchase of an e-bike and helmet once participants successfully complete the safety training.
Vista Unified School District has its own e-bike safety training program for students who want to ride to school.
Mayor John Franklin called Saturday’s collision a “terrible tragedy” and said it was the outcome city leaders had hoped to avoid through the safety training.
The City Council updated Chapter 10.68 of the Vista Municipal Code in December 2024 to specifically apply to e-bikes as well as standard bicycles.
Beyond that, Franklin said the safety training program remains in place and available to families considering an e-bike as an affordable transportation option.
“What we can do is continue to educate kids and parents about the danger of riding bicycles on the public roadways and the necessity of following the traffic laws,” Franklin said.
