Amazon pauses sales in California of specific high-speed electric bicycles after multiple fatal crashes involving vehicles that appear to exceed state speed limits. According to the Orange County prosecutor, the company agrees to halt sales of the affected e-bike models in the state. The move follows a series of serious incidents, including a case in Orange County in which an 81-year-old man died after being struck by a teenager riding an e-motorcycle that was reportedly operated illegally. The teenager’s mother, Tommi Jo Mejer, faces involuntary manslaughter charges related to the death, with prosecutors saying she had been warned that her son’s use was unlawful.
The Guardian adds that a state consumer alert issued by California’s attorney general last month raised questions about how some high-speed e-bikes should be classified under state law, describing that certain vehicles may need to be treated as mopeds or motorcycles rather than bicycles. Amazon says it will stop selling certain high-speed e-bikes while it addresses compliance concerns raised by authorities, as the underlying safety and legal classification issues remain under scrutiny.
