A 12-year-old girl has tragically died after she fell off an electric scooter and was struck by a passing car.
Abby Gillon and a friend were riding e-scooters in Aston Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, on June 14 when they both fell and were hit by the car.
Paramedics treated the pair at the scene before transferring them to a children’s hospital in Delaware in critical condition, KYW reports.
Abby died from her injuries two days later. Her friend, 11-year-old Bella Jones, survived the horrific accident.
The driver involved in the crash is understood to have cooperated with police. No criminal charges were filed in the investigation.
Abby’s mother Lori Kralle said she feels ‘broken’ after the horror crash took the life of ‘my best friend, my only daughter, my only child’.
Kralle is working alongside Pennsylvania state Sen. Tim Kearney to pass legislation that would strengthen safety protocols for e-scooters.
‘I don’t want another family having to get that phone call or having to bury their child,’ the grieving mother said. ‘It shouldn’t have happened’.
Abby Gillon and a friend were riding e-scooters in Aston Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, on June 14 when they both fell and were hit by the car
The bill, dubbed Abby’s Law, would ban people under the age of 16 from riding e-scooters.
The proposed law would also cap e-scooter speeds at 20mph and require that 16 and 17-year-old riders wear helmets.
Kralle, who is determined to prevent other young people from experiencing her daughter’s tragic incident, is advocating for electric scooters to be explicitly included in motor vehicle regulations.
‘They’re not actually covered in the motor vehicle code at all. So what that means is that they’re not legal to drive on the streets,’ she told KYW.
‘The existing motor vehicle code merely mentions that these scooters should only be used on private property, which is unrealistic because, clearly, that’s not being enforced.’
Abby’s Law is expected to be formally introduced to state lawmakers next month.
The family has launched a Facebook group to rally support for Abby’s Law and the safety measures the Kralles argue are necessary for children under 18 who use these motorized devices.
Abby’s mother Lori Kralle (left) says she feels ‘broken’ after the horror crash took the life of ‘my best friend, my only daughter, my only child’
Abby’s family and friends urge supporters to ‘spread awareness of Abigail’s story among other parents and children, hoping her experience will continue to save lives as we push for law reforms concerning these motorized devices.’
The group has already amassed more than 3,300 members.
A GoFundMe page was set up to support Abby’s family which has raised almost $90,000.
Another fundraising page was also started to support Bella through her recovery.
She sustained severe injuries in the accident but has since returned home to recover, as reported by NBC Philadelphia last month. Her recovery was anticipated to take around six months.
Last month, a 21-year-old died in Washington state after falling off the scooter and into the path of a moving semi-truck, police said.
Sean Keaton Nolan was one of two passengers on the scooter as they rode along the sidewalk near the university district at around 2.20am.
E-scooter bans have been considered in multiple areas across the US in recent years.
Most recently, officials in Houston have considered creating a ‘scooter-free zone’ in the downtown area of the city following a rise in crashes.
