In a surprising turn of events on Chicago’s South Side, a local resident finds himself facing a hefty ambulance bill, which he attributes to the actions of the city’s police force.
David Walls from East Chatham recounted an incident where he was struck by an electric bike while exiting his vehicle on the 8200 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue. This unexpected encounter has left him in a financial bind.
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Walls expressed his frustration over the difficulty in locating the young woman responsible, a situation he believes was exacerbated by the Chicago police’s decision to let her go without issuing a citation.
Consequently, Walls now bears the burden of a $3,000 bill for ambulance services.
This incident comes on the heels of a recent investigative report by the I-Team in September, highlighting the dangers of e-bikes and e-scooters being ridden illegally on sidewalks, often endangering pedestrians. Walls’ story adds a personal dimension to this ongoing issue.
“The moment I stepped out, I was hit by a young woman on an electric bike,” Walls explained. “The impact was so severe it broke a bone.”
Walls suffered a serious leg injury and is using a walker.
Police showed up to the scene, and a report was filed.
CPD told the I-Team that no one was cited or arrested.
ABC7 Chicago blurred the rider’s face in a photo Walls took because she was not charged.
Laws say e-bikes and e-scooters are supposed to be in designated bike lanes or on the street.
There do not appear to be any marked bike lanes in that area, which includes a wide, busy street.
Now, weeks later, Walls faces a new problem.
“Yes, and I can’t pay this. I’m on a fixed income. This is ridiculous,” Walls said.
Walls has been slapped with a bill for almost $3,000 from the city of Chicago for ambulance emergency medical services.
“Feel like I’ve been begging, been taken advantage of. I’ve been hit, now, been charged the bill for something that wasn’t even my fault,” Walls said.
His insurance is covering his other medical bills but not the ambulance. He says because police let the woman go, he has no contact information and no way to ask her, or her insurance, to pay.
“Because she was in around wrong. It’s just like if it was a car. They would have cited someone that was driving. The car is about the same amount of speed,” Walls said.
Walls has retained a lawyer to help him find the alleged suspect.
CPD said “no comment” in regards to the ambulance bill issue.
The Department of Finance, who bills for the ambulance, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Chicago Department of Transportation says it requires shared e-scooter and e-bike companies to educate users and issue warnings and bans when riders keep breaking the rules. But for privately owned scooters and e-bikes, enforcement falls solely on police. Chicago police say they do enforce transportation laws, with pedestrian safety as their top priority.
