An 81-year old woman died after e-scooter accident near Central Avenue in St. Petersburg.Adobe Stock
An 81-year-old woman died after sidewalk e-scooter accident struck her on Sept. 11.
St. Petersburg Police Department said Silvia Henao died at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg Hospital Sept. 16 after suffering serious injuries.
As Henao walked with another pedestrian, an VEO e-scooter driven by two woman knocked Henao to the ground. The e-scooter traveled eastbound on the north sidewalk near 11th Street South and Central Avenue North.
The e-scooter driver “failed to stop or take any action” when approaching Henao, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The woman driving the e-scooter remained on the scene and cooperated with the ongoing investigation, SPPD said.
According to St. Petersburg scooter safety rules, scooters are not allowed on sidewalks. These rules also state riders must yield to pedestrians and only one rider allowed on each e-scooter. These rules are in place to reduce the risk of accidents.
Last year, the St. Petersburg City Council voted to extend and expand its downtown scooter program with providers VEO and Razor for three years after a 15-month pilot program.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports there have been 482 fatal pedestrian related accidents statewide so far this year — including 26 in Pinellas County and 47 in Hillsborough County.
