A vehicle struck a 9-year-old boy riding an electric dirt bike on Pinto Point Drive, just west of The Woodlands, on Friday, Aug. 28, sending him to a hospital in stable condition.
The crash was the fourth time in four weeks that Harris County Constable Precinct 4 deputies responded to a child on an e-bike or e-scooter being hit by a vehicle in northwest Harris County, according to KHOU.
The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, FOX 26 reported. No charges had been filed, and the investigation is continuing.
Precinct 4 described the boy's vehicle as an electric dirt bike but has not identified its make, model or motor output. Officials have not said whether the machine legally qualifies as an electric bicycle under Texas law, which defines one as having fully operable pedals, a motor under 750 watts and a top assisted speed of 28 mph.
Three other crashes since Aug. 18
The Aug. 28 crash followed three similar incidents in the area over the previous 10 days.
On Thursday, Aug. 27, a day before the Pinto Point crash, a 14-year-old girl riding an electric scooter entered the intersection at Theiss Mail Route Road and Theisswood Road in Klein and was struck by a driver. She was taken to a local hospital and later transferred to a hospital in downtown Houston. Precinct 4 reported the following morning she was in stable condition.
On Friday, Aug. 21, a 14-year-old girl on an electric scooter was hit by a vehicle in the 26200 block of Kuykendahl Road near West New Harmony Trail. The driver stayed at the scene. Her condition was not publicly reported.
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, a 10-year-old girl riding an electric scooter was struck near Lincolns Meadow Drive and Dukes Run Drive. Deputies applied a tourniquet at the scene to control severe bleeding before she was transported to Memorial Hermann. A preliminary investigation found she had been riding on the sidewalk, entered the intersection near a crosswalk and did not stop at the stop sign.
In all four crashes, the drivers remained at the scene.
"Kids are getting younger and younger"
Capt. Jonathan Zitzmann of Precinct 4 told FOX 26 after the Aug. 28 Pinto Point crash that the pattern is alarming.
"Honestly, unfortunately, it's happening way too often, almost weekly now," Zitzmann said. "And to make it worse, it seems like these kids are getting younger and younger and injuries are getting worse."
Injury data cited by Harris County officials showed recorded injuries involving e-bikes, e-scooters and electric motorcycles jumped from one case in 2019 to 198 in 2025, as FOX 26 previously reported. Officials said 93% of those injured were not wearing helmets. Most were between 5 and 17 years old.
Safety push underway
Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman's office began reaching out to local school districts about e-bike and e-scooter safety guidelines after the Aug. 18 crash, according to Click2Houston. The office said it was also working with local legislators on possible additional regulations, though officials described the effort as still in its early stages.
Deputies have also been encouraged to talk with young riders they encounter and share information about safety and applicable laws.
Doug Shupe of AAA urged drivers to obey speed limits and watch for children, saying slower speeds give drivers a better chance of stopping if a child enters the road. AAA's E-Ride Ready campaign offers families guidance on helmet use, where riders can legally operate and how parents can set safety expectations before a child rides.
Melanie Bradshaw, trauma prevention coordinator with Memorial Hermann, said hospitals are seeing serious e-bike and e-scooter injuries including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. She urged parents to ensure children wear a properly fitted helmet on every ride and to consider whether their child is mature enough to safely control the device.
Texas law prohibits riders younger than 15 from operating a Class 3 e-bike.
