E-scooter rider, 74, killed in crash with parked cars
A PENSIONER riding an e-scooter was killed after crashing into parked cars the day before his 75th birthday.
Great-grandfather David Ackers collided with two vehicles on his own side of the road and died at the scene from a suspected bleed on the brain.
It is not known whether he was wearing a helmet when he apparently lost his balance and struck the cars at 1.40pm on New Year’s Day in Tameside, Greater Manchester.
Mr Ackers, who was said to have been riding an e-scooter belonging to a family member, was a father of two, grandfather of four and had three great-grandchildren.
In a Facebook post last night, his granddaughter Rebecca Young paid tribute to the man she called ‘Garg’: ‘My garg, my grandad, my best friend, the most amazing, most generous, caring, selfless man in the world, went out today and had a bad accident.
‘You were our rock, I just can’t even come to terms with what’s happened, I just can’t. It’s not right. You should be here celebrating your birthday, laughing and joking like you do everyday! You just can’t be gone, what am I going to do without you! Thankyou for being my garg, and my babies’ garg, me and the boys love you forever and always.
‘I will make sure they know how much of an amazing man you were.
Till we meet again garg aka my trendy garg. Goodnight garg.’
E-scooters are not allowed on public roads unless they are rented from Government-backed trial schemes. E-scooter owners may only use them on private land – not cycle lanes, pavements or public roads.
Mr Ackers’ death comes just days after it emerged that e-scooters are being sold on Amazon as the ‘ideal’ and ‘perfect’ way to commute.
E-scooters were involved in 460 accidents in 2020 in the UK and there were 484 casualties, of whom one died and 128 were badly hurt.
In July 2019, TV presenter and YouTuber Emily Hartridge, 35, was killed after an under-inflated tyre on her e-scooter made her lose control in what is thought to be the first UK death of an e-scooter rider.
She died after being thrown under a lorry in Battersea, south London.
‘Can’t come to terms with what happened’