Father, 38, dies after electric skateboard fall
A FATHER has died after being seriously injured while riding an electric skateboard, raising fresh concern over the use of motorised scooters and boards.
Bradley Visser, 38, was taken to hospital by air ambulance after suffering a serious head injury when he crashed on July 17, but died of his injuries 10 days later – becoming the first person thought to have been killed riding an electric skateboard. The use of such battery-powered devices has become increasingly fraught in recent weeks, following the death of TV presenter Emily Hartridge, 35, while riding an electric scooter in south London.
The crash involving Mr Visser, from Stoke Row, near Henley-on-Thames, happened while he was riding along the main road through the village.
It is not thought that any other vehicles were involved. It has prompted police and Government officials to repeat warnings to users that such small motorised vehicles are illegal on public roads and pavements.
E-skateboards, which cost upwards of £900, are powered by a small electric motor attached to the rear wheels that is controlled by a wireless handheld remote, and can reach 25mph.
Thames Valley Police said it was carrying out investigations into Mr Visser’s death on behalf of the coroner. Mr Visser, a specialist furniture maker, is
A lovely head of hare
understood to have been a married father of two, originally from South Africa. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: “The victim, a 38-year-old man, was riding his skateboard when it is believed he fell from it.”
Grant Salmon, the bar manager of the Cherry Tree Inn in Stoke Row, paid tribute to Mr Visser, describing him as “a lovely guy”.
E-scooters are similar in design to a traditional child’s scooter but are powered by an electric motor and can reach speeds of more than 30mph.
Along with electric skateboards they are increasingly being used for short journeys in a number of cities in Europe and the US, but can only be used legally on private land in the UK.
In a crackdown following Miss Hartridge’s death Metropolitan Police officers caught 100 illegal e-scooter riders in London.
The Department of Transport last night repeated its warning. It stated: “It is illegal to use a powered transporter in spaces which are set aside for use by pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. This includes on the pavement and in cycle lanes.”