(Photo by Gracie McKenzie)

(Photo by Gracie McKenzie)

A man riding a scooter died after being hit by a vehicle and trapped underneath it in Dupont Circle this morning. It was the first fatality involving a rented scooter in the District, at least according to data kept by D.C.’s Department of Transportation.

D.C. Fire and EMS responded to the scene shortly after 10 a.m. Carlos Sanchez-Martin, a 20-year-old from Silver Spring, was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

The fire department shared video of their efforts, which involved a team specially trained in vehicle extrication, according to D.C. Fire and EMS spokesperson Vito Maggiolo.

One bystander, who arrived after the man had been taken to the hospital, said she saw the Lime scooter, headphones, and a brown shoe left behind at the scene in Dupont Circle, part of which was closed to traffic for several hours.

Earlier this month, a 24-year-old Dallas man died after falling off a Lime electric scooter and severely injuring his head, according to authorities. The man’s family, however, believe his injuries and the condition of the scooter are suggestive of a hit-and-run. Emergency room doctors in several cities told the Washington Post that they saw spikes in electric scooter accidents, sometimes resulting in severe injuries.

Rented scooters—which are also operated by Bird and Spin—are part of an extended pilot program of dockless vehicles around the District. While the program started out with dockless bike companies, all but one have either left or shifted their fleets entirely to scooters. That’s the case with Lime, which was formerly known as LimeBike.

“We are deeply saddened to hear the report of this incident in Washington, D.C.,” Lime said in an emailed statement. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and loved ones. We have offered our full support to local authorities in connection with the investigation.”

While this was the first death in D.C. involving a rented scooter, it isn’t the first scooter-related fatality. A 15-year-old boy was killed on July 3, 2018, after a vehicle hit his scooter in the intersection of 15th Place and Shippen Lane in Southeast. A second passenger on the scooter was also taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Rented and non-rented scooters alike are required to follow rules for personal mobility devices (a category that also includes Segways).

“Scooters are required to follow the same rules as personal mobility devices: No faster than 10 mph, be careful and courteous when traveling on the sidewalks,” a DDOT spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Dupont Circle is part of the Central Business District, where both bicyclists and scooter riders are barred from riding on the sidewalk.

Natalie Delgadillo and Jordan Pascale contributed reporting. This story has been updated.

Filed Under: lime, scooters, vision zero,