Midtown collision marks third e-scooter rider killed in Atlanta this year

Three e-scooter users in Atlanta have now died in collisions with motorists in less than three months, authorities said late Thursday.

Last Saturday night, 34-year-old Amber Ford was struck by a driver while riding an e-scooter in Midtown, according to the Atlanta Police Department.

The driver allegedly fled the scene, and Ford, severely injured, was sent to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she died Thursday, police said.

The incident happened near the intersection of 14th Street and Crescent Avenue.

Ford’s death follows that of 37-year-old William Alexander and 20-year-old Eric Amis, Jr., both of whom were struck and killed in collisions with drivers. Alexander died in July and Amis in late May.

None of the incidents occurred on streets with bike lanes. And the tragedies have ignited the efforts of mobility advocates who’ve been lobbying for complete streets projects—transportation infrastructure that sacrifices vehicle lanes in exchange for bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and other features catered to alternative modes of travel.

Police are actively investigating the July 27 incident.

According to a police report, Ford was riding a Bird scooter and was struck just west of Crescent Avenue on 14th Street. A witness was unable to provide a vehicle description, but she told police the impact sent the victim airborne.

In the wake of the first two deaths, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued a moratorium last week on the permitting of new shareable dockless vehicles. The nearly 12,000 licensed devices in Atlanta are still legal, though.

At an Atlanta City Council meeting scheduled next week, legislation could be introduced that seeks to mitigate “the longterm impacts these devices levy against the city’s infrastructure and public safety, and the compounded strain placed on the city’s public safety officials and first-responders,” according to a city-issued press release.