An Enfield e-bike crash late on Sunday night has claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy. The teenager was riding the e-bike when it was involved in a collision with a car on Elsinge Road, and the 60-year-old driver of the car has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drink.
The crash happened just before 11pm on Sunday, 4 October. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but despite their efforts the teenage rider was pronounced dead where he was found.
The driver remains in police custody as detectives work to establish exactly what happened.
Met detectives appeal for witnesses and footage
The investigation is being led by officers from the Metropolitan Police. Detective Inspector Simon Ager said: “Our thoughts remain with the boy’s family and loved ones as they come to terms with this tragic loss.”
He added that detectives are working at pace to establish the full circumstances of the collision and urged anyone who witnessed the incident — or who was in the area at the time — to come forward.
Officers are especially keen to hear from anyone whose CCTV, doorbell camera or dashcam may have captured the collision or the moments leading up to it, saying any piece of information could prove crucial to the investigation.
Footage from doorbell cameras and dashcams has repeatedly played a decisive role in London investigations. In one recent case, a doorbell camera captured the sound of gunshots during a shooting in Wembley that left a young man critically injured.
Latest fatal crash on the capital’s roads
The Enfield tragedy is the latest fatal road collision to be reported in the capital. Just days earlier, a 28-year-old motorcyclist was killed in an early-morning crash on the A406 at Chingford, another loss that prompted a police appeal for witnesses.
The teenager’s next of kin are being supported by specially trained officers as the investigation continues.
At a glance: what we know
- When: just before 11pm on Sunday, 4 October
- Where: Elsinge Road, Enfield
- What: a collision between a car and an e-bike
- Victim: a 17-year-old boy riding the e-bike, pronounced dead at the scene
- Arrest: a 60-year-old man, the car driver, arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drink; he remains in custody
- Appeal: witnesses and anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage are urged to contact police
How you can help the police
Anyone with information about the collision is asked to call police on 101, quoting reference 7294/04OCT.
Information can also be passed anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers, either via its website or by calling 0800 555 111.
What happens next
With the arrested driver still in custody, detectives will now question him about the circumstances of the collision. Under police powers in England and Wales, a suspect can generally be held for up to 24 hours before being charged, released or having detention extended with senior authorisation or a court order.
Once the investigation is complete, a file will be passed to prosecutors, who will decide whether charges should follow. Deaths on the roads are also routinely referred to the coroner, and an inquest is likely to be opened in due course.
The death is another devastating reminder of the dangers faced by vulnerable road users on the capital’s streets. Cyclists and e-bike riders, with far less protection than anyone inside a car, are especially exposed in collisions with motor vehicles — and the Enfield crash happened shortly before 11pm, when reduced visibility makes the roads more hazardous for everyone.
Electric bikes have become an increasingly familiar sight on London’s roads in recent years, ridden by commuters, teenagers and delivery riders alike. London Streets has previously reported on other recent tragedies in the capital, including the death of a 66-year-old man who was pulled from the Thames at Albert Embankment.
