A Gilbert teenager went viral on social media after a dirt bike stunt in Morrison Ranch landed him in handcuffs.
A video of Samuel Campbell soaring in the air on his dirt bike garnered 1.7 million likes on the “EndlessAdrenaline” Instagram account. He jumped over two lanes of traffic and a median before landing in the grass. The clip ended with Campbell in a squad car and his pink dirt bike on the back of a tow truck.
Campbell, 18, was charged with reckless driving, Gilbert Police Department spokesperson Brenda Carrasco said in an email.
The incident, near Bloomfield Parkway and Recker Road, happened in October but went viral this month.
“The Gilbert Police Department stresses the dangers posed by unsafe riding, especially in residential neighborhoods and on our roadways,” Carrasco said.
Campbell was arraigned in October and had a pre-trial conference Dec. 1. His next pre-trial conference is set for Jan. 7, according to Gilbert Municipal Court records. Campbell did not comment.
Charges are merely allegations, Carrasco said, and “all defendants are presumed innocent until pleading guilty or being found guilty.”
Some donors rushed to Campbell’s aid this week. The “Help Sam Campbell Retrieve His Impounded Bike” fundraiser on GoFundMe raised $4,355 as of 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 8, close to the fundraiser’s $5,000 goal.
Fundraiser organizer Ryder Myers said Gilbert Police “have no mercy” on the fundraising page.
“Help Sam Campbell get his bike out of the impound!!! We were just trying to have some fun but bro got arrested!! The cops are relentless out here and have no mercy absolutely anything helps!” Myers said. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Morrison Ranch long history of e-bike nuisances
Campbell’s stunt was on a gas-powered bike, but Gilbert has long struggled with teenagers on electric bikes.
The October arrest was just one of the enforcement actions Gilbert police have dealt with. For years now, Morrison Ranch neighbors have pleaded with the town and police for a remedy. Teenagers on electric bikes have caused thousands of dollars of damage to the landscape, residents had told The Arizona Republic.
Various groups of teenagers used the e-bikes to evade police, ride around the Morrison Ranch Town Center, threw firecrackers and egged neighbors’ homes.
Police knew about a group of teens that called themselves the Morrison Ranch Marauders dating back to 2022, according to records.
The e-bikes were used as the getaway vehicles in a near-fatal arson case in July 2024 that burned down a barn full of teenagers.
Gilbert police said in 2024 they were aware of the problem, pointing out they had run seven operations and held two well-attended public meetings between July 2020 and June 2024.
Police staff brought forward options to the Town Council new ordinances to further address the issue. In a decision-only meeting in August, the council considered imposing a bike helmet and exploring options of imposing speed limits on electric bike riders on city property, including sidewalks or trails.
Carrasco said in an email that “these ordinances will be brought back for council consideration in early 2026.”
Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach her via email at stephanie.murray@gannett.com and on social media @stephanie_murr.
Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert teen arrested for viral dirt bike stunt
