WALNUT CREEK, CA — A Benicia couple has been charged with child abuse after an unlicensed minor related to the couple crashed into a car and suffered injuries, the Contra Costa County District DA said.
Steven Leroy Crews and Jeanna Marie Gabellini, both 58 of Benicia, were arraigned Friday on one count of misdemeanor child abuse. The DA alleges that the couple “willfully and unlawfully permitted a child to be injured or placed in a situation where the child’s health is endangered.”
On Sept. 18 at around 3:05 p.m., a minor related to the couple suffered severe injuries after crashing a Surron Light Bee e-Moto bike into a minivan on Treat Boulevard and Arkell Road in Walnut Creek. The minor required emergency care at a local hospital. The minivan driver was uninjured and remained at the scene.
Walnut Creek police investigated the collision and determined that the child was unlawfully riding the e-moto in an “unsafe manner and at unsafe speeds” prior to the crash. The DA also alleges that the couple repeatedly allowed the minor to ride the e-moto from ages 14-17, ignoring repeated citations and warnings from law enforcement.
In recent years, California has tightened regulations and enforcement around high-powered electric bikes. Under state law, an e-bike must have operable pedals, a motor of no more than 750 watts and top speeds of 20-28 mph, depending on classification. Vehicles that exceed those limits, including e-moto-style bikes like Surrons, are treated as motor vehicles, meaning that riders must be over 16 and need a driver’s license, and the e-moto must be registered and in compliance with local ordinances. Riders under 18 must also wear a helmet at all times, and riders of any higher-speed Class 3 e-bike must also wear a helmet at all times, regardless of age.
Recent laws grant increased authority to law enforcement, including permission to impound non-compliant bikes.
“E-bikes and e-motos are more prevalent on city streets. Now that California has new laws on the books to address public safety offenses related to e-bikes and e-motos, parents must understand the dangers these vehicles can pose to children if operated unlawfully and without proper driver education,” Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement.
