Leawood boy recovering at home from e-scooter crash; how other Johnson County cities are promoting safety

LEAWOOD, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers Johnson County. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of healthcare, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.

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A 13-year-old boy is recovering at home after he was involved in an electric scooter crash on his way to school Monday. Police confirmed Tuesday the boy was released from the hospital.

The cause of the crash, which happened around 7:35 a.m. Monday outside Prairie Star Elementary School, is still being investigated.

Andrae Hannon / KSHB

Leawood isn't the only Johnson County city that's been acting and reacting to e-bike and e-scooter safety concerns.

Overland Park is taking a new approach to e-bike and e-scooter safety — one that speaks the language of the kids it's trying to reach.

John Batten / KSHB

The city placed 160 signs near schools, trails, and busy areas to promote safe riding habits among children and teens. The signs use slang words and memes that may not resonate with adults, but that's by design.

"To the extent that we could, we kind of 'meme-ified' it and 'Gen Z-ified' it a little bit, 'Gen Alpha-ified' it," said Meg Ralph, Overland Park's strategic communications director.

Ralph said the initiative is part of a broader back-to-school safety push.

"The intent really is more to create the discussion, make sure parents are having conversations with kids," Ralph said. "We have an increased focus on safety and making sure that kids are getting where they need to go as safe as possible."

John Batten / KSHB

The signage campaign is one of several steps Overland Park has taken on e-bike and e-scooter safety.

• The city has a helmet ordinance requiring anyone under 18 to wear a helmet when riding an e-bike or e-scooter anywhere — on a trail, street or sidewalk.
• Electric scooters are subject to a 15 mph speed limit.
• Recent ordinances allow e-bikes on streets with a speed limit of 20 mph or higher, while e-scooters are not permitted on those streets.
• Children under 16 are prohibited from riding high-speed e-bikes, and new requirements have been placed on manufacturers.

Ralph said the city's Safe Streets plan and upcoming active transportation plans are additional next steps.

The initiative comes as concerns about youth safety on e-bikes and e-scooters continue to grow in Johnson County.

Isabella Ledonne

Johnson County resident Nancy Brandt said several recent incidents reflect widespread worry.

"Everybody is concerned," Brandt said. "They're really too young to be able to navigate on the roads, and they fly out in front of the cars. And it's just an accident waiting to happen."

Brandt said she recognizes the challenge of reaching young people.

KSHB 41

"As someone who's raised kids through the system and come through our educational system, it's so difficult," Brandt said.

Both Brandt and city leaders agree the current measures are a first step, and more work remains.

"It's so sad to me also that such tragedies have to happen before we have this awareness to it," Brandt said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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