DeMari Disna, a six-year-old boy from Steinbach, is confined indoors for the remainder of his summer vacation following a collision with an electric bicycle. The incident occurred while he was out with his sisters and friends on a walking trail near a soccer park close to his residence. DeMari was struck by a youth riding an e-bike, leading to a visit to Bethesda Regional Health Centre, where he endured a 19-hour wait to have a soft cast applied due to fractures in his left leg.
His mother, Shannon Broesky, shared that DeMari is handling the situation well but is feeling restless due to his energetic nature and recent birthday gifts of a trampoline and a bike. Broesky’s daughters witnessed the accident, recounting that a teenage girl unintentionally collided with their brother, causing him to be pinned under the e-bike.
Broesky is advocating for stricter regulations concerning e-bikes after witnessing the incident involving her son. The government of Manitoba is currently working on legislation regarding battery-powered bikes and scooters.
Transportation Minister Lisa Naylor expressed concern over the incident and emphasized the government’s commitment to revising regulations to ensure public safety on roads and trails. Steinbach’s mayor, Earl Funk, highlighted the speed and potential dangers associated with e-bikes, emphasizing the importance of education and regulations to prevent future accidents.
Morden, another city in the region, has already implemented bylaws requiring helmet use, adherence to traffic signals, and prohibiting e-bikes on sidewalks. Mayor Nancy Penner emphasized the need for consistent guidelines across municipalities and suggested that the province should establish age restrictions for e-bike usage.
In response to the incident, Penner emphasized the importance of implementing province-wide regulations to ensure safety and prevent accidents involving e-bikes. Broesky expressed forgiveness towards the teenage girl involved in the collision, emphasizing the need for accountability rather than confrontation in such situations.