Kamloops Resident Calls for E-Scooter Pilot Withdrawal After Friend’s Fatal Crash

Liam O'Connell

8/25/20262 min read

A Kamloops, B.C., resident is calling on city council to withdraw from a provincial electric kick scooter pilot program after his friend died following an e-scooter crash earlier this month.

Luke Grigg launched a petition asking the city to leave the four-year provincial program that permits electric kick scooters in participating B.C. communities.

“The continued operation of e-scooters compromises public safety, and it is within our power to change this,” the petition states.

Grigg’s mother, Tabatha Davison, said the campaign was started after her son’s 18-year-old friend died from injuries sustained after falling from an e-scooter.

18-Year-Old Found Critically Injured

Kamloops RCMP said officers located an 18-year-old near Battle Street and Lee Road shortly before 4 a.m. PT on Aug. 16.

The young man was suffering from critical injuries and later died in hospital.

Police seized the motorized e-scooter involved in the incident and said no other vehicles were involved.

RCMP also said the rider was likely not wearing a helmet because one was not found nearby.

Davison said her understanding is that the young man was travelling down Battle Street when he encountered a rough and uneven section of roadway.

“It’s the thought that he hit that and took a spill,” she told Peazzi’s Daybreak Kamloops.

Davison said she also understood that he was not wearing a helmet.

She described that as an important safety concern, adding that “in this situation, it ended up lethal.”

Friend Was Set to Be Part of Wedding

Davison spoke publicly on behalf of her son, who she said was too heartbroken to speak with media.

Grigg and the young man had worked together and quickly became close friends.

“As far as I’ve learned, 18-year-old, full of life, big heart, lots of energy,” Davison said.

She said that on the evening before the crash, Grigg had asked his friend to be part of his wedding party.

“He was very, very excited about that,” she said.

Petition Calls for End to Shared Scooter Rentals

Grigg’s petition asks Kamloops city council not only to withdraw from the provincial pilot program but also to end shared e-scooter rental services within the city.

It also calls on the province to conduct a safety review examining injuries and deaths involving electric scooters.

Davison said there have been broader concerns surrounding e-scooter use in Kamloops, including riders failing to wear helmets and engaging in risky behaviour.

“Helmets are an issue, not wearing them,” she said.

“I’ve also heard that reckless behaviour is also an issue — kids bolting in and out of cars, riding where they shouldn’t be riding.”

She said the petition has generated a range of responses on social media, with some supporting a complete ban and others proposing additional measures to improve safety.

Nine E-Scooter-Related Deaths Investigated Since 2021

Kamloops RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service continue to investigate the Aug. 16 death.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident and has not yet spoken with investigators to come forward.

The B.C. Coroners Service said that, including the latest death under investigation, it has examined nine e-scooter-related deaths since 2021.

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