A man was rushed to the hospital with a head injury after his scooter collided with a car Saturday in the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego police said.
The man, identified by police only as a 30-year-old, was riding a scooter on the sidewalk near the Balboa Theatre just after 11 p.m. when he entered an intersection and collided with a Toyota Prius.
The Prius was traveling southbound on 4th Avenue and had the green light, officers, said.
The scooter rider ran the red light and broadsided the Prius, according to the SDPD.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital with a head injury, according to police.
Video of the incident shows the scooter involved had the branding of the Lime dockless scooter company.
A similar scooter was involved in an incident in Pacific Beach on Dec. 10 that left a rider with a serious head injury.
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In that incident, a man was riding the scooter without a helmet down Garnet Avenue when he suddenly veered to the right and crashed into a building, according to San Diego police.
Investigators said there is no indication alcohol was involved in the incident.
No information was given on whether the rider was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Approximately 10 people per month are treated in the emergency room of Scripps Mercy Hospital, according to a spokesperson.
San Diego resident Raquel Neal said she knows first-hand how dangerous scooters can be. She fell while riding one a few months ago.
"I've come across situations where I didn't have a helmet on and I hit a curb in the road and flipped over the handlebars," Neal told NBC 7.
San Marcos resident Reid Hodges believes the benefits of the scooters outweigh the risks.
"Especially because parking is a nightmare down here," Hodges said. "So you can park in the outskirts and scooter in."
However, even he worries about getting hurt.
"Literally, my head is in a swivel when I'm riding one. I'm wearing all black; it's probably not the best thing."
A class-action lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court against companies operating e-scooters in several California cities alleging "gross negligence."
Broken arms, facial injuries, broken legs, broken teeth, concussions, lacerations and other injuries are detailed in the lawsuit.
The city of San Diego requires electric scooter riders to wear a helmet within city limits.
Though the company itself doesn't require riders to prove they are following city rules, the Lime mobile app does inform potential scooter riders on best practices before they can rent a scooter.
