A 14-year-old youth was illegally riding an e-dirt bike along Ioco Road, between Murray Street and Newport Drive in Port Moody yesterday afternoon.
Around 2 p.m., officers saw the youth engaging in several dangerous maneuvers.
“This rider was observed multiple times riding in oncoming lanes of traffic during, relatively moderate traffic at the time, and he was popping wheelies and performing stunts,” says Cst. Sam Zacharias, Port Moody Police Department media relations officer.
Plainclothes officers facilitated an arrest once the male youth stopped.
“This 14-year-old rider did resist arrest initially, but however he was taken into custody without further incident.”
The e-dirt bike the youth was riding has been seized by police and the youth has been released from custody.
Port Moody Police will be recommending potential criminal charges as well as potential Motor Vehicle Act charges.
“The offences of dangerous operation of a conveyance or a motor vehicle, that’s a criminal offence. There can also be offences relating to the no insurance, to the fact that the rider had no driver’s license,” says Zacharias.
People may not realize that the e-dirt bike is considered a vehicle that would have to be insured, that it differs from an e-bike.
“These dirt bikes, they actually qualify as motor vehicles because they’re not e-bikes, they don’t meet that definition. So, it’d be the equivalent of riding an electric motorcycle without insurance, without a license and as mentioned in a manner that’s quite dangerous.”
Zacharias also expressed concern over the capabilities of the e-dirt bike in the hands of an unlicensed driver.
“He’s riding a bike that is capable of going in excess of 100 kilometers an hour.”
Police believe that this youth is also connected to other incidents around Port Moody involving an e-dirt bike.
“This rider has been connected, believed to be connected to some other incidents that occurred in the city, including an incident about two weeks ago where it’s believed he rode the bike through a restaurant.”
The e-dirt bike the youth was riding was not one that is able to be ridden legally on streets.
“This bike can’t be insured because it lacks things like turn signals, it wouldn’t be able to be insured in the province of B.C.”
Zacharias explains that these bikes are designed for off road use and suggests that riders stick to Crown land adjacent to Port Moody, Coquitlam, and Eagle Mountain to ride on.
“That’s where they can be operated because there’s no need to have insurance there, that’s off-road Crown land.”