By Jim Bloch
An electric bicycle and a SUV collided at the intersection of Pine Grove Avenue and Prospect Place in Port Huron, drawing the attention of the local police, EMS and the fire department.
The collision occurred Sunday, Aug. 16 at 2:16 p.m.
“The investigation determined that a 20-year-old Port Huron resident was riding an electric bicycle southbound on the east sidewalk of Pine Grove Avenue at about 23 mph. The rider failed to stop before entering the intersection at Prospect Place and traveled into the path of a Jeep Compass,” said the PHPD in an Aug. 17 Facebook post.
“The rider told officers he was traveling about 23 mph and stated that he “risked it”
when entering the intersection,” the police said. “Based on the crash investigation, the e-bike rider was determined to be at fault for failing to stop before entering the intersection.”
First responders found the bike rider pinned under the Jeep.
Firefighters and EMS workers freed the man before transporting him to McLaren Port Huron Hospital. The man was treated for minor injuries and released.
Police said the driver of the Jeep was not injured.
“This crash highlights the safety concerns that can arise when electric bicycles travel at higher speeds on sidewalks and enter intersections without following traffic laws,” said the police, who included a comment in their post from City Manager James Freed.
“Once again we see the dangers of e-bikes on city sidewalks moving at a high rate of speed and disregarding traffic laws,” Freed said. “We continue to work on legislation to prevent these types of accidents.”
Freed said that city administrators are exploring regulations to address operating e-bikes in the city. The goal is to protect pedestrians, bicyclists and motorist in public rights-of-way.
Jim Soto, a professor of philosophy at St. Clair County Community College and an advocate for bicyclists, lamented the crash and advocated for larger changes.
“There are some ludicrous claims being made about how safe it is to ride a bike in Port Huron as compared to other cities,” Soto said on Facebook. Between 2004-2024, there
were 353 crashes in Port Huron involving people on bikes, he said. In Jackson, 357; in Saginaw, 295; in Bay City, 361.
The per capita incidence of crashes involving bikes is the highest in Port Huron at .0125 with a population 28,273, compared with the other cities. Jackson is next at .0115 with a population of 31,022, followed by Bay City at .0114 with a population of 31,719. Saginaw is the lowest at .0068 with a population of 43,500.
Soto would like to see “safe, separated bike infrastructure and robust pedestrian amenities throughout the entire city.”
Structural improvements such as dedicated bike lanes can help reduce the consequences of poor driving decisions by individual bicyclists and motorists.
In St. Clair, the city council voted unanimously Aug. 18 to direct city administration, Police Chief Don Ennis and City Attorney Jim Downey to prepare an ordinance governing the operation of e-bikes.
“The Port Huron Police Department reminds bicycle and e-bike riders to obey traffic signs and signals, stop before entering intersections when required, watch for vehicles and pedestrians, and travel at a safe speed for the conditions,” the post said.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
