Paterson lawmaker calls for more e-bike enforcement after 18-year-old killed in crash

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A crash in Paterson killed an 18-year-old man on Wednesday night. The driver of a Jeep Cherokee was leaving the parking lot on 9th and Madison avenues when he collided with two 18-year-olds riding on an electric scooter. One of them was pronounced dead at the scene. Lawmakers who have been working to make some changes when it comes to scooters and e-bikes believe this is an example of why law enforcement should have stricter policies when it comes to motorbikes, e-bikes and e-scooters. News 12 spoke to Carlos Aguirre who was the driver of the Jeep. "I waited for traffic back and forth, left and right. But when I tried to move forward, I was hit by the motorbike,” Aguirre said, adding, "I feel so bad because someone died, sorry for their family." RELATED: 18-year-old killed, another injured in Paterson scooter crash, police say Video taken at the scene shows the aftermath of the crash and the teens lying in the road. Panicking bystanders call for help. Angelvl Javier-Reynos was pronounced dead at the scene and Brailin Dominguez was taken to Saint Joseph's University Medical Center for injuries. He is expected to recover. Authorities say the scooter in this case was unregistered. Paterson Councilman Luis Velez told News 12 that this is the case for most people riding e-scooters and bikes around Paterson. "Meanwhile, they're all over the city doing more damage than good,” he said. "No helmet, not using the precaution of driving and they're risking their lives." According to guidelines from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Paterson police officers are prohibited from chasing and recovering electric scooters or bikes. "Here in Paterson, there's a saying that says everything goes and we have to stop that,” the councilman said. He and other lawmakers enacted an ordinance in 2019 to recover unregistered bikes and scooters. But it didn't get approval from the attorney general's office. He is hoping that now it will. "