From sidewalk to ICU: Bike and scooter crashes

Yann Gorbatov is like many 13-year-old boys: He loves playing basketball, hanging out with friends and testing the limits of his electric bicycle.  

A recent ride, however, turned into a life-altering experience when he crashed. 

“There's a chance with whatever you're doing, you could always get injured,” Yann said. 

It started like any other trip home. Yann came to the top of a familiar three-flight staircase and decided to take a faster way down.  

“I go down the first set and I get a little too much speed,” Yann recalled. “I tried to click the brake and it kind of didn’t work. Then I get a little air on the second one. And then the third one, I just go flying. And the rest is kind of a blur.” 

He slammed into a tree and didn’t regain consciousness until the ambulance ride to Harborview Medical Center. The accident left him hospitalized with multiple injuries. 

“I fractured this foot. I fractured my breastbone or my sternum. I had dopamine leaking out of my heart. I bruised both my lungs and I cut my spleen and I mean, I am pretty sure I didn't get a concussion, but they did think I caught a concussion,” Yann said. 

Even so, his injuries could have been worse. 

“I'm really grateful that I'm obviously wearing the helmet, staying safe and that my head didn't get injured,” Yann said. “I think I would have really bad head injuries if it weren’t for the helmet.” 

Yann’s story underscores a growing concern: the surge in injuries related to e-bikes and e-scooters, especially among children. Dr. Beth Ebel, a UW Medicine pediatrician, says the rise in accidents is alarming. 

“We’ve seen increases of almost 36% from last year,” according to Ebel, who is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “And I would expect that we’re going to see higher numbers this year.” 

The most common, and severe, injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters are those to the head. Many of the patients Ebel sees require more intensive care because they did not wear a helmet. 

“If a scooter hits a rock or curb, the wheel stops, and the rider is pitched forward onto their head. You're set up to land on your head,” Ebel explained. "We see serious head injuries, facial injuries, dental trauma, really very tough injuries.” 

A helmet can mean the difference between a few bruises and a fatal injury, she added. 

“Helmets prevent so much of that. They’re light, they have clips. You could get a carabiner and just clip it onto your bag. That’s what I do.” For Yann’s mom, Diana Didyk, the memory of the call she received that day is still overwhelming. 

“It was so traumatic for me in particular that I can’t even comprehend that it could have been worse,” she said. 

Yann is now back in school. He is wearing casts on both feet and walking with a smile. He’s eager for summer so he can get back to playing outside. 

“I’m just looking forward to recovering, basically,” he said. “Play basketball. Kind of just enjoy summer.” 

As for getting back on his bike? Well, that’s a question for his mom. 

“I’m concerned. I don’t want him on a bike for at least some time,” Didyk said. 

Download broadcast-ready soundbites and related multimedia with Ebel, Gorbatov and Didyk. 

Written by Nathan Hyun.

Related tips: Be safe and responsible while bike-riding 

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