Voi issues statement following death of boy, 12 after e-scooter collision in Bordesley Green, Birmingham

Voi has issued a statement after a 12-year-old boy was killed after his ‘e-scooter collided with a bus’ in Birmingham’s Bordesley Green.

The school boy, who has not been named, was riding an e-scooter when he collided with a bus on Bordesley Green, near to the junction with Belchers Lane, just before 8am on Tuesday (December 6).

He was sadly confirmed dead at the scene, despite the efforts of paramedics. The road was cordoned off while crash investigators examined the scene and police are urging any witnesses to get in touch.

The youngster’s family has been told, and are being supported by specially trained officers. Under Voi’s policy, no riders are able to rent an e-scooter as they need to have a provisional driver’s license and must be over 18 - all of which are verified in-app by a third-party provider - as well as a valid payment method.

Voi working with West Midlands Police after tragic death

Following the tragic incident, a Voi spokesman, said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with the deceased’s family and friends. The news of this tragic accident has shocked us deeply.

“We’re liaising with West Midlands Police and providing them with all the necessary information and we will be fully supportive of their ongoing investigation. Based on the notification we received from the police, we understand that the deceased was involved in an accident on Tuesday 6th December. We will not provide any further comment on the details of the incident at this moment in time.”

Data from the Department for Transport (DfT) shows that 12 people have died in incidents involving e-scooters for the year ending June 2022. This figure is three times higher than for the same period in 2021, when four people died.

What has West Midlands Police said about the incident?

Det Sgt Paul Hughes, of West Midlands Police’ serious collision investigation unit, said: “This is an awful tragedy for the young boy’s family and friends, and our thoughts are with them at this time.

“We’ve spoken to a number of witnesses, but still want to hear from any of the passengers on the bus who we’ve not yet spoken to, or from people who may have captured what happened on dashcam.

“If people do have footage, we’d ask them not to share it on social media but to send it to us so that we can help establish exactly what happened.” Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch quoting log 622 of 6 December. Their Live Chat is on the West Midlands Police website.”