The Hudson Police Department just issued this report about a collision that happened this morning, involving an electric bicycle crashing into a pickup truck.
On August 12, 2025, at approximately 11:49 AM, Columbia County 911 transferred a call reporting a motor vehicle accident involving an electric bicycle (e-bike) and a pickup truck in the area of North 1st Street and Warren Street in the City of Hudson. Hudson Police Department (HPD) patrol units in the field cross monitored the call and responded.
Upon arrival, officers spoke with the driver of the pickup truck, who reported traveling southbound on North 1st Street and coming to a complete stop at the intersection with Warren Street. After entering the intersection, the driver stated that his vehicle was struck. He pulled over and observed an individual lying in the roadway next to an e-bike. The driver immediately called 911 and attempted to assist the injured rider.
The e-bike rider was initially unconscious and sustained a major head injury. He later regained semi-consciousness while emergency personnel were on scene. It was confirmed that the rider was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. Greenport Rescue Squad responded and transported the rider to a nearby helipad, where he was airlifted to Albany Medical Center for emergency treatment. His condition is currently unknown.
This incident remains under investigation by the Hudson Police Department. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are growing in popularity due to convenience and speed and have been a concern within the City. Although helmets are only legally required for some classes of e-bikes, the Hudson Police Department strongly encourages all riders to wear helmets, obey traffic signals, and ride responsibly, especially given the increased potential for serious injury in crashes.
E-Bike Safety and Classification
In New York State, e-bikes are categorized as follows:
- Class 1: Pedal-assist only (no throttle), motor assistance up to 20 mph
- Class 2: Throttle-powered with motor assistance up to 20 mph (no pedaling required)
- Class 3: Pedal-assist only, with motor assistance up to 28 mph
- Helmet use is required for Class 3
- Minimum rider age is 16 years old
Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1242–Additional Provisions (Article 34)--Age restriction: No person under 16 years old may operate an e-bike.
This is no surprise and it will continue to happen because ebike riders are always blowing through stop signs and lights. The real concern though, which HPD did not mention at the two most recent council meetings when the issue of ebikes came up, are electric bikes and scooters being ridden on sidewalks, often very fast. Soon enough, a pedestrian is going to get hit and they will be the one hitting their head on the pavement and possibly dying. A bike or scooter doesn't need to be going that fast to knock someone over in an instant. Things have gotten completely out of hand with electric bikes and scooters in the streets and on the sidewalks. HPD should immediately start to enforce the latter. It's a code violation to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk, yet it is happening more and more lately. Why? Because HPD isn't doing anything about it.
ReplyDeleteEbikes and the one-wheels are a danger on the roads and a menace to drivers. My mother had an ebike plow into her car in Albany, doing $9k worth of damage, and ride away. I saw a close call on 9G wherein a one-wheel rider's hat blew off and nearly caused an accident. They should be registered and insured if they're going to ride on the roads. We're only going to see more of this until the State steps up with regulations.
ReplyDeleteE-bikes are vital transportation options for many people. They are in particular a lifeline for people who can't or prefer not to drive a car.
ReplyDeleteLike any motorized transport, they can be dangerous. But unlike cars, e-bikes are not afforded roadspace that is designed to mitigate those dangers.
Our elected officials would do well to get out ahead of this issue by prioritizing building bike infrastructure - also known as "complete streets" - that allows all users of public space in Columbia County to get around safely.
Hi Moira -
DeleteA "complete street" is a street for cars, spaces for cyclists, and safe sidewalks... usually also crosswalks that are wheelchair friendly, with bus stops, storm water features, and "traffic calming" measures like roundabouts (circles).
Are you proposing that Hudson build all that, going both ways, everywhere, and add a lane for e-bikes, separate from bicycles and cars? So in other words 4 lanes (car, e-bike, bicycle, pedestrian) going in both directions of travel?
;-)
FWIW - Amsterdam (capital of well designed streets and bicycles) simply classify e-bikes that go max 15m/ph (pedal assist) as a bicycle and those are not allowed where cars and pedestrians go, and mo-peds that go faster than 15 m/ph are treated as cars (they require license, helmet, insurance etc.) and can't go where bicycles or pedestrians travel.
But this is not Amsterdam or a functioning city... at this time.
Right now it would simply be nice if Union Street was a one way, or did not have parking on either side so that it is a functioning two-way street... and if the yellows lines are painted straight.
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As with most problems in Hudson and New York.... just enforcing the existing laws universally would mostly solve the problem.
If Mayor Kamal was a present and competent mayor he could call Chief Franklin tomorrow morning and suggest that HPD officers allocate time and resources to enforce traffic rules strictly and write tickets for every mo-ped or car offense. You could even add a daily target of 2 tickets per shift...
That will probably not happen.... and if it did... certain vocal members in the community would call it police overreach or brutality. QC is in Botswana now (by his own public admission via his QR-code based fundraising request via the HCHC social media**) so maybe this is a good time to enforce laws?
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Lost in all of this is the fact that the Greenport Medics, who are very well trained and professional, do so much for Hudson... and helped that patient in a very critical way today and may have saved a life (again), and they get very little support from the City of Hudson.
If memory serves right the City of Hudson gives the Greenport Rescue squad 10x less than the Hudson Youth Center.
Even though all 5000 residents in Hudson benefit from the proximity and training of the Greenport Rescue Squad, and only 40-80 Hudson and Greenport your (on average) benefit from the Hudson Youth Center.
Imagine if the lobbyists for the Hudson Youth Center worked half of the year for the Greenport Rescue Squad... just an idea.
**Reference:
"August 10 marks 15 years since Quintin Cross was freed from the bodage of the NYS carceral system. What they thought would break Quintin only radicalized him to fight harder for Black liberation. There's still work to do. Right now, he's in Botswana, learning firsthand about its journey for indepence and its place in the global struggle for Black liberation. Swipe to support Quintin's current travels in the Motherland" ~ Quoted from the HCHC Instagram
Editor's note:
- Botswana is one of the richets countries in Southern Africa. It never experienced a major war. It has a ~3% white population, was always ruled by its Tswana monarcy, who established a peace treaty with the British without any shots fired and then it transitioned to arguably the most stable democracy in Africa in 1966. In short, Botswana, a majority-black nation built on civic nationalism, QC's American-style black consciousness is an imported curiosity with no grip on politics, and there is no appetite for the racial quotas or affirmative-action schemes that consume some Americans.
I have seen several e-bikers blasting through red lights. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteWhat are patrol cops supposed to do when they see an ebiker run a stop sign or red light or in the wrong lane or on a sidewalk or riding the wrong way on a one way street? Chase them down in a 2 ton vehicle?
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