Kamloops man’s death prompts petition to ban e-scooters

A young Kamloops man is dead less than six months after e-scooter rentals were introduced to the city, and his death has prompted a petition to ban them from the road.

Hunter Dennis, 18, has been identified through the petition just days after he died in hospital.

“To honor Hunter’s memory and ensure the safety of all Kamloops residents, we urge the City of Kamloops to withdraw from the British Columbia Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Project immediately,” the online petition reads.

Dennis died four days after he crashed in the West End neighbourhood of Kamloops while riding rental e-scooter. Kamloops RCMP have seized the scooter. They do not believe he was wearing a helmet at the time, according to a news release.

Paramedics rushed him to hospital around 4 a.m., Aug. 16, and police said there was no evidence another vehicle was involved.

The use of e-scooters has resulted in a rise in injuries among young people across the country, though Okanagan cities did see a reduction after the first year following introductions of rental fleets.

Dennis appears to be the first person to have died on a rented e-scooter in the Southern Interior since 2021.

For Kamloops, they were introduced in March after the province offered to include the city within a BC pilot project. They are prohibited for riders under the age of 16, and riders must follow the same rules as a cyclist which includes a helmet requirement.

The online petition, which has garnered more than 700 signatures since launching on Aug. 22, calls on Kamloops city council to withdraw from the pilot project and to lobby the province for a safety review of the program across BC.