Two teens facing charges after police chase involving electric dirt bikes

Two teens are facing criminal code charges after leading police and HAWCS on a chase early Tuesday morning in southwest Calgary.

Police say they were called to the community of Coach Hill around 1:30 a.m. after getting reports that three teens had been “performing stunts and operating their electric dirt bikes dangerously.”

When officers tried to stop the three riders, police say the trio took off and continued to evade both police and HAWCS through residential neighbourhoods.

Police did arrest two of the riders and have since charged them with dangerous operation of a vehicle and flight from police, under the Criminal Code of Canada.

“There are people that are wanting to flee,” says acting superintendent Rob Patterson with the Calgary Police Traffic Division. “In the past it would be ‘oh I’m sorry I didn’t realize this couldn’t be ridden here and off they go, but (now) we’re seeing an increasing number of people trying to flee from the police on these devices and the biggest challenge (is) they’re capable of incredible speeds.”

Police say electric dirt bikes are illegal to ride on public roads, sidewalks, pathways and parks.

The Communities of Evanston and Creekside have seen their fair share of incidents.

Evanston Creekside Community Association president Mike Stiles says kids riding electric dirt bikes have been an issue at Evanston Park since October.

They say what’s likely attracting them to the park is the number of hills that are there, and these kids are using them like it’s their own “personal pump track.”

“These kids as young as 10 have been driving around our park, causing havoc in our community, cutting through the park’s pathways, lane splitting, popping wheelies along Simon’s Valley Parkway.”

Bobby Kooner is the community association safety director. He says the complaint he gets most often is regarding the number of times these bikes nearly hit someone at the park or toddlers at the nearby daycare.

“We want to get the education out to the parents who may be buying these bikes without knowing that they’re not legal within city limits,” says Kooner.

“We don’t want to be the fun police, so we would love for the city to do something about making a designated area where they can go ride, but until that happens, you know we want stepped-up enforcement.

A spokesperson in the Office of the Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors says the province is looking at amending the Traffic Safety Act “to build a modernized and safer transportation system that supports drivers, commercial carriers, and alternative transportation users.”