A 13-year-old boy was seriously injured Thursday night when the e-bike he was riding hit a deer on an East Islip road — marking yet another incident involving young riders and quick-moving electric bicycles in Suffolk County.
Police said the teen was heading north on the e-bike on Woodland Drive near Gwendolyn Place —in front of John F. Kennedy Elementary School — about 5:42 p.m. when he collided with a deer.
The boy was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip with serious injuries. His e-bike was impounded for a safety inspection, and detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department Third Squad are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact them at 631.854.8352.
The incident occurs against a backdrop of mounting e-bike crashes in the region — many of them involving teenagers. Among them:
• On Aug. 27, a 13-year-old in Lake Ronkonkoma was struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding his e-bike and suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
• Just last week, a 14-year-old freshman at Mepham High School in North Bellmore died after being struck by an SUV while riding his e-bike to school.
In the Lake Ronkonkoma hit-and-run, the victim’s mother described the incident as “just unthinkable,” saying her son was left bleeding in the road after he was struck by a car whose driver allegedly left the scene.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina has scheduled a press conference for Friday morning to provide an update on the East Islip incident and discuss safety concerns regarding e-bikes.
Top: Google Maps street view (September 2025).
