--- title: "E-scooter fatality in downtown Vancouver puts safety rules under scrutiny" description: "A 19-year-old woman died after an e-scooter she was sharing collided with a transit bus at Pender and Seymour. VPD is seeking video from anyone who witnessed it." canonical_url: "https://voche.me/news/e-scooter-safety-downtown-vancouver-november-2026" last_updated: "2026-11-08T10:56:19.917Z" --- A 19-year-old woman died early on November 7, 2026 after an e-scooter she was sharing with a man struck a TransLink bus at the intersection of Seymour Street and West Pender Street in downtown Vancouver. Vancouver Police say neither rider wore a helmet. VPD's Collision Investigation Unit is investigating and is asking anyone who captured the crash on video to contact them. The crash came about five weeks after VPD wrapped a month-long enforcement campaign that issued more than 1,275 warnings and tickets to e-scooter riders across the city. Of those, 920 were for not wearing a helmet. ## What happened on Seymour Street At about 5:30 a.m. on November 7, two people were riding a single e-scooter northbound on Seymour Street. They entered the intersection at West Pender Street and collided with a TransLink bus traveling westbound, according to VPD's press release published that morning. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The man riding with her was not injured. VPD did not name either rider. West Pender Street closed between Richards and Granville streets while investigators worked at the scene. CTV News reported the road re-opened and bus detours cleared by about 9:00 a.m. As of November 8, neither the City of Vancouver nor TransLink had issued a statement. ## The rules for riding in the city Under the rules the City of Vancouver publishes, e-scooters are permitted on roads with speed limits of 50 km/h or below, in bike lanes, on greenways and bikeways, and on the seawall and park paths where bicycles are allowed. Riders must walk, not ride, on sidewalks and in crosswalks. Three rules applied to the November 7 crash: helmets are required for all riders, only one person may ride at a time, and riders must be at least 16 years old. VPD's enforcement press release from October 2, 2026 also lists a maximum speed of 25 km/h and a requirement for lights from sunset to sunrise. The minimum age to ride is 16. The VPD October 2 press release notes that underage enforcement targeted riders under 16. ## The September enforcement numbers VPD ran a month-long enforcement campaign from September 4 to October 4, 2026, prompted by a summer that included at least one fatality and one serious injury involving e-scooters. The campaign produced more than 1,275 warnings and tickets in total. The breakdown from VPD's October 2 press release: - **Helmet non-compliance:** 920 contacts (753 warnings, 167 tickets) - **Riding on sidewalks:** more than 181 - **Two riders on one scooter:** 84 - **Riders under age 16:** at least 24 "E-scooters are a great mode of transportation, but we want people to know the rules and get to their destination safely," VPD Inspector Stephanie Willoughby said in the October 2 release. She attributed the campaign to the summer's incidents: "Over the summer, we saw at least one person seriously injured, and sadly one fatality. We started the enforcement project to coincide with the start of the school year so we could help keep people safe." The November 7 fatality involved both helmet non-compliance and two people on one scooter, the two most common violations the September campaign targeted. ## What investigators are asking VPD's Collision Investigation Unit is working to determine the exact circumstances of the crash. The unit asks anyone with dashcam footage, security camera video, or cell phone video from the intersection at that time to call 604-717-3012. VPD's tip line and online contact form are at vpd.ca. No charges have been announced. No official review of e-scooter rules or any new enforcement initiative has been announced by VPD, the City, or TransLink as of November 8. ## Why these rules exist E-scooters became part of the city's streets through a pilot program that the City of Vancouver has extended over several years. The rules, as listed in the VPD's October 2 press release, require helmets, limit riders to one person per scooter, cap speed at 25 km/h, and prohibit riding on sidewalks. Helmet use is the gap that enforcement has found hardest to close. Of the 1,275 contacts during VPD's September campaign, 920 were for not wearing a helmet, more than the other three violation types combined. Riders stopped on sidewalks accounted for 181, those doubling a rider 84, and underage riders 24. VPD's October press release noted the summer campaign was started specifically because a fatality and a serious injury had already occurred on Vancouver streets that season. The November 7 death is a second fatality in a single year. ## What you can do If you have video from the intersection of Seymour Street and West Pender Street from around 5:30 a.m. on November 7, 2026, VPD is asking you to call the Collision Investigation Unit at 604-717-3012. ## The City of Vancouver's full e-scooter rules are at vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/electric-kick-scooters.aspx. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.