A Minor Rode a Friend on an Electric Scooter and Crashed into a Tesla: The Ride Ended with a Fracture and a Trial

A road traffic accident involving an electric scooter can have not only civil but also criminal consequences, even if the vehicle was operated by a minor. At the same time, in such cases, courts are obliged to consider not only the circumstances of the accident itself but also the child’s age, behavior after the event, attitude towards the committed act, and the principle of the best interests of the child when choosing measures of influence.

This approach was applied by the appellate court when reviewing the case of a traffic accident involving an electric scooter, as a result of which the passenger sustained moderate bodily injuries.

The Vinnytsia Appellate Court reported on the review of the case concerning a minor who, while driving an electric scooter, was involved in a traffic accident that caused moderate bodily injuries to his passenger.

Case circumstances

The court of first instance established that in April 2026, the minor, while driving an electric scooter, did not choose a safe speed, did not take into account the road situation, and did not maintain a safe distance. As a result, he collided with a Tesla vehicle that had stopped before an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing to let pedestrians pass.

As a result of the accident, the scooter passenger suffered a closed fracture of the shin bones.

The minor’s actions were qualified under Article 291 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – violation of traffic safety rules that caused serious consequences.

However, since the boy had not reached the age of criminal responsibility, no punishment was imposed. Instead, the law provides for the application of compulsory educational measures.

What the court of first instance decided

The Vinnytsia City Court placed the minor under the supervision of his mother for one year and also imposed an additional restriction – a curfew prohibiting him from being outside his residence from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM.

What the parties requested in the appeal

The legal representative of the victim and the minor’s defender requested to change the decision. In particular, they pointed out that the boy sincerely admitted his guilt, committed a negligent act for the first time, fully compensated for the damage caused, reconciled with the victim, is positively characterized, and therefore the measures applied by the court are excessive.

Position of the appellate court

The panel of judges agreed that the fact of the accident and the need to apply compulsory educational measures to the minor are proven.

At the same time, the court noted that when determining the type of such a measure, it is necessary to consider the best interests of the child, his personality, behavior after the event, family environment, and other circumstances.

The appellate court established that the minor:

• lives with his mother, who has sufficient educational influence;
• is positively characterized at his place of residence and study;
• is aware of the consequences of his actions;
• committed a negligent act.

In view of this, the panel of judges concluded that placing the minor under the supervision of his mother without additional leisure restrictions is a sufficient educational measure.

As a result of the review, the appellate complaints were partially satisfied. The Vinnytsia Appellate Court removed the restriction on the minor’s presence outside the residence at night from the first instance court’s decision, while the rest of the ruling remained unchanged.

As emphasized by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", the rapid spread of electric scooters, unicycles, hoverboards, and other small electric transport has created a serious challenge for urban infrastructure, which is struggling to adapt to new types of mobility. The increase in the number of accidents forces authorities to seek both legislative and practical ways to improve safety.

For this reason, Ukraine proposes to comprehensively regulate the use of electric scooters, unicycles, electric bicycles, segways, hoverboards, and other small electric transport. This concerns draft law No. 15284 "On the peculiarities of the use of small electric transport in Ukraine," the necessity of which the authors explain by an increase in accidents involving such vehicles.

Additionally, draft law No. 3023, which aims to define the legal status of personal light electric transport and its users, is being prepared for the second reading in the Verkhovna Rada.

In an article by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper", the issue of possible introduction of technical control for such transport in Ukraine was raised – including certification at the time of sale or technical inspection during operation. At the same time, the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories notes that in the near future, electric transport will not receive the status of full-fledged wheeled vehicles and will not be subject to mandatory classification or certification.

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