Hannah Metzger
Audio By Carbonatix
A child has died weeks after he was struck by a vehicle while riding a rentable electric bike in Denver.
The 13-year-old boy reportedly attempted to cross West Colfax Avenue at a crosswalk while the no-walk signal was activated, according to the Denver Police Department. He was hit by a vehicle driving through a green traffic light near the Knox Court intersection in west Denver.
The boy was mere blocks away from his middle school when the collision occurred on May 7 at around 4:30 p.m. He was rushed to the hospital but died of his injuries on June 10, according to the police report. The driver is not facing criminal charges.
Police say the boy was riding a Veo e-bike, meaning the micromobility company’s first fatal collision in Denver occurred just six days after its launch.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident and extend our heartfelt condolences to the individual’s family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Veo spokesperson Paige Miller says. “Safety is our highest priority. We are gathering information, reviewing the circumstances surrounding this incident, and cooperating with law enforcement as they conduct their investigation.”
Minors are not allowed to rent or operate Veo vehicles under company policy. However, Veo relies on users to report their own ages without any official verification.
Miller declined to comment on whether the company is considering changing its age-related policies in light of the fatality.
“Out of respect for the family and the ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment further at this time,” Miller says.
Child riders
The issue of minors using rentable e-vehicles has come to the forefront since Veo arrived in the city on May 1.
9News reported that fleets of Veo vehicles were placed outside of Denver middle schools during the company’s temporary free-ride promotion, essentially allowing children to ride without even needing a parent’s credit card. The 13-year-old victim attended one of the middle schools featured in the 9News report, according to social media posts from his family.
Denverite reported on anecdotal complaints of more kids riding e-scooters since the city’s switch in operators, and noted a recent incident at East High School in which nurses saw seven scooter-related injuries in one day.
Denver has never required age verification, city officials told Denverite. The city’s former micromobility operator, Lime, did not verify the age of riders, either. A spokesperson said that rider accounts “will be suspended immediately” if Veo is notified that a minor is utilizing the service.
Veo asks residents to report underage riding and other unsafe behaviors to hello@veoride.com.
Earlier this year, Colorado lawmakers introduced a bill to impose financial penalties on parents who allow their minor children to operate electric scooters, bicycles, skateboards or motorcycles, if the child does so in an unlawful manner. Legislators unanimously rejected the bill during a committee vote on March 4.
Delayed report
This is the only reported death of a Veo rider in Denver as of June 30, according to DPD.
Public reports of the collision from Denver police have not disclosed that the victim died, that he was a minor or that he was riding an e-bike.
On May 12, DPD said in an X post that the victim was still alive and it would update the post if his status changed. The child’s death has still not been posted by DPD as of June 30. Westword learned of the fatality via a social media post from the Denver Bicycle Lobby on June 25; the organization declined to comment on how it received the information.
The victim died on June 10, according to the police report. His identity and autopsy report are not public because he is a minor. Westword determined his age based on social media posts from his family.
Veo refused to release its Denver crash data on June 2, four weeks after the collision, when Westword contacted the company regarding an unrelated crash. (That crash from May 26 was captured in a viral video; it appears to show an e-bike rider crossing traffic and colliding with a turning vehicle. Veo said the rider did not report the incident. DPD said a bystander called the police, but both parties had left the scene by the time officers arrived.)
“Veo includes crash data in our quarterly reporting to DOTI. To maintain consistency in reporting, Veo does not publicly report crash statistics outside of these reports,” Miller told Westword at the time.
She added: “Based on the information currently available, Denver’s experience to date appears generally consistent with Veo’s national fleet, which sees more than 99.99% of trips completed without incident. We remain optimistic that our majority-seated fleet will improve safety outcomes in Denver.”
Safety issues are not unique to Veo. Last year, eight people died while riding standing e-scooters in Denver under the city’s former micromobility operators. Seven more e-scooter riders died between 2018 and 2024.
Denver Health registered 1,868 patient encounters attributed to scooter injuries in 2025, according to hospital data. That is more than five patient encounters each day of the year.
