High Wycombe: Man 'races downhill on e-scooter with baby'

Local mum Charlotte Heath said she watched in ‘shock’ as a man sped along Totteridge Road in High Wycombe at around midday on May 16 – allegedly with an infant in a carrier she thinks was “no more than a few weeks or months old”.

Charlotte jumped on social media to express her outrage: “Shocked to have just seen a man on an e-scooter with a newborn baby strapped forward facing to his front. Is this kind of thing legal?”

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She estimated he was travelling at about 20mph and was terrified at the thought of him losing control or colliding with a car.

Charlotte claimed the e-scooter was a black Zipp-branded one part of a Bucks Council trial.

She said other road users looked on aghast, and that a bus passing at the time may have caught the shocking event on camera.

Charlotte reported it Thames Valley Police (TVP).

Stock photo

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Bowerdean crossroads on Totteridge Road

“I know those scooters can be hired and ridden on the road,” she said. “It was the black ones with Zipp on them that are hired out, I do believe.

“The infant was in a baby carrier, facing forward, slumped over with a hat on. I could see the baby must have been no more than a few weeks or months old.

“I would say he was travelling at about 20mph. He was going pretty much full speed on the dip towards the Bowerdean crossroads on Totteridge Road coming from Wycombe town centre direction, before the traffic lights.

“I was shocked to see it which is why I shared it [online]. I was horrified at the thought of what may happen to the baby if he was to be in an accident on the scooter.

“There was a bus passing at the time so may be camera footage. I saw other shocked road users taking a second look whilst passing.”

A TVP spokesman said: “I can confirm that we have received this report and it will be looked into accordingly.”

Cllr Steven Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "Safety is our number one priority with our e-scooter trials and it's vital that anyone riding an e-scooter follows the rules and rides safely. E-scooters are built for one rider only, so no additional passengers are permitted by law. 

"Zipp Mobility have confirmed they will be banning this particular rider from using them again.

"If members of the public see any of our trial Zipp Mobility e-scooters been ridden in a dangerous way, they should report this via bucks@zippmobility.com or by calling Thames Valley Police on 101."