E-scooter driver, 19, who was knocked off her ride and killed is identified
>
The 19-year-old victim of a horror e-scooter accident can be identified as Laura Wallace, who shared a meaningful social media post about her life just hours before her death.
Laura died after being thrown over an intersection when her e-scooter collided with a car just after 3pm on Sunday afternoon on the corner of Drakeford Drive and O’Halloran Circuit in Kambah, Canberra.
Police said the teen was not wearing a helmet when she crashed into the vehicle, causing a fatal head injury.
Just a day before her death, Laura made a final chilling post on her Facebook account, lamenting that people couldn’t share their feelings more freely.
‘Some people are not good at asking for help because they are so used to being ‘the helper’. Throughout their lives, they’ve experienced an unbalanced give and take, so their instinct is usually, “I’ll figure it out on my own,” the 19-year-old shared on her page the day before she died.
“Self-reliance is all they’ve ever known.”
The 19-year-old victim of a horror e-scooter accident can be revealed as Laura Wallace (pictured with her mother Jay)
She had also shared posts about anxiety and removing herself from situations where she didn’t feel “loved, valued or respected.”
Heartbroken friends and family have taken to social media to express their grief over the loss of the teen by sharing news articles and photos of the young woman.
Laura’s mother Jay posted a series of photos of her daughter on her Facebook page, as well as family friend Melanie Steele who remembered her as “the strongest child.”
“We loved her, she was us. Many are too young to express the sadness we feel. You’re so important,” she said.
Jay Wallace (pictured left) posted a series of photos of her daughter Laura (right) after her tragic death on Sunday afternoon
Police say Laura was thrown a “considerable distance” over the intersection after hitting a car on Sunday afternoon.
The young woman was taken to Canberra Hospital with serious head and leg injuries, but was later pronounced dead.
ACT Policing’s Major Collision Team is investigating the crash and will report their findings to the coroner.
Detective Acting Inspector Paul Hutcheson, the highway patrol officer, expressed his condolences to the young woman’s family and friends in a statement on Monday.
Police revealed that the young woman was not wearing a helmet. An investigation into the accident is ongoing (photo, police are investigating the woman’s e-scooter)
“This is another tragic and preventable death of a young Canberran on ACT roads,” Detective Hutcheson said.
“The consequences of this incident are very large and have a wide spread throughout the community.”
Detective Hutcheson added: “All of our vulnerable road users who use scooters, e-scooters, bicycles or skateboards on and around our roads to slow down, check the road before entering or crossing and please wear your helmet.”
The young woman’s death marks the 12th road death in the Australian Capital Territory this year and the first e-scooter related death.
Police are calling on anyone who witnessed the accident or took dashcam footage to contact police.
Obviously, the e-scooter Laura was riding did not come from a public rental service in Canberra.
It marks the 12th road death in the Australian Capital Territory this year and the first e-scooter-related death (pictured)
Rules surrounding the popular devices vary from state to state in Australia, with some banning the scooters while others impose a list of strict requirements on the riders.
Electric scooter laws in the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia allow riders to drive e-scooters with a regular driver’s license.
However, in the Australian Capital Territory, NSW, Tasmania and Victoria, riders must complete training before using the devices with their e-scooters to meet certain requirements.
Riders in Canberra must wear a helmet at all times while using their device and must not enter roads or cycle paths on the road unless a residential street does not have a footpath.
In July 2022, NSW introduced an e-scooter shared program that allowed both tourists and locals to rent a scooter from an authorized provider and ride it at a selected pilot site – Western Sydney Parklands and Australian Botanic Gardens.
Riders who take their devices for a ride outside of the permitted trial locations may be struck with a $697 fine on the spot for driving a prohibited or uninsured vehicle on NSW roads or sidewalks.