‘My son died riding on an e-scooter – we need to end these needless tragedies’

A devastated mum is calling for action against ‘lawless’ e-scooters after her son died in a crash.

Jacob Calland, 14, was on the back of an e-scooter with his friend when they were knocked over by a car on March 19 near his home in south Manchester.

He fought for his life in intensive care for eight days before succumbing to his injuries.

His mum Carly Calland is now among the growing list of parents who have lost a child in e-scooter crashes across the UK.

She has launched the campaign Jacob’s Journey which calls on the government to change the law around e-scooters to ‘end needless tragedies’ and stop parents going through the same pain.

The introduction of e-scooter licences, mandatory helmets, and banning the sale of e-scooters to under-18s are some of the campaign’s aims.

She told Metro: ‘I see e-scooters daily, and especially now on school holidays, and it hurts. I see them carrying passengers.

‘Jacob was never allowed one because I know how dangerous they can be.

‘Jacob’s got to deal with his consequences – now he is in a box in my living room. I’m just trying to stop this from happening to another mum, another sister, another uncle – it could be anybody, and I know I’m not the only person in the world going through this.’

Carly recalled the ‘breathtaking’ moment she received every parent’s worst nightmare – a call from the police.

She was told to get to Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, as quickly as possible and made it just as Jacob was being airlifted to Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Carly took photos of Jacob’s journey at the hospital to show them to him when he woke up.

Carly said: ‘I didn’t know what was going to happen to Jacob, so I was documenting it with the hope of sitting down together and explaining what we had gone through and how much of an impact his split-second decision to get on the back of that e-scooter, had on me and the rest of his family.’

Despite the best efforts of the medical staff to bring down the swelling in Jacob’s brain, he died a week after the crash surrounded by his loved ones.

Carly added: ‘Along with the scene, it was one of the hardest days of my life getting everyone to come and say goodbye.

‘Then the doctors and nurses pulled Jacob over in the bed and allowed me to get in bed with him to have my last cuddles with him. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, it was time. It was time to say goodbye, and all this over an e-scooter. It doesn’t sit right.’

Last week, it was reported the government is looking into issuing licence plates, mandatory training, and a minimum rider age requirement of 14.

But Carly says the 14-year-old age limit would be ‘unacceptable’ and she would ‘fight’ to have the age brought up to 18.

She said: ‘Teenagers think they are untouchable, and many adults think so too. I don’t want to just put it on kids, because some of the adults are just as bad, but it is mainly the kids who think they can get to places quickly and easily.

‘We have to get a driving licence to drive a car, but many of these scooters are just as powerful. Some of them can go 50mph or faster. But people get to just jump on them, and there’s no consequence.

‘There are no laws who can buy what.’

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