A man was killed after a collision with a 14-year-old riding an electric dirt bike on Rickenbacker Causeway, one of Miami’s heaviest—and most dangerous – cycling routes.
A 54-year-old man died from his injuries Friday evening after a bicycle accident on the Rickenbacker Causeway — the latest in a series of cyclist fatalities on the busy and popular roadway linking Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne.
It is the ninth fatal bike crash on the causeway in the past 19 years and the second major incident evolving a minor operating an electric vehicle in the Coconut Grove area in the past month.
According to police, Fabian Moses was riding in the eastbound bike lane at approximately 8:20 p.m. when he was struck from behind by a 14-year-old boy riding an electric dirt bike, or e-moto – a class of electric vehicle that is larger and more powerful than an e-bike. The boy was riding with a juvenile female on the back of his vehicle.
Moses was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The boy, who has not been identified, also suffered injuries and remains hospitalized. Police say it’s unclear if either rider was wearing a helmet.
The girl was not injured.
Charges are pending, police say. Electric dirt bikes, under Florida law, are prohibited from public roadways, sidewalks and bike paths.
Moses is believed to be the first cyclist to perish along the causeway following a collision with a motorized bike. All other fatalities involved cars.
Calls to separate cars and cyclists along the causeway intensified in 2006 after Omar Otaola, a 33-year-old father of two, was killed after being hit by a truck on the Bear Cut Bridge connecting Virginia Key to Key Biscayne.
County officials responded with markings to separate cars from bicycles.
Two fatal hit-and-runs, in 2010 and 2012, prompted even further improvements to the bridge’s bike lanes, including a second white line with vibration ridges. In 2017, the causeway installed its first green bike lane, intended to increase the visibility of cyclists.
A memorial to Ochoa and others killed in the area – known as “Ghost Bikes” for their all-white paint — now sits just west of the Bear Cut Bridge.
Friday’s incident is the second involving an electric vehicle in Coconut Grove in the past month. In late July a 12-year-old girl was seriously injured after crashing an e-bike into the back of a car on South Bayshore Drive.
A new Florida law will allow municipalities to set their own e-bike and scooter age restrictions. The law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 19, was in response to the Feb. 14, 2024 death of Megan Andrews, a Key Biscayne resident, who was killed on her bike after colliding with an e-bike operated by a 12-year-old.
A 2020 Florida law removed the age restriction, previously 16, on who could ride e-bikes and scooters. It still requires anyone under 16 to wear a helmet.
Friday’s crash comes just days before Key Biscayne’s Village Council — which previously banned e-bikes and scooters from sidewalks and roadways under its jurisdiction – was set to discuss setting a minimum operating age of 18 for all electric bicycles and motorized scooters.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with new information from the Miami Police Department regarding the type of electric vehicle involved in the accident.
Absolutely heartbreaking for everyone involved. From the cyclist who lost his life and has a grieving family, to the young man who not intentionally caused the accident in the first place. Both families having to deal with these consequences for the rest of their lives. How horrific this was, I’m not surprised it did not happen before or more often. There is absolutely no reason to purchase these e-bikes for children who dont even have licenses. And where is the police presence? Too often these along with golf carts, moki carts – no license plates – can be seen all over the Grove and the Key. Yet none get pulled over nor tickets issued. Basically reinforcing bad behaviour. Parents should not be purchasing these for young children and police need to step up and not only hold up the laws, but also educate.
This story hits hard because it’s not just another car vs. bike tragedy – it’s a 14-year-old on an electric dirt bike that’s illegal on public roads under Florida law, yet somehow it happened anyway. Nine cyclists killed on that causeway in 19 years, and every safety improvement – green lanes, vibration ridges, reflective markings – was meant to protect against cars, not this new wave of unregulated electric vehicles. Fabian Moses was riding in the bike lane at 8:20 PM, visible, predictable, and still didn’t make it home. The 2020 law removing e-bike age restrictions created a gap that municipalities are only now allowed to fix. For families dealing with liability, insurance disputes, and police reports, firms like Bicycle Accident Lawyer Group (BALG) exist to help navigate that mess, but honestly, no legal outcome changes what happened on that bridge. We need better enforcement and real separation between cyclists and all motorized traffic, because ghost bikes are piling up faster than solutions.