In the absence of government standards, its up to the brands who are building these bikes to make them safe, he says. Another tweeted, "Kaye I just wanna tell you my love and my prayer are with you your daughter will always be in your heart I wish I could hug you and comfort you you will always be in my heart Molly will always be there for you watching you Kaye I be thinking of you Kaye". Ng says he built the bike himself. Sending you the biggest hugs imaginable. She did so because wantedthe people toknow her daughter better. She has been in an accident and suffered a brain trauma. Except the ocean, Jon continues. 93.92.134.167 Some parents were clued into the problem and were either scheduling regular maintenance with local shops or learning how to make the fixes at home, while others had no idea that their kids were riding heavy electric bikes that couldnt stop properly without frequent maintenance. When she was 4, Molly decided to be a vegetarian. But then again, many of these crashes could have been caused by the failure or inadequacy of inexpensive componentsa flimsy bushing in the quick release, for instance, or cheap pads that wont last long when stopping a 65-pound bike that often goes 20 miles an hour. And I think Rad Power is massively exposed by the use of these bikes by kids. Sending you the biggest hugs imaginable". Ng says the nut for the quick release came off and he never found it. During the pandemic, hundreds of teenagers in my community took to the streets on RadRunners and other inexpensive DTC e-bikes with mechanical disc brakes, and I discovered that many of them were having similar issues. RT @Pflax1: Two years ago today, Molly Steinsapir, 12, was in an horrible e-bike crash. "Molly Steinsapir was seriously injured in a bike accident and is now recovering in the ICU after brain surgery. The 12-year-old girl who severely injured herself in a bike accident in California and became a Twitter sensation, has died. Her friend was quick to ask for help by stopping a car and asking them to call 911. The #MJFam supports Molly and prays for a speedy recovery. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The doctors were scrambling to save their daughter. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. But I am a desperate mother, and I know from my cancer experience that prayer is powerful. ga('ads.send', { Molly Steinsapir, the 12-year-old daughter of two high-classlawyers, has died after her mom chronicled her traumatic brain injury and her fight for life. He was thinking maybe she had a broken leg or something. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Its sort of the Wild West, he says, itemizing how a few rules codified by the federal government havent changed since they were created two decades ago. The case is scheduled for late 2023. The families live about a half mile from Enchanted Way. It happened as soon as she realized what meat was, Kaye says, recalling that efforts to cajole Molly to occasionally eat fish were not successful. We would not put low-cost mechanical disc brakes on a heavy cargo bike, Hon says. It is not clear what specific chain of events led to the loss of control, whether it was a mechanical failure or rider error. First, the complaint alleges, the bike had an unusually low trail that would make it unstable at high speed. }); Then they wheeled her away and left Kaye standing alone in the hallway. eventAction: 'view' if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ In the morning the girls made another mess baking cinnamon rolls, and then sat in matching pajamas watching The Little Mermaid. Molly, who was wearing a bike helmet, hit the pavement hard and lost consciousness. ga('ads.send', { If Molly is non-responsive, they will say that she is no longer with us. Please RT and PRAY". Then Enchanted Way pitches skyward and my mood gets heavy. This is my favorite picture of me and Molly, taken just after she was born. The doctors will do one more exam tomorrow. Advertisement Molly Steinsapir, the 12-year-old girl whose battle to recover following a traumatic bike accident captured the hearts of hundreds of thous. With the bike picking up speed and the brakes inoperable, Redford tried to intentionally crash into a grassy plot backed by a fence. Should children be allowed to ride e-bikes? Please pray with everything in your heart for a miracle. let gads_event; Two or three weeks after he got it, Holland, an experienced road cyclist, noticed that the responsiveness of the brakes was poor, and he decided to remedy the problem by tightening the cables that run from the levers to the calipers. She thought it was very cruel to eat animals. Molly tried to proselytize for the cause with her good friends and refused to participate in fishing at summer camp because she believed hooks were barbaric, and from that point on she remained a vegetarian. The parents of Molly Steinsapir, a 12-year-old who passed away after a bike injury last year, are suing the e-bike company Rad Power Bikes, The New York Times reported. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ Molly Steinsapir, the daughter of Michael Jackson estate lawyer Jon Steinsapir, was in a "terrible bike accident" Jan. 31 and was being treated at UCLA in the days leading up to her untimely . The cheapest bikes arent always the cheapest in the long run., But to be clear, Rad Power and other reputable DTC brands have broken zero rules specing bikes with inexpensive components. She played Princess Jasmine in a summer production of Aladdin and had roles in Peter Pan and Guys & Dolls. This, of course, is hardly the only demographic spurring the massive growth of the e-bike marketthere is also a huge contingent of adult commuters and utility riders and fun seekers. Molly had been riding down a hill along with her friend when she fell off. When I grew up, the consequences of kids free-ranging on bikes were things like skinned knees or a broken bone, but now the repercussions have been multiplied.. My heart is broken for them, says attorney Wilborn. I watched two girls on a Rad e-bike ride downhill through a stop sign at an intersection and almost get run over, and then repeat the same thing at the next intersection, he recalls. hitType: 'event', And Mollys heart and liver went to a 14-year-old boy who had spent most of his life in the hospital, a boy who would not be alive today without those organs. Absolutely anyone with a couple hundred thousand can start an e-bike company. In the lawsuit, filed in . Kaye looks through Mollys baby pictures and some of her artwork. We are constantly reminded there is light in the darkness". Its like primal, you knowyou want your mom.. She made an immense difference in her 12 years. I would need to do it in April, will you message me? Kaye and Jonathan Steinsapir at their home in Pacific Palisades, California, on October 9, 2022. As per the reports, the young girl remained unconscious when she was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The factory will build whatever you want. Hong notes that his startups first-generation e-bike was specd with quick release and mechanical disc brakes, but he modified the design to incorporate thru axles and hydraulic disc brakes after customers complained. In the ensuing crash, the handlebar hit him in the groin area. Twelve-year-old Molly Steinsapir crashed onto the pavement from a Rad Power e-bike and never woke up. In fact, Molly loved to act and sing; it was one of her biggest passions. She did so because wanted the people to know her daughter better. That precocious 12-year-old is gone forever. In two years I have purchased more than 10 sets of brake pads. It feels like a safety issue, he says. Her kidneys got a woman off dialysis. There has to be user responsibility, too. The family and their attorneys would not comment on the matter.). In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the parents of the 12-year-old girl claim that the bike's design flaws made it difficult for the riders to slow down and stop as the bike accelerated downhill. It was a place where she was very free and not scared. The room is quiet for a moment after that. The 12-year-old girl had been riding down a Los Angeles hill, while wearing a helmet, when it happened. Holland now buys pads in bulk on Amazon; he checks and adjusts both calipers every two weeks, always on alert for a failure. The primary regulation governing e-bikes in the U.S. is included within the Code of Federal Regulations Part 1512. I make a point of inspecting and adjusting my kids brakes every two or three weeks. Daughter, 12, of Michael Jackson estate lawyer dies two weeks after a tragic bike accident left her hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury. The failure to warn is really significant in a situation like this, says Kaye, who says she didnt even really know what an e-bike was at the time and that shed frequently seen other kids even younger using similar bikes in the same manner. Consumers need to educate themselves., Keith Bontrager puts it tersely. We are immensely blessed to be her parents. By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief After suffering brain trauma in a bike accident going downhill and wearing a helmet, Palisadian Molly Steinsapir died following over two weeks in the intensive care unit at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on February 15. Also Read:One Killed, Another Injured InAccident In Nagpur. Molly Steinsapir was the daughter of two Los Angeles lawyers, Jon and Kaye Steinsapir. Performance & security by Cloudflare. So Rad Power is not violating any laws in this case, even accepting the Steinsapirs argument that Rad Power marketed its products to minors. We have many happy memories of our trips there. eventAction: 'load' Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a285571d87dca75 After they got dressed and headed out, Kaye remembers drinking coffee and feeling good that the kids were getting outside on such a beautiful day. And in the absence of such regulation, do the companies that make and market e-bikesparticularly the companies that sell relatively inexpensive e-bikes directly to the customerhave an ethical or legal obligation to do more? Its not someplace youd want to be on a bike with braking issues. Nothing can fix this. Id like to ask Mike [Radenbaugh] if hes concerned that his product is not designed for them., Rad Power representatives did not respond to my repeated requests for an interview but ultimately offered a statement regarding this case. Jonathan and Kaye Steinsapir, the parents of passenger Molly Steinsapir, name Rad Power and helmet brand Giro in a wrongful death lawsuit filed Aug. 1. Molly's mother, Kaye, provided updates on her condition via Twitter after she was accepted to UCLA. Also Read:Mark Hamill Responds To Fans' Love For His Return As Luke Skywalker In 'The Mandalorian'. Thats not, Hey, my 12-year-old couldnt control the car and thats the car manufacturers fault. That said, Hon notes that Terns current policy regarding this issue is to simply advise customers to follow the laws in their city and state, but that the company is presently reexamining this position in light of litigation like that brought by the Steinsapirs. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Jon, who describes himself as a history buff, recalls a conversation he and Kaye had with Mollys teacher after thateach of them had assumed that one of the others suggested the topic. (The family also sued the companies associated with the Giro helmet Molly was wearing, though it is not clear whether they have an interest in aggressively pursuing a grievance against Giro, Bell, and Vista Outdoor or if those entities were added to the complaint as a legal maneuver. The complaint alleges that this is what happened in the crash that killed Molly. }) Molly Steinsapir's sad story went v Two weeks after a traumatic bike accident, Molly's mother has announced on Twitter that she This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. But none of them had heard of Deborah Sampson before. They thought hard about what Molly would wantto help other peopleand signed the paperwork. Im not sure these bikes are great for any age if the brakes dont work., I had to go through some personal therapy, she adds, noting that she began to have panic attacks for the first time in her life. Shes truly a wonderful girl." Please. pg.acq.push(function() { They said to keep driving uphill. Just in the year 2021, the company raised more than $300 million in funding from large institutional investors to help fuel its explosive growth trajectory. To see him with breathing tubes was terrifying, she says. Parents project all sorts of superlatives onto their offspring, of course, but Mollys credentials are strong. A quick-release failure could be caused by someone putting on a wheel improperly. 'Very open to the idea': Julia Wandelt takes DNA test to verify if she is missing Swiss girl Livia Schepp, Kayla Lemieux: Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breasts suspended WITH PAY after pics show her dressed as man, 'We have lots to reveal': Madeleine McCann lookalike Julia Wandelt posts footage of meeting with PI probing claims, Lindsay Clancy case: Psychologist reveals psychosis red flags family members could have spotted, Baby Mia Jade Riley: Parents Lani and Tom Riley speak out after dog attack killed their 5-week-old infant. The tweets chronicled the ups and downs of Molly's care, including MRIs, blood transfusions and multiple surgeries to relieve pressure in her brain. Jon admits that he froze. }); Molly's parents filed a wrongful-death lawsuit on Monday against the Seattle e-bike company Rad Power Bikes after considering the danger to other children. Its clear to me from the complaint that the familys attorneys are trying really hard to assert that theres something specifically wrong with the bike, he says. Examined. I was worried about braking even in a car., David Ng asserts that he had a bad crash after the front wheel of his Rad bike came off. Just sent a tweet about ten minutes ago to see how she was doing. Then the Steinsapirs heard sirens and saw a fire truck and an ambulance racing up the street. }); A social media user calling Michael Jackson's fans says: "This young lady, who is 12 years old, is the daughter of Jonathan Steinsapir. Molly has been a vegetarian and passionate animal lover since she was a toddler, she said. "The parents of Molly Steinsapir, who died last year at age 12 after an e-bike accident, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit on Monday against the Seattle e-bike company . A DTC brand can source whatever brakes it wants or put any fork it can find to meet a target price point, even on a heavy cargo bike. She loved to bake and got pretty good at it during the pandemic. As per an earlier tweet from Kaye, her daughter was in an accident that caused severe brain trauma. Molly Steinsapir has now survived a traumatic bicycle accident. }); Now a judge has approved the settlement between the two families involved in the accident. I would need to do it in April, will you message me? ga('ads.send', { Molly Rainford is the latest star rumoured to be joining the BBC 's famous EastEnders. The parents of a girl who died after an e-bike accident filed a wrongful-death lawsuit on Monday against the Seattle e-bike company Rad Power Bikes. pg.acq.push(function() { A 12-year-old girl whose story touched people around the world has died from traumatic brain injuries, 16 days after her bike accident. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), hitType: 'event', Kaye described the entire stretch from October to February as one long dark night. Its a span that includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, winter break, and the anniversaries of Mollys crash and death. Mollys parents are influential lawyers in LA, California. She didn't survive. Who is Molly Steinsapir? Join in prayer for: Molly Steinsapir and her family! She would be explaining it all to her friends and classmates. He was riding on a bike trail in Washington, D.C., on a nearly new RadMini Step-Thruhe says it was two weeks old and had maybe 70 miles on it. I just couldnt, he says. I start my descent, then stop briefly at the precise crash site, noted in the legal complaint, weighed down by the fear that Molly Steinsapir must have felt in the moments before everything went dark. Aug. 1, 2022. Nobody at home or in her preschool suggested or encouraged the decision. She replied that if at some point the girls wanted to ride Emes sisters new electric bike (it was a bat mitzvah gift), they were welcome to walk over and use it. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. She loved Disney movies and Broadway musicals. She has been in an accident and suffered a brain trauma. },false) Even my husband, who is very private, likes reading them," Kaye wrote on Feb. 4. Girl, 12, 'unable to wake up' after bike crash as mom Kaye Ellen raises $16K in funds, Who is Ariel? Molly started buzzing on social media on 1 February, after her mother Kaye tweeted about her daughter's condition . Star Warsstar Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker even retweeted her tweetandwished Mollya speedy recovery. }); Molly has an intense interest in government and politics and would not have missed watching. 00:00. Its not someplace youd want two kids to be sitting on a 65-pound e-bike. The consensus was that some of these allegations were partially or completely off the mark as stated. Im very happy buying a shirt or a pair of socks online and having it delivered to my door. 12-year-old Molly Steinsapir was riding on the back of her friend's RadRunner down the steep hill of Enchanted Way in Pacific Palisades, CA, with a friend on Jan . pic.twitter.com/jjPsFDePkj. While our hearts are broken in a way that feels like they can never be mended, we take comfort knowing that Molly's twelve years were filled with love and joy. pic.twitter.com/dfFStrMWew, Musical theatre, swimming in the ocean, playing with her dog and cat, sleepovers with her best friend, so many things. But so many of us who dont even know you are still sending you as much love as possible. The complaint alleges that Rad Power Bikes has been negligent in failing to do more to discourage children from using its productsasserting, in fact, that the company has tacitly marketed to young people and their parents. },false) It was the final day of January 2021, on yet another balmy morning in Los Angeles. Molly had suffered from a traumatic brain injury from the accident. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), hitType: 'event', Perhaps because Im an experienced bike rider, I felt a great deal of concern about the situation, knowing that I live in a community with steep hills and busy streets and worrying about my kids being suddenly confronted with a braking failure. Brody Darlington was only 11 when he crashed. Kaye describes answering the landline that morning. Another user shared similar emotions, "There are no words to comfort your broken heart but maybe knowing a group of countless strangers were able to come together and put politics and pandemic aside to send love, strength and healing wishes to you and your sweet angel will help a little. This is the worst news Molly Steinsapir, a 12-year-old Los Angeles girl and the daughter of two prominent entertainment industry lawyers, has died two weeks after suffering a traumatic brain . Some could be because of errors made in the assembly or maintenance of the bikesalthough its worth noting that allowing consumers to circumvent professional assembly and regular maintenance is part of the DTC e-bike business model. Two years ago, 12-year-old Molly Steinsapir was sitting behind her best friend on a borrowed electric bike when the girls started descending a steep hill in Los . I am a portrait painter, and I would like to offer you painting at no charge of your daughter as a gift. Take the Bad With the Good. }); Also Read:Andy Reid Son Causes MajorAccident Under Influence As 5-year-old Fights For Life. Its a marginal specification. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. I assembled both bikes on the back patio. Theatre Palisades Youth Director Lara Ganz sent out the following plea in a February 12 email. I see hundreds of kids using these bikes, says Bontrager, who lives in the Bay Area. I shared the complaint with experienced product designers and executives in the e-bike and bicycle business, as well as attorneys with experience in bicycle liability cases. She was a strong swimmer and loved to boogie board and play in the surf. Molly Steinsapir, was critically injured on January 31 and had been undergoing treatment in LA. "Some of you wonder why I share what is happening to us. }); Click to reveal 'Devoted' Father, 47, Who Was Expecting His Second Child Dies After Tragic Cycling Accident, Molly Steinsapir's Parents Sue E-Bike Company After 12-Year-Old's Death: A 'Fight for Change', '90 Day Fianc' Alum Deavan Clegg's Son, Who Has Cancer, Rushed to Hospital with High Fever, 16-Year-Old in Coma After Being Critically Injured in Crash on Way to Homecoming Parade, Amy Grant Misses Husband Vince Gill's CMT Special but Is 'Doing Great' After Accident, He Says, Lexi Reed Details Surgery for 'Painful' Wounds After Calciphylaxis Diagnosis: 'Still Fighting', Calif. She was so cautious in everything, Kaye says, her voice trailing off before she can finish the sentence. The hills cradling Los Angeles are woven with roads like thisdead-end residential streets that corkscrew toward the sky, the views and the homes expanding as you ascend. ga('ads.send', { } One of my neighborshis name is Ezra Holland and he lives about five blocks from mesays that almost immediately he started noticing disturbing braking issues with the RadRunner he purchased early in 2022. While our hearts are broken in a way that feels like they can never be mended, we take comfort knowing that Mollys twelve years were filled with love and joy. My heart is broken. No one has thought through the consequences of young kids essentially driving heavy, difficult-to-control, throttle-powered e-bikes. Photo by SCREENGRAB / Twitter. Oh Kaye I am beyond saddened by this. ga('ads.send', { But he alone knows a half dozen friends and neighbors struggling with the same problems. Molly Steinsapir, the 12-year-old girl whose battle to recover following a traumatic bike accident captured the hearts of hundreds of thousands of Twitter users, has died, her mom Kaye announced. In the tweets, she spoke about Mollys condition and everything the family was fighting. We are immensely blessed to be her parents. We have to tout the value of buying from a trusted brand that is being built by a qualified mechanic and given aftercare., Hon concurs. Simon Cowell injured in 2nd E-bike accident. Rad Power Bikes ebike is not to be operated by anyone under the age of 16. Another user wrote: "Im so truly sorry beyond words. Kaye remembers standing next to the door of her daughters bedroom and hearing how excited the girls were to be together. Her father is a lawyer for the Michael Jackson estate. Alex Frischknecht is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Jessica Wahl. They didnt purchase an e-bike for their daughter and were not aware of any specific or general reasons why Molly should have refused an invitation to ride on her friends sisters bike. },false) if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Hes experienced the rear brake fail going downhill and is especially concerned about that happening while his 17-year-old is using the bike. I can hear birds chirp and smell ocean air and see sunlight sparkling on the Pacific. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ Kaye, an articulate storyteller, has taken her heartbreak to social media, picking up more than 120,000 Twitter followers along the way. She says they rode all the way to the top of Bel Air Road and soaked in the sweeping canyon views. Update 2/2 3 pm - Im at the hospital. This story will begin and end on a breathtaking stretch of tarmac called Enchanted Way. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The collision, which happened . That is pretty scary, he says. But if they knew something specific, it would be in the complaint. Wilborn adds that he still thinks everyone, parents included, should be concerned about the impact of children riding throttle-powered e-bikes. A GoFundMe campaign was soon started to help the family get funds that can be accessed, whether at home or at the hospital, to order meals and have other necessities delivered and of course, for Molly's continued recovery. An online community offered support for Molly Steinsapir, a 12-year-old who experienced brain trauma in an accident last year. In late January, Molly Steinsapir was involved in a devastating bike accident. pg.acq.push(function() { Rad Power Bikes does not comment on pending litigation, including this case, and therefore has no comment on the allegations in their complaint or the underlying accident., (Mike Radenbaugh announced in November 2022 that he was stepping down as CEO to focus on e-bike advocacy and innovation. And for safety as well. An 11-year-old should never be coming down that road on that bike. A friend she'd been riding with was able to flag down a car and ask the driver to call for help. A motorcyclist and passenger knocked off a bike in a fatal road accident have gone viral after a video which purports to show the co-rider's soul leaving her body.. Two of Emes siblings were standing in the driveway, crying. She was fearless in the ocean, Kaye says. Please. Most people want to go after the mass market. The girls would eventually get dressed and do that, but for a long time they lingered in front of the TV in their pajamas. July 14, 2022. This story will raise questions that dont lend themselves to straightforward answers. Books always bring us comfort. The #MJFam supports Molly and prays for a speedy recovery. ", This young lady, who is 12 years old, is the daughter of Jonathan Steinsapir. And that when people are making lots of money, sometimes these decisions are made too fast and without adequate testing and the ultimate loser is the user. 200 Miles on a Bike I Never Thought Id Ride, This Guy Cheats Death Every Time He Rides His Bike. }) When I'm sitting here in this sterile room hour after hour, your messages of hope make me feel less alone. hitType: 'event', Kaye wrote: We know that she is watching over us and smiling at her two beloved little brothers, Nate and Eli, and her cat Leroy and her dog Calvin. And so, when Molly was allowed to have her best friend, Eme, over for the night, it was a very big deal. Her mom also shared that she is proud of the things her daughter has achieved in these short 12 years. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. pic.twitter.com/3wGWcBFXWK, Molly is stable and continuing to fight her way back to us. hitType: 'event', KayeSteinsapir in her tweet thanked everyone for their prayers and support, mentioning that they were a source of her strength. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { (At Mollys memorial service, Jon admitted that in the weeks of intense prayer that preceded his daughters death, he finally altered this practice, citing former Supreme Court Justice Felix FrankfurterWisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late.). She would be explaining it all to her friends and classmates," she said in a February 11th post. Thousands of people engaged with the posts, offering love and support to the family. Your posts have ensured that Mollys memory will be a blessing to untold thousands of people. The e-bike market went from promising to scorching during the pandemic. Kaye and Jonathan Steinsapir, the parents of Molly Steinsapir, have filed a lawsuit against Rad Power Bikes, a Seattle-based e-bike company. One tweet, in which Kaye said she was "living every parent's worst nightmare," had more than 200,000 likes, and at one point, Star Wars star Mark Hamill even tweeted well wishes. Further, Rad Bikes' conduct was malicious, fraudulent, and oppressive." . The air feels still, quiet, heavy. Please. We are immensely blessed to be her parents. "While our hearts are broken in a way that feels like they can never be mended, we take comfort knowing that Molly's 12 years were . TWEET. ga('ads.send', { (Pizzi notes solemnly that a couple hundred thousand e-bikes a year are imported into the U.S. one at a time from some online marketplaces, and many of those bikes dont even comply with 1512.), Some DTC brands are doing a good jobbut spec is a huge problem, Pizzi says. Onetweet, in which Kaye said her daughter is pulling through but the wait has been crucial has received more than 2 million likes. Molly Steinsapir . For Jon and Kaye Steinsapir, Mollys parents, the grief of losing their eldest child is too large to properly express. How do you balance responsibility between parents and the companies that make those bikes?