Surf City businessman injured in e-bike crash as safety concerns grow

SURF CITY, NC (WWAY) — As the popularity of e-scooters and e-bikes continues to grow, so too are the number of people going to emergency rooms.

Trevor Dostie owns the Maine Lobstah Shack in Surf City and often rides an e-bike to work.

“He rides it all the time, he loves to ride it to work at the Shack and everything,” his daughter, Addison Dostie, said.”You know, he lives right on the island so he just prefers to do that, rather than drive a car.”

But last week, an accident on his bike while riding on the multi-use path of the Surf City bridge sent him to the hospital.

Dostie’s family said he wasn’t wearing a helmet and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Addison said he’s pretty safe when riding his bike.

“He’s usually pretty safe with it. So, I mean, he usually doesn’t use the main road; he uses the side streets and everything. But, not really many concerns, no.”

According to Surf City town manager Kyle Breuer, people riding e-bikes must follow traffic rules, like stopping at stop signs and keeping an eye out for pedestrians.

But Breuer points out, e-bikes are not allowed on the multi-use path portion of the bridge.

“Generally speaking, those are not allowed on town sidewalks, as well as the multi-use path portion of the Surf City Bridge,” Breuer said. “There is a dedicated bicycle lane on that bridge.”

And concerns about e-bikes are being shared in Raleigh, as Senate Majority Leader Michael Lee recently introduced Senate Bill 576, which aims to regulate e-bikes and require operators to wear a helmet.

Addison said her father’s accident is a good reminder for anyone on one of those bikes to use caution and always wear a helmet.

“He’s going through a lot right now and I think he’s going to recognize that. It’s fun, yeah, but it’s similar to like a moped. You should 100% be wearing a helmet, it goes too fast not to.”

WWAY reached out to Senator Lee for comment about his bill, but has not heard back.

Trevor has been moved out of ICU at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, and his family said he’s continuing to recover from his injuries.

A link to a fundraiser for Trevor can be found here.