On October 25, at 10:45 p.m., Hawk Werner’s (10) life changed forever. After blacking out for three minutes, he peeked open his eyes just enough to be flooded with blue and red flashing lights. Hearing the hushed conversation of everyone around, he felt nothing but confusion.
And pain.
What he intended to be a short ride on his new e-bike he got for his 16th birthday landed him on death’s doorstep.
While showing his friends what he thought was a harmless ride around the corner from his house, changed his life forever, all because his new headlight hadn’t come in the mail yet.
“I was riding without a headlight because I just got a new bike, and a Jeep didn’t see me. He turned into me, and I hit him head on,” Werner said. “ I flipped over his car. I don’t remember that much because I was blacked out.”
Adrenaline pumping through his body, Werner felt nothing. However, his close friend Emerson Heger (11) knew the accident was something catastrophic.
“He was riding his bike down, and then a car was turning left into an alley. Hawk went down the alley and then they just collided right there,” Heger said. “He ended up breaking his leg on impact.”
After a stressed 911 call that Heger made, Werner was quickly transported to the hospital.
“I broke my tibia and fibula and was in the hospital for a night,” Werner said.
Werner thought he had just a few broken bones. However, after a few days he found himself in a life or death position.
“I woke up two days later and I wasn’t responsive because I was not getting enough oxygen to my lungs and heart,” Werner said. “I went to Good Samaritan Hospital, and then I had to get airlifted to Children’s Hospital and I spent almost two weeks there.”
Werner had fat embolism that traveled from his leg to his lungs, complicating his situation. He was confined to the hospital bed, hooked up to wires, and under intensive surveillance.
“The impact gave me fat embolisms where fat from my leg got in my bloodstream. When I was lying down it traveled to my lungs,” Werner said. “I was in the hospital for four days without eating anything.”
While recovering in the hospital and becoming more stable, Werner felt the support from the community and his friends helped him find his strength.
“One of Hawk’s good friends, Brennan, set up a GoFundMe,” Heger said. “He was trying to raise tons of money for Hawk because it was a huge injury.”
Waking up to the GoFundMe wasn’t something Werner expected. However, it meant more to him and his family than one would imagine.
“I was really surprised. I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Werner said. “I was really grateful for it.”
Louisville Police Department’s Crime Prevention Specialist Scott Moore has been investigating how e-bikes are being used around the community to increase rider safety and reduce the number of injuries.
“We’re finding that a lot of riders are riding bikes that are not classified as e-bikes,” Moore said. “They’re riding low powered scooters and motorcycles.”
Those bikes have to follow different rules, and in the recent election, more restrictions have been written into law to ensure riders are being safe.
“Both require you to be at least 16 years old, to have a driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance,” Moore said.
If a rider does not meet the requirements needed to operate a low powered scooter or motorcycle, it is illegal for them to ride.
E-bikes require extreme levels of rider awareness and responsibility even when officers and adults aren’t watching, in order to reduce accidents and ensure that they aren’t illegal.
“Our number one goal is safety,” Moore said. “We want to work with all riders in order to make them as safe as possible.”
Even though Werner had all the requirements, he still experienced a life changing accident that not only changed the way he lives his life, but also changed his once strong stance and opinions on e-bikes.
“I can’t ride anymore and I don’t really want to,” Werner said. “I realized how dangerous it was and the way I was riding, especially, was just not very safe.”
