A 13 year old boy has died in hospital after an e-scooter crash at Childers, about 400 kilometres north of Brisbane. Emergency services were called to Macrossan Street at about 6pm on Wednesday 26 August after a single-vehicle crash. The boy suffered serious head injuries, was treated by paramedics at the scene and flown to Queensland Children's Hospital in a critical condition. He died on Saturday 29 August.
Police say the events leading up to the crash are not yet clear and investigations are continuing. Bundaberg Highway Patrol officer in charge Sergeant Gordon Hard said that, to the best of his knowledge, the boy was wearing a helmet. It is the second fatal e-scooter incident in the region this year, after a 39 year old Hervey Bay man died in July in a crash involving an e-scooter and an electric skateboard.
What the doctors are asking for
The death has prompted AMA Queensland to renew its call for a blanket ban on anyone under 16 riding an e-scooter. President Associate Professor Erica Gannon said children under 16 do not have the skills to ride the devices safely around vehicles, other riders and pedestrians, and that without a ban the state will keep seeing preventable child injuries and deaths.
The association has also made clear that the licence requirement which took effect on 31 August is not what it lobbied for. Its position has been consistent since June, when the government softened its original proposal for a full under-16 ban into the current supervised-riding model for 12 to 17 year olds. At the time Dr Gannon described that decision as putting Queensland back where it started.
Where the law now sits
- From 31 August 2026, riding an e-bike or e-scooter solo in Queensland requires the rider to be at least 16 and hold at least a learner licence
- Children aged 12 to 17 without a licence can ride only under the direct supervision of a parent or caregiver
- Since the first stage of the laws began on 1 July, Queensland Police report about 400 devices seized and close to 1,750 fines issued
- Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said the boy's death was one of the reasons the government had pursued the e-mobility changes
Sources
- ABC News, boy dies in hospital days after e-scooter crash at Childers
- Queensland Police, fatal e-scooter crash, Childers
- ABC News, Queensland age and licence rules and the AMA response
Crash details, the police statement and the Transport Minister's comments are from ABC News and Queensland Police, both published 30 August 2026. AMA Queensland's position is as reported by ABC News on 30 August 2026. Enforcement figures are Queensland Police numbers for the period from 1 July 2026.