The collision occurred Sunday at McKee Road and Siskey Parkway, according to the Matthews Police Department. The child was transported for treatment. As of Tuesday evening, police had not filed charges in connection with the crash, and no update on the child's condition was available.

Officer Tim Aycock, a department spokesperson, said the incident hits harder because a child was involved.

"It's scary, and it's tragic because you don't want to see anyone get hurt," Aycock said. "With a child involved, it amps it up that much more for our emotions and our fear and our concerns."

Residents who live near the intersection said they had worried something like this was coming. Ariel Lecroy, who lives close to the crash site, described groups of children riding together through the area, sometimes popping wheelies along the smaller roads.

"I mean, it's terrible. Honestly, though, I thought it was only a matter of time," Lecroy said. "They're dangerous, and I mean they're not like traditional bikes; they probably shouldn't be for kids."

Maria Chavez, another neighbor, put it bluntly: "It's too dangerous. It's too dangerous."

Lecroy said the problem extends beyond scooters to bicycles, with riders darting off sidewalks into traffic to get around congestion — behavior she described as kids being kids, but with consequences that can be severe.

In September, the town adopted an ordinance regulating bicycles, e-bikes and personal conveyance vehicles, including e-scooters. Police have since been trying to educate families about the rules and the penalties that can follow when children break them. But officers acknowledge compliance has been uneven.

A key source of confusion, Aycock said, is that many devices sold as e-bikes or scooters are powerful enough to cross into a different legal category. Above certain wattage and speed thresholds, a device can be classified as an electric motorcycle, which would require licensing to operate on public streets.

"We think the parents are, it's not that they're purposely making decision to buy their kid e-moto, but they may not know and they may not understand that the significance of that," Aycock said.

Enforcement presents its own challenges. Lecroy said she has seen officers talk to kids about the rules, but chasing down riders isn't practical.

"I have seen the cops out here a few times trying to talk to the kids, but again, too, they're having to chase them down and the cops not going to get in a cop car and chase them down," she said.

Aycock warned that the stakes could rise if the behavior continues, pointing to possible monetary fines and, eventually, charges against parents.

"At some point it could be certain monetary fines, and then at some point it could be a charge for the parent themselves," he said.

The crash reflects a broader regional conversation about motorized micromobility. Cornelius police have moved to crack down on e-bikes and e-motorcycles on town roads, and Charlotte City Council has weighed new e-bike rules of its own. Viral videos of group e-scooter rides in Uptown Charlotte have also drawn attention from city leaders.

For neighbors in Matthews, the priority is preventing another injury. Lecroy said she understands the appeal of giving kids something to do after school with friends — but not at the risk of their safety.

"You want your kid to have things to do after school and to be with friends and things like that, but not at the cost of their life, not at the cost of something dangerous," she said.