Teen on e-bike smashes into Uber while pulling wheelies in Clayton Brook Road
An Uber driver faces a costly repair bill after a teen pulling wheelies on an e-bike smashed into his car and fled the scene.
The crash happened in Clayton Brook Road, Clayton Brook at around 3.30pm yesterday.
Bus passengers witnessed the incident and said a group of teenagers riding electric bikes had been “weaving in and out of traffic”. They said one boy was “showing off” and performing ‘wheelies’ in the middle of the busy road when he hit a car “at speed”.
He smashed into an Uber “with some force” and was thrown from his bike. His friends “picked him up” and they made a quick getaway before police were called.
One of the bus passengers said the Uber driver appeared “shaken up” and was on the phone to police as he inspected his damaged vehicle. The teenager appeared injured as he hobbled away from the scene and members of the public were worried for his welfare.
Lancashire Police were approached for comment.
The force says incidents involving e-bikes, off-road motorbikes and e-scooters being ridden dangerously and illegally have surged across Lancashire in the last 12 months.
In February, a teenager riding a Sur-Ron bike dangerously on Blackpool’s streets and through Stanley Park, was pursued by officers on the road and by the police helicopter.
Officers brought the pursuit to a halt with a tactical collision, and the 17-year-old rider later appeared before the courts – landing a driving disqualification.
Recently in Blackburn, there were two collisions where young riders of illegal bikes suffered serious injuries.
As part of Operation Centurion – Lancashire Police’s countywide crackdown on anti-social behaviour backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw – the force has committed to taking illegally-ridden bikes off the streets and away from public areas.
In 2024, 2,942 members of the public raised motorbike nuisance – including e-bikes and scooters – as a community concern and already in 2025, 939 members of the public have raised this as a community concern on Lancashire Talking – the force’s community feedback platform.
Police chief: “Parents must take responsibility”
Assistant Chief Constable Karen Edwards, who leads operational policing across Lancashire, said: “Motorbikes, e-bikes, scooters and electric assisted pedal cycles being ridden dangerously and illegally is a problem in Lancashire and something that is having an adverse impact on the law abiding citizens of our county.
“Our communities are telling us that they want us to tackle this issue and that’s exactly what we will do.
“Some people are now using electric bikes and scooters to deal in drugs and commit offences such as robbery.
“We are building an intelligence picture and are actively targeting and arresting offenders. On a number of occasions the public have assisted officers by providing intelligence and information enabling us to build a rich profile of the criminal activity.
“In addition I am concerned that we have attended serious injuries and fatal collisions in Lancashire involving illegally ridden bikes. Riders have come to harm but more worryingly, on occasion, they have injured innocent members of the public.
“There is a growing trend of teenagers and younger children using these bikes and scooters, putting themselves and others at risk.
“We want to educate people about the dangers of riding illegally, but I also want to stress that parents must take responsibility for their children. Buying an expensive electric scooter or bike for a child could result in catastrophic consequences.
“Regular targeting of individuals using electric bikes who are causing antisocial behaviour, endangering our community or using them in the commission of crime continues – and a number of dedicated operations have been executed and more are planned.”
“We will seize and crush these bikes”
ACC Karen Edwards added: “We will seize and crush these bikes if they are linked to criminality or being used in an anti-social manner where members of the public are put in danger.
“In recent high profile operations our Roads Crime team, Roads Policing team, Neighbourhood Policing Teams, and dog team, with assistance from the National Police Air Service took 473 bikes off the road which shows that we are responding to your concerns. I thank the communities of Lancashire for their continued support.”