Police release dashcam video of e-bike rider who hit 55 mph, fled traffic stop in Somerset County
BERNARDS TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Somerset County) — Police have released dashcam footage showing an e-bike rider — believed to be a juvenile — reaching speeds of roughly 55 mph and fleeing from officers during a series of dangerous traffic violations earlier this month.
According to the Bernards Township Police Department, the incident occurred Nov. 6, when a patrol officer recorded an e-bike traveling at high speed as it passed the police vehicle. Radar units captured the bike at about 55 mph, far above the 20-mph legal limit for e-bikes in New Jersey.
Police said the rider then passed a stopped vehicle at a stop sign, cut across a residential front lawn, and continued speeding along Church Street. With “multiple traffic infractions” occurring in front of the patrol car, the officer activated emergency lights and sirens to conduct a stop, but the rider did not pull over.
Instead, police said, the operator accelerated, passed vehicles that were stopped for the patrol car, and attempted to elude the officer. In accordance with Attorney General pursuit policy, the officer deactivated lights and sirens and stopped the attempted stop for safety reasons as the rider continued to flee.
Once out of view of the dash camera, the rider was seen operating the e-bike over a footbridge, violating additional motor vehicle statutes, police said.
“This operator has now crossed the line from traffic offenses to criminal acts,” the department said in a statement. Officers said the rider’s actions endangered drivers, pedestrians and the rider himself, noting an increase in serious and deadly crashes involving e-bikes statewide.
Police urged parents to talk with their children about e-bike laws, safe riding behavior, and speed restrictions, adding that many high-powered bikes can exceed legal limits. The department said it has conducted enforcement operations, including motor vehicle stops, tickets, and community outreach, to address growing concerns about unsafe e-bike use.
Anyone who can help identify the rider is asked to contact the Bernards Township Police Department at 908-766-1122 and request a patrol or traffic supervisor.
Police said they released the video “to keep our roadways, sidewalks, and township safe for all.”
