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A 16-year-old Chicago e-scooter rider was tragically killed after a collision with the driver of a commercial truck on Chicago’s North Side, marking the third e-scooter fatality in Chicago in 2026.
According to the Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Sun-Times, Alex Blacio, 16, was riding an e-scooter northbound on the 4100 block of North Western Avenue in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood on August 3, 2026, at approximately 3:37 p.m. when he and the driver of a Freightliner semi-truck collided.
Alex was reportedly riding home from work when the crash occurred. He was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. The Chicago Police Department’s Major Accidents Unit is investigating the collision, and citations were pending at the time of the initial reports.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported on the tragedy here:
Everyone at Keating Law Offices extends our deepest condolences to Alex’s family, friends, classmates and everyone whose lives have been forever changed by this heartbreaking loss.
Chicago’s Third E-Scooter Fatality of 2026
Alex’s death is another tragic reminder that people riding e-scooters remain among the most vulnerable roadway users in Chicago.
His death follows the deaths of two other teenage e-scooter riders earlier this year and marks Chicago’s third fatal e-scooter crash of 2026.
As e-scooters become an increasingly common form of transportation throughout Chicago, these tragedies demonstrate the need for motorists to safely share the road with people traveling on bicycles, e-bikes and electric scooters.
A collision that might cause only minor damage between two automobiles can be catastrophic—or fatal—for someone riding an e-scooter.
Keating Law Offices Represents Victims of E-Scooter Crashes
For two decades, Keating Law Offices has represented bicyclists injured by negligent drivers throughout Illinois. As micromobility has grown, our practice has expanded to represent people seriously injured while riding electric scooters, e-bikes and other vulnerable forms of transportation.
Our attorneys understand that e-scooter crashes often involve many of the same dangerous driving behaviors that injure bicyclists, including:
- Left-hook crashes
- Right-hook crashes
- Drivers turning across a rider’s path
- Failure to yield
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
- Dooring
Commercial truck collisions
These crashes frequently cause traumatic brain injuries, fractures, spinal injuries and other life-changing injuries because riders have little protection from the force of a motor vehicle.
Keating Law Offices Was Featured by the Chicago Sun-Times for Its Work Representing E-Scooter Riders
Keating Law Offices’ work representing injured e-scooter riders was recently featured in a comprehensive Chicago Sun-Times investigation examining the dramatic increase in e-scooter injuries throughout Chicago.
The article highlighted our representation of two Chicago e-scooter riders who suffered serious injuries after being struck by negligent motorists.
One client was struck twice by motorists while riding her e-scooter within approximately two weeks. During the second collision, a driver allegedly ran a red light before crashing into her. Keating Law Offices successfully resolved her claim and obtained compensation for her injuries.
The Sun-Times also featured another Keating Law client who suffered serious injuries after a driver suddenly opened a vehicle door into his path while he was riding a Lime e-scooter near North Avenue and LaSalle Drive.
Those cases illustrate an important point: e-scooter riders face many of the same dangers as bicyclists and deserve the same legal protections.
The Chicago Sun-Times article can be found here:
Chicago Law Gives E-Scooter Riders the Same Rights as Bicyclists
Many people are surprised to learn that Chicago law provides riders of electric scooters with the same rights and responsibilities as people riding bicycles.
Under the Chicago Municipal Code, electric scooters are generally subject to the same rules of the road that apply to bicycles. That means motorists must recognize e-scooter riders as lawful roadway users and exercise the same care around them that they are required to exercise around bicyclists.
Drivers Must Give E-Scooter Riders at Least Three Feet When Passing
Chicago’s Three-Foot Passing Law applies to motorists overtaking vulnerable roadway users.
When passing a bicycle—or an e-scooter rider who enjoys the same roadway protections—a driver should provide at least three feet of clearance and should move over whenever it is safe to do so.
This requirement becomes even more important when the passing vehicle is a commercial truck or other large vehicle with significant blind spots.
Three feet is the legal minimum. Depending on traffic conditions, roadway width and vehicle size, reasonable care may require substantially more space.
Motorists Must Exercise Due Care Around E-Scooter Riders
Chicago law also requires every motorist to exercise due care to avoid colliding with vulnerable roadway users.
Chicago Municipal Code § 9-40-160 provides:
“Every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian, or any person operating a bicycle or other device upon a roadway…”
Because e-scooter riders receive the same protections afforded to bicyclists under the Chicago Municipal Code, motorists should:
- Maintain a proper lookout.
- Check mirrors and blind spots.
- Yield when required.
- Avoid distracted driving.
- Leave adequate passing distance.
Ensure a rider has safely cleared before turning across the rider’s path.
These duties are especially important for drivers of commercial trucks, whose vehicles have substantial blind spots and require greater attention around vulnerable roadway users.
Commercial Truck Crashes Can Be Especially Devastating
Whenever a collision involves a semi-truck or other commercial vehicle, investigators must determine far more than location of the vehicles.
Evidence may include:
- Surveillance video
- Dash camera footage
- Truck electronic data
- GPS information
- Driver qualification records
- Hours-of-service records
- Vehicle inspections
- Witness testimony
- Accident reconstruction
A thorough investigation is essential to determine exactly how the crash occurred and whether violations of Illinois law or federal trucking regulations contributed to the collision.
E-Scooters Are Now a Significant Part of Chicago Transportation
Chicago has experienced explosive growth in e-scooter use during the past several years.
Millions of trips are taken annually using shared scooters operated by Lime and Divvy, while many residents now own personal electric scooters for commuting to work, school and transit.
As ridership increases, motorists must recognize that e-scooters are no longer a novelty—they are an important part of Chicago’s transportation system.
Infrastructure, education and enforcement must continue evolving to protect vulnerable roadway users.
Know Your Rights After an Illinois E-Scooter Crash
If you are injured while riding an e-scooter in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, you have important legal rights.
Under Chicago law, riders of electric scooters are afforded the same protections as bicyclists. Motorists are required to:
- Give at least three feet when passing.
- Exercise due care to avoid colliding with e-scooter riders.
- Yield when required by law.
- Maintain a proper lookout before turning or changing lanes.
- Avoid distracted driving that places vulnerable roadway users at risk.
If a negligent driver causes an e-scooter crash, the injured rider may be entitled to recover compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Permanent injuries
- Future medical care
Wrongful death damages for surviving family members
An experienced attorney can investigate the collision, preserve critical evidence and protect your rights before important evidence disappears.
Protecting Illinois’ Vulnerable Road Users
The death of Alex Blacio is another heartbreaking reminder that people riding bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters deserve safe streets.
At Keating Law Offices, we have spent years advocating for vulnerable roadway users across Illinois. Our attorneys regularly represent victims of bicycle crashes, e-bike collisions and e-scooter accidents, while also working to improve roadway safety through education, advocacy and litigation.
As more Illinois residents choose bicycles and electric scooters for transportation, every motorist has a responsibility to safely share the road.
We hope the investigation into this tragic collision provides answers for Alex’s family and helps prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured while riding an e-scooter or bicycle anywhere in Illinois, contact Keating Law Offices to learn about your legal rights and options.
About Keating Law Offices
Attorney Mike Keating is the current chair of the Transportation Committee of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the longtime Chair of the Bicycle Litigation Committee of the American Association for Justice. Mike Keating is also a Member of the Board for Ride Illinois and a longtime supporter of the Active Transportation Alliance. Mike is widely regarded as a national authority on e-scooters.
Keating Law is a Chicago personal injury law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of bicyclists, pedestrians, e-bike riders and e-scooter riders throughout Illinois. Attorney Michael Keating is the founder of IllinoisBicycleLaw.com and has been recognized nationally for his advocacy on behalf of vulnerable roadway users. The firm’s attorneys have successfully represented victims of bicycle, e-bike and e-scooter crashes throughout Illinois and continue working to make Chicago’s streets safer for everyone.