Driver Identified in Scooter Incident that Injured two Pre-Teens

[UPDATE: 6/10/21, 11:30 a.m.] According to a Thursday press release, from the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Dennis Lee Candler, age 64, of Cedar Rapids, was the driver of the Pontiac Grand Prix.  There are currently no charges pending for the accident, however, he was cited for Driving While License Under Suspension and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability. The two injured boys, age 8 and 12, remain hospitalized.

[ORIGINAL STORY]: The scooter-share program in Cedar Rapids took an unfortunate turn from fun to dangerous Wednesday night, bringing heartbreaking news as the summer heats up.

Two pre-teens, both under age 12, were using the VEORide scooter rental program that has quickly become so popular, and both have reportedly sustained serious injuries in an accident involving a scooter colliding with a motor vehicle in Cedar Rapids.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department (CRPD) says it happened Wednesday, June 9 at around 4 p.m. near 15th Street and Mt. Vernon Rd. SE. The kids, whose names were not released, were transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, according to Iowa's News Now.

Get our free mobile app

A CRPD press release says that after the accident, traffic in the area was rerouted at 19th St. SE so police accident reconstruction specialists could work the scene.

Not much other information was available, but KCRG reported that a scooter was found lying in the median as well as a red Pontiac with a shattered windshield.

Authorities were still investigating the accident as of this writing, and more details will be available soon. The two victims may have been sharing a scooter, exiting out of an alley onto Mt. Vernon Rd. SE.

There have been plenty of issues with these scooters as recently, a teenager was arrested for throwing one into the Cedar River, while numerous warnings and reminders have had to be issued by CRPD about how to properly and safely use and return them to their appropriate drop-off locations downtown. The severity of the latest accident certainly outweighs these previous incidents and we will keep you updated on the condition of those involved.