OVIEDO, Fla. (WSVN) — An 11-year-old was arrested while riding his electric dirt bike near Orlando, and he might have to miss school to make his court date.
Bodycam footage captured Cade being arrested by police in Oviedo on Sept. 7.
“You have to show up, OK? Or they’re going to put out a warrant for you,” said an officer.
The sixth grader was on his way to a fishing pond on his electric dirt bike when he was stopped.
“Do you consider a child’s dirt bike a motorcycle? I don’t, but by the law, by technical standards, it is,” said Chris Kirchner, Cade’s father.
Kirchner said his son was about 300 feet from their home. He said Cade was riding on the shoulder, and that his electric dirt bike is limited to 20 mph.
“The officer treated him as if he was an adult on a motorcycle and asked him for his license, registration, proof of insurance, which obviously he doesn’t have that, he’s a child,” Kirchner said.
Police towed Cade’s dirt bike from the scene and gave him a citation.
Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek said Cade is a good kid, but the officers’ hands were tied.
“The state of Florida regulates motorcycle use, and the definition of what counts as a motorcycle and what counts as an e-bike, even if it has two wheels, if it doesn’t have pedals and a chain, the state of Florida will classify that as a motorcycle and not as an e-bike,” Sladek said.
Oviedo Police said the vehicle in question is a 4500-watt motorcycle. In order for it to be legally allowed on the roadway, it needs to be registered and meet the Department of Transportation requirements for motorcycles. The rider would be required to have a driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement.
Police also said that there were multiple violations in which citations could have been issued, but the officer only issued one for an unregistered vehicle.
Kirchner said he understands regulations are needed when it comes to micro-mobility, but this was an overreach.
“We don’t want organized groups of 19-year-olds terrorizing intersections, but we also don’t want sixth graders getting arrested and charged,” he said.
The City of Oviedo is now working on a micro-mobility ordinance. A vote is scheduled for Oct. 5.
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