Two teenagers have been charged after a 12-year-old child suffered serious injuries at a playground in New York, USA.
Police alleged the 14-year-old and 15-year-old used an electric motorcycle to spin a piece of playground equipment at high speed while the child was on it, causing the child to be thrown off.
Emergency responders and a bystander reportedly performed life-saving treatment at the scene before the child was transported to a Medical Centre with serious injuries.
The status of their condition is unclear; however, it is reported that they have been through several surgeries and are recovering. Authorities later charged both teenagers with felony first-degree reckless endangerment.
This incident reflects the still-growing trend of children and teens using motorcycles, vehicles, or other mechanical forces to intentionally increase the speed and movement of public play equipment beyond its intended use. These actions place extreme stress on equipment and create hazardous speeds that playgrounds are not designed to withstand, significantly increasing the risk of serious injury or fatality to users.
Playground equipment is engineered for specific movement limits and supervision assumptions, and the misuse of external powered devices such as electric motorcycles can rapidly turn play equipment into a high-risk environment.
