14-year-old on e-bike struck and killed in Somers Point, NJ

SOMERS POINT, N.J. (WPVI) -- A 14-year-old boy on an electric bike was struck and killed last week in Somers Point, New Jersey.

It happened at the intersection of Maryland Avenue and the bike path on Thursday evening.

The teenager's name has not been released.

"It broke my heart," said Jon Alstrom.

The call came in around 8 p.m. for a report of a vehicle that collided with a bike.

"My mom and grandma were sitting out back on our porch and they heard a loud boom," said Alstrom. "Three minutes later, they heard sirens."

The teen was taken to the hospital and airlifted to Cooper's trauma center, where police say he died of severe injuries.

The driver stayed at the scene, and police say speed or alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash.

Further details about the circumstances of this crash have not been released, but neighbors say they've noticed an increase in fast-moving e-bikes in the area.

"Kids ignore the stop signs... so do the adults," said neighbor Marty Brennan.

Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds and Sheriff Joseph O'Donoghue say in recent years, they've seen an alarming rise in crashes involving e-bikes throughout the county.

"A child has died and we must ask ourselves: could this have been prevented?" said Reynolds in an op-ed released Monday.

"It started to help kids get to work and to school without parents in place. It went from that to different categories of e-bike," said O'Donoghue.

In New Jersey, most e-bikes don't require licensing or registration. Sheriff O'Donoghue is calling for change.

"It's our job as law enforcement to educate and the parents to enforce and educate their own children," said O'Donoghue. "Legislators, I encourage them to expedite a bill that regulates these e-bikes."

There is a bill that would require registration and insurance on e-bikes that has been sitting in committee since last year.

In the meantime, officials urge drivers to be careful around e-bikes and urge e-bike users to wear helmets and ride responsibly.