ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Jeremy Anderson and his 12-year-old son, Parker, are surprisingly calm after one of the most terrifying moments of their lives.
Back in late April, Parker was hospitalized after losing control of his e-bike and crashing when he wasn’t wearing a helmet. He doesn’t remember much, only waking up in the hospital and asking:
“Where am I? Why am I here?” he recalled in an interview with News4JAX.
Parker said he remembers talking with his dad before the crash about having spaghetti for dinner.
Jeremy described the moment he got the call.
“It was a normal day up until 7 p.m.,” Jeremy said. “That was the scariest moment of my life. When the officer called, he called me from (Parker’s) cellphone, so I thought it was him. But some man was on the other line, and he said, ‘He’s been in an accident.’ I immediately asked, ‘Where are you?’”
Photos show Parker sprawled on the sidewalk with his e-bike lying in the grass nearby.
Parker was airlifted to the hospital, with his dad trying to follow on the highway.
The preteen spent more than two weeks recovering at Wolfson Children’s Hospital and rehab.
“I think I was there the whole time, so he was comfortable,” Jeremy said. “As long as I or his sister was there, he didn’t care.”
Parker says he suffered brain bleeds, brain swelling, and a fractured skull.
He told News4JAX that when he crashed, he was “actually on my way to a friend’s house to get my helmet.”
E-bike injuries on the rise
Dr. John Draus, medical director at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, says a helmet is vital.
“The ones that we are kind of keeping track of, the vast majority, are not wearing helmets at all,” Draus said. “In the last several weeks, we’re averaging about one injury a day.”
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The numbers from Wolfson Children’s Hospital show a 222% increase in e-bike and e-scooter injuries in the last year.
Wolfson’s Trauma Center saw three patients with e-bike or e-scooter injuries in 2022, 23 in 2023, and 74 in 2024.
From January to June this year, 67 patients were treated, mostly children and teens aged 10 to 16.
“These kids have to learn to walk again. First, they have to learn to feed themselves again. It’s really sad,” Draus said. “We see a lot of sad things, and you have to compartmentalize that so you can give your best effort to the next kid. Often, I just want to go home and hug my own kids.”
Despite his ordeal, Parker is back on his e-bike — now with a new and safer helmet and under his dad’s close watch.
“They’re kids,” Jeremy Anderson said. “They’re going to have fun. You just need to teach them to be safe. It’s OK to be safe. You can still have fun and be safe.”
Parker understands the consequences of not following the rules.
“The first time I see him without a helmet, the bike is gone,” Jeremy warned. “I don’t care about selling it. I’ll throw it in the dumpster.”
The Andersons said they are grateful for the community support they’ve received during Parker’s recovery.
