Five-year-old seriously hurt in e-bike strike outside school

A five-year-old boy has been seriously injured after being hit by an e-bike outside a school in the Wollondilly region, south-west of Sydney.

Emergency services were called to Remembrance Driveway in Tahmoor at 3:30pm yesterday after reports of a crash.

NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived to find the young boy had been hit by an e-bike and suffered serious injuries to his head and legs.

He was taken to The Children's Hospital at Westmead in a serious condition.

The incident happened outside Tahmoor Public School.

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said in a statement that the school community's thoughts were with the young boy and his family.

"We would also like to acknowledge the staff who supported [the boy] in the immediate aftermath and thank the emergency services who attended," they said. 

NSW Police said the 16-year-old boy riding the e-bike was not injured and is assisting officers with their inquiries.

A formal investigation has begun.

Police have appealed for information from the public, asking anyone with dash cam, mobile phone or CCTV footage to contact Narellan Police or Crime Stoppers.

MPs concerned

Independent Wollondilly MP Judy Hannan said she drove past the incident on Tuesday afternoon.

"I'm really hoping that the child who was injured gets better really quickly," she said.

"I feel for him, the school and his parents. I hope they're all looked after."

Ms Hannan said the crossbench would push for new rules and regulations to better address the risks associated with e-bikes in parliament in the coming weeks.

"It's something we need to address, and we know there will be further accidents unless the government takes a stance," she said.

The NSW government has introduced new standards for e-bikes this year and is undertaking compliance blitzes through NSW Police and Transport for NSW.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said he was concerned to hear of the accident.

"My heart and thoughts are with that family. It must be a very, very frightening time for them," he said.

"We need to make sure people are using these devices safely and effectively.

"We don't want to see young children hurt, or other people impacted by these bikes."

Several children have been injured in e-bike strikes in recent months. Another five-year-old boy was hit in Engadine in September, and a 16-year-old girl was hit at Barrack Heights in Shellharbour in October.

In the year to September 29, the Sydney Children's Hospital Network recorded 183 children presenting with injuries associated with e-bikes and e-scooters, four times the number of presentations in 2023.

But the number of children under the age of eight injured was much lower than older age groups, with only 21 injuries recorded in this year's reporting period, up from eight in 2023.