Struck by an e-bike in Honolulu, Hawaii – she can no longer taste or smell

Last Updated on December 15, 2025 by Kristina

A woman in Honolulu, Hawaii says her life changed forever after being struck by an electric bike while walking. The crash left her with a traumatic brain injury and permanent nerve damage, taking away her ability to taste or smell.

“I was told my nerves were severed, so I will never smell or taste again,” she said.

As cities across the U.S. see a rise in e-bike crashes involving pedestrians, Honolulu is now confronting the real-world consequences of faster, heavier electric bikes sharing sidewalks and paths. Similar safety concerns are driving discussions in other states as well, including how e-bike laws are changing across the country and why some cities are moving toward stricter oversight.

What Happened

According to the woman, she was walking when a rider on an e-bike struck her. The impact caused a serious head injury, leading to permanent damage to the nerves responsible for taste and smell.

Doctors say traumatic brain injuries can disrupt sensory pathways, sometimes permanently. While these losses may not be visible, they affect daily life in profound ways.

A growing pattern in Honolulu

Honolulu emergency services report a sharp rise in e-bike and micro-mobility crashes.
Injury calls involving e-bikes have jumped year over year.
A national study found head injuries from e-bike crashes rose sharply in recent years.

Officials in Honolulu, Hawaii are concerned.
They warn that some e-bikes are heavy and fast, raising risk on shared paths and sidewalks.

What officials and hospitals are saying

Honolulu EMS Director Jim Ireland said there has been “a corresponding increase in calls for bike accidents” as e-bike use grows.

A trauma program manager in Hawaiʻi reported that injuries among youth have more than doubled since e-bikes became widely available.

Because of these numbers, Honolulu lawmakers are now exploring new safety measures. Ideas under discussion include:

• Updated helmet requirements
• Limits on sidewalk riding
• Clearer rules around speed, lanes, and where e-bikes are allowed

These conversations mirror debates happening nationwide, especially around e-bikes versus mopeds and scooters, and where each belongs in dense urban areas.

Daily life after the crash

For the woman involved, everyday pleasures are gone. She can no longer smell coffee or taste food. Meals have become mechanical rather than joyful.

She continues to face long-term medical and emotional recovery.

“I’m still here,” she said, “but I’m different.”

Why this matters

This is not just one isolated accident.

As more e-bikes enter cities, interactions between riders and pedestrians increase. Sidewalks and shared paths were never designed for fast, heavy electric vehicles.

One moment of inattention or excessive speed can permanently alter someone else’s life. Pedestrians and riders share the same space, but the risk is not shared equally.

My Take

E-bikes are not the villain. People are.
Powerful tools in the wrong context become dangerous fast.
You can see this same pattern with cars, scooters, and even phones in hands while walking.

What scares me most in this story is not the crash — it is what the crash took.
Taste and smell are tiny daily joys you don’t notice until they are gone forever.
That is a brutal price for someone else’s moment of speed or inattention.

We keep building new mobility without building new rules or new habits.
Sidewalks are now shared with devices they were never designed for.
The law is behind. The culture is behind. The risk is already here.

E-bikes are good for cities — they cut traffic, cut emissions, and make short trips easy.
But “good” and “safe” are not the same thing.
If cities do nothing, more stories like this will come.

Real safety will take three things:
— riders slowing down
— cities drawing better lines
— lawmakers closing loopholes instead of reacting after injury

Until that happens, pedestrians carry the risk — and they have the least protection.

Have your say

Do you think new rules for e-bikes in cities like Honolulu, Hawaii are needed?
Should speed and lanes be controlled better — or should pedestrians adapt to new mobility?

Share your view in the comments.
And if this story matters to you, please share it with a friend or on social media — that helps this blog grow.

For more news on electric bikes click here

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