Police: 14-year-old killed in crash on stairs through I-5 Colonnade park was riding ‘E-Motorbike’

The Seattle Police Department has released its preliminary report on the July death of a young rider who crashed on the stairs near the Colonnade bike area below I-5 between Capitol Hill and Eastlake.

Çınar Doğan, 14, died of multiple blunt force injuries in the July 7th crash

The SPD report provides new details on how the crash occurred. It also details the type of e-bike Doğan was riding when he fell.

According to the report compiled at the time of the crash and released to CHS under a records request, Doğan was riding with a friend who told police they saw the victim on the Howe Street Steps that pass through the park, “halfway down the steps but he kept going, lost control, and went over the handlebars of the motorbike.”

The report says the teen suffered injuries to his face and head in the fall. A witness was performing CPR as police and Seattle Fire crews arrived to take over but Doğan died at the scene.

A memorial to Doğan under I-5

The area where the crash occurred is adjacent the city’s I-5 Colonnade mountain bike park. Last summer, cycling organizations celebrated a $314,000 overhaul of the bike park including a new paved track for young riders and those riding mobility devices. Viral videos show riders challenging the park’s stairs at high speeds.

According to the police report, the victim was wearing a helmet. Officers did not record the style or condition of the helmet after the crash. An SPD spokesperson previously told the Seattle Times Doğan was wearing a bike helmet but should have been wearing a motorcycle helmet given the nature of the boy’s e-bike.

In the report, police said the bike was a black 2025 Surron Light Bee X E-Motorbike, a popular lightweight electric dirt bike that occupies a middle ground between a downhill mountain bike and a motocross motorcycle. The bikes ship with an electronic speed limiter in the wiring harness which caps speed to around 15–20 mph. Riders can choose to clip the loop, making the bikes capable of speeds up to 46.6 mph in “sport mode.” They can reportedly accelerate 0 to 31 mph in under 3 seconds.

It is not legally classified as a bicycle and is prohibited from public bike paths, trails, and sidewalks in Seattle and most cities. With proper title, registration, and license plate, the motorbike can be street legal here but not allowed in parks and pathways.

Manufacturer Surron USA, the United States brand for China’s Hangzhou Qiulong Technology, advises riders to “wear qualified helmet properly and fasten the buckle.”

CHS has asked Surron and North American distributor DIAN Motors about this crash and the safety of the motorbikes.

In the Seattle Police Department report, the motorbike is categorized as “Toy – Motorized Ride-On Toys.”

Doğan was remembered by his community for his love of riding.

$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE

Subscribe to CHS to help hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month — or choose your level of support