A 13-year-old boy faces a raft of charges — including reckless and negligent driving — after driving a dirt bike up and down a busy stretch of road in downtown Bethesda Wednesday evening.
Montgomery County Police say they got multiple calls about a group of teenagers on e-bikes and dirt bikes near Arlington Road and Bethesda Avenue. According to the complaints, the teens were speeding along on sidewalks, driving on the wrong side of the road, nearly hitting pedestrians and blocking traffic.
Police body camera footage shows the teenager being arrested after the group was approached by police on foot, and then sped off toward Elm Street “at a high rate of speed.”
In a news release, police said the teen resisted arrest and shouted racial epithets at the officers. That’s not audible in the surveillance video made available to the public.
In the video, the teen is seen being handcuffed and taken out of the street. Then, referring to the dirt bike riders, a woman tells police that “they’ve been such a nuisance.”
The teenager — who did not have a Maryland driver’s license — was charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, driving an unregistered motor vehicle, reckless and negligent driving along with failure to obey traffic control devices.
The dirt bike that the teen was operating was confiscated and towed.
In Wednesday’s case, the dirt bike the 13-year-old was operating should have been licensed and registered and had safety equipment in order to be used on a public roadway, according to Maryland law.
Montgomery County Council member Andrew Friedson, whose district includes downtown Bethesda, said he had seen the video police released related to the incident. He said the illegal operation of dirt bikes in the area has been “an ongoing issue.”
In an interview with WTOP, Friedson said, “I have been in touch with police about it, and it has been an ongoing concern from community members and local businesses.”
“I’m hopeful that this particular incident will be a deterrent — realizing the police are going to respond,” Friedson said.
The message being sent, he said, is that when dirt bike operators behave recklessly, “you could be caught and you will face consequences. And I think that’s an important message in this case to send to our young people.”
A social media post from Montgomery County’s District 2 commander, which serves Bethesda, included a message to parents urging them to “Know where your kids are, who they are with, and the laws around dirt bikes and mini dirt bikes.”
Police also reminded parents that there are a number of laws that apply to dirt bikes and many are linked to how the bikes are categorized.
Montgomery County Police are urging parents to be careful in buying dirt bikes and e-bikes for their children, and become familiar with the laws that apply to owning and operating them. Any vehicle with an engine of more than 50cc must be registered.
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