MONCLOVA TOWNSHIP – Monclova Township Public Works employees David Clark and Greg Nye were following one another out of Clearwater subdivision in a pickup and a chipper truck on July 9 when they saw something unusual: a teen on an e-bike that was billowing white smoke, then “fireballs” as he drove east on Monclova Road.
The two blocked the road to traffic with their vehicles and jumped out to assist the 14-year-old as he exited the bike. While Clark stayed with the teen – who was also assisted by two women who left before sharing their names – Nye grabbed an extinguisher from the truck and worked to put out the fire coming from the lithium battery.
“It was crazy,” Nye said.
The fire appeared to start as the e-bike rider was near the entrance to Olde Farm. Clark believes the teen was still riding 20 mph or more when the fire started, and it took until the Waterside entrance for him to slow down enough to exit the bike.
“He probably didn’t know what was going on. When he jumped off, it was a pretty big fire,” Clark said.
Public Works Supervisor Doug Holland credits the two for their quick thinking.
“It’s not really in the job description,” Holland said. “These two impressed the snot out of me. They handled it well. I think they deserve the keys to the city – except they already have them.”
With a background in fire/EMS, Holland understands how his two employees’ actions were beneficial. By blocking the roadway, they created a safe space for the Monclova Township Fire & Rescue that arrived minutes later. It also ensured that no one hit the teen, who at first was running in the road after exiting his bike. Holland also noted that both men exhibited the kind of “bedside manner” that is vital for working with patients in an emergency situation. As parents, both Clark and Nye immediately felt protective of the teen.
“Instincts just kicked in, because I’ve got three boys,” Clark said. “I did what I thought was right. I would hope people would do the same for my kids.”
Fire Chief Matt Homik said the two men were able to keep the fire down until crews arrived. The teen was transported to Toledo Children’s Hospital. Later, Holland learned from the boy’s family that he was taken to University of Michigan for burn treatments, noting that it’s not life-threatening. While the teen was wearing a helmet, which protected his face, he appeared to have burns on his hands and legs, as he was wearing shorts and no gloves.
“I wished he’d been wearing pants instead of shorts,” Holland said.
By Friday morning, as they prepared to start another day, Clark and Nye looked over the e-bike remains housed in the maintenance yard. Nye pulled up a picture of a Tuttio e-bike on his phone. The bike retails for $1,000 to $1,500. The model in the yard appears to have its off-road tires changed to road-worthy tires.
A representative from the State Fire Marshal’s office was set to arrive to do an investigation, which is required in any incident that involves injury or death, Homik said. An investigation could reveal if there were any product recalls or other issues, he said.
“We haven’t really had any e-bike issues, but we’ve had lithium battery issues in fires,” Homik said.
Working out of the Keener Road facility, Holland often interacts with park users, including teens and adults riding e-bikes. While he knows some adults complain about e-bike use by kids, Holland said 90 percent of the people he sees riding down the Wabash Cannonball Trail are older people who need the rider assist. But he does advise the younger riders to “not be stupid” as they use the trails.
“This is the new bicycle of our generation, whether we like it or not,” he said, adding that he’d like to see a focus on education and regulation on the multiple types of e-bikes that are out on the market.
For the 14-year-old riding on the side of Monclova Road, the incident turned his plans to take his girlfriend to the movie theater into a trip to the hospital. Holland said he plans to keep in touch with the family.
