An electric bike caught fire after it apparently exploded in Rockaway Beach on Wednesday night, burning the rider’s leg.
The FDNY confirmed that at around 8:45 p.m. on July 24, a cyclist was riding a Lime electric bike near 79th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard when it caught fire. Sources say that the rider believed that the battery may have exploded while he was riding, however representatives from Lime believe the bike may have been tampered with.
Video posted by the Rockaway Times shows the bike on the ground at the location with flames coming out from behind the seat:
A @limebike has exploded in Rockaway Beach, NY. Someone was riding it at the time and experienced minor burns. FDNY responded and extinguished the fire. #limebike #fire #rockaway #ThatAintNormal pic.twitter.com/2m7Dd4MC4s
— Rockaway Times (@Rockawaytimes) July 25, 2019
The FDNY extinguished the fire. The victim was treated for minor burns but was not transported to the hospital.
A statement released on Twitter from a Lime spokesperson says that the fire was appeared to be an “isolated incident,” however Lime will reach out to the victim and work with local authorities to get to the bottom of the situation.
