Cal State Fullerton Student Seriously Injured in E-Scooter Crash

California Vehicle Code 21235 governs the operation of motorized scooters, including electric scooters like the one involved in this Fullerton campus crash. Under the statute, scooter riders may not operate on a sidewalk except briefly to enter or leave adjacent property, and they cannot leave a scooter positioned so that it blocks a clear path for pedestrians. Cal State Fullerton’s own pedestrian-only zone policy tracks this same principle: it requires anyone riding a scooter, bike or skateboard to dismount and walk through areas set aside for foot traffic. A rider who ignores that requirement and strikes a pedestrian can be held liable for the resulting injuries.

California Vehicle Code 22350, the basic speed law, requires anyone operating a vehicle — a category that includes motorized scooters — to travel at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for existing conditions, and never at a speed that endangers people or property. In a crowded, pedestrian-only area of a college campus, that duty calls for very low speeds and heightened caution. Riding an e-scooter too fast through a walkway full of students can itself be evidence of a rider’s failure to use reasonable care, independent of any campus rule that was also broken.