On July 10, 2023, MLive reported that University of Michigan student Seth Sugar was killed in a crash with a vehicle while riding a scooter on July 8.
The police report was released to CIAA in November. The UD-10 describes how Seth Sugar was riding a scooter on Hill, and collided with a west-bound vehicle. Seth’s injuries from the collision were fatal. The UD-10 offers little more detail and no real indication of why Seth veered into oncoming traffic.
Excerpt from UD-10 report.
A visit to the site on December 16, 2023 showed the pavement in the area near the crash in very poor condition. Ann Arbor’s Pavement Condition Dashboard rated this section of Hill St. as 2 out of 10 in both 2021 and 2023. I have rented a SPIN scooter, but I am by no means an accomplished scooter rider. I have navigated through what remains of Hill St. on bicycle recently, but I can’t imagine traversing it on the small wheels of a scooter.
The view of Hill St., looking north towards Oakland.
Typical pavement conditions on Hill St. near where the crash occurred.
Ann Arbor’s pavement condition dashboard rates this stretch of Hill St. as 2 out of 10. (Source: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/0acf121c43684ae8988a44427a3e62b5)
In a video on their website, SPIN instructs riders to avoid obstacles in the road, like potholes and road debris. The video soundtrack features only music; there are no further instructions on how to avoid potholes and debris. Considering the condition of Hill St., there doesn’t appear to be a way to avoid them.
Screen capture from the a video on the SPIN website (source: https://youtu.be/8R9dcOvjGTY)
A City of Ann Arbor project, scheduled for 2024, includes crosswalk upgrades, storm sewer upgrades and repaving for Hill St., including the block where this crash occurred.
CIAA has reached out to SPIN, asking them about what they might do to improve the safety of scooter riders. This post will be updated with any response.