What Happened
A 14-year-old riding an illegal electric motorcycle crashed into a Suffolk County police vehicle at the intersection of Colombo and Dante avenues in Copiague last week, in an incident that officials say underscores the mounting danger of unregulated electric devices on Long Island roads. According to News 12 Long Island, the crash happened on Tuesday — the same week the report was published on August 12, 2026.
Police say the officer was completing a separate, unrelated traffic stop at a stop sign when the teen on the electric motorcycle nearly collided with the patrol vehicle as the officer was making a right turn. The teen struck the officer’s vehicle, narrowly avoiding what could have been a far more serious impact. Investigators confirmed the teen was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and, as a result, was not seriously injured.
Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina addressed the incident directly, describing it as a stark illustration of the dangers posed by illegal electric motorcycles on local streets. Catalina confirmed that police confiscated the electric motorcycle and stated clearly that the vehicle will not be returned to the teen. News 12 Long Island reported Commissioner Catalina’s remarks as part of a broader official warning about the growing number of serious injuries tied to e-bikes and other electric devices across the county.
The 14-year-old was below the legal age threshold for operating an e-bike under New York state law, which requires riders to be at least 16 years old and mandates helmet use. While the teen was in compliance with the helmet requirement, the device itself — classified as an electric motorcycle — was illegal to operate on public roads.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place at the intersection of Colombo and Dante avenues in Copiague, a hamlet in the Town of Babylon in western Suffolk County. The intersection sits in a residential neighborhood, and the collision occurred while the officer was conducting routine traffic enforcement in the area. Suffolk County has logged 760 recorded accidents in our local incident database, reflecting the consistently high volume of road incidents across the county. On the same day this story was reported — August 12, 2026 — separate moderate and minor crashes were recorded on the I-495 and NY 109, reinforcing the scale of daily incident activity across the region.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
No charges against the teen were specified in the reporting from News 12 Long Island at the time of publication. The electric motorcycle was permanently seized by Suffolk County police. Commissioner Catalina’s statement that the vehicle will not be returned signals an enforcement posture consistent with state law, which prohibits riders under 16 from operating e-bikes and bars the use of illegal electric motorcycles on public roads altogether. The investigation into the incident is being handled by Suffolk County police.
Broader Impact
This crash arrives as AAA reports a nearly 300% increase in crashes involving e-devices — including electric scooters and e-bikes — since 2017, and as Suffolk County police have already recorded eight serious e-bike-related injuries so far in 2026. Commissioner Catalina’s public remarks and the permanent confiscation of the teen’s motorcycle signal that Suffolk County law enforcement is treating illegal e-motorcycle enforcement as an active priority, not merely a traffic nuisance — particularly as the summer riding season continues and younger riders remain among the most frequently involved.