Toddler wounded in Segway hit-and-run

When scooters attack

By Ashlee Vance in Chicago • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 26th November 2003 19:37 GMT

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A three-year-old San Francisco girl has become the first pedestrian to know what it feels like "when Segways attack."

Toddler Ruby Bleskacek was punished by a Segway rider in a hit-and-run accident on Tuesday. (No, we are not making this up.) The lass sustained cuts, bruises and a blow to the head, according a report from ABC. The child was apparently playing outside her home when the Segway roared by near maximum speed at 10 m.p.h and crashed into her.

"I was quite angry and I confronted him," Joel Bleskacek, the girl's father told ABC. "I asked him why he was driving so fast during the crowded lunch hour on the sidewalk. He claimed my daughter jumped in front of him."

Damn jumping girls.

The suspect fled - if you can call it that - the scene. San Francisco police are currently looking for the perp who they believe lives in the area. They have requested a list of all Segway owners in the city from Segway LLC.

The fancy scooter is barred from traveling on San Francisco sidewalks, but such laws apparently do not apply to the deviant side of the Segway crowd.

Earlier this year, Segway owners engaged in a far more heroic scooter pursuit when they apprehended a Segway thief in a sting operation.

That was, however, the high point for the mobile geek crowd. Segway had to recall all of its scooters earlier this year because of dangers caused by a low battery charge. During that recall, Segway was forced to admit it had sold but a few thousand of the expensive toys.