Mother of 5 dies after e-scooter accident, family calling on city to make sidewalk repairs
By Shelby Lofton
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SALT LAKE CITY (KSL) — The family of a 33-year-old woman who died after hitting her head while riding an e-scooter in downtown Salt Lake City is calling on officials to repair sidewalks.
Ashley Rose Peck, a mother of five, was riding with friends Thursday night when she was in the accident.
“She was just driving around, they were about to head home and, it was pretty dark,” said Emilio Gonzales, her cousin.
He said she was spending time with her boyfriend and her cousin. He said she was riding a Lime e-scooter behind them along West Temple, between 400 and 500 South.
Gonzales said Peck hit a buckle in the sidewalk. He said doctors estimated she flew 10 to 15 feet in the air, before hitting the ground and hitting her head.
Gonzalez said two bystanders initially found Peck unconscious.
“They were doing CPR and everything they could, but they said the two bystanders that did find her, they’re the ones who called the police and everything,” he said.
She was rushed to the hospital.
“We just got the news that she had a very extensive brain damage done,” Gonzalez said. “That she had hit her temporal side and that she didn’t have a lot of time.”
He said several family members, including her children and sister, Tina Marie, came to the hospital.
“She was like the best mother to her kids,” Marie said. “That’s all they had, is just her.”
Her family believes the accident could have been prevented.
“They are trying to promote that Main Street, where the TRAX are, to be more of a pedestrian walkway,” Gonzalez said. “And I just think if they are trying to promote something like that, they should definitely fix sidewalks.”
Marie said Peck regularly used the scooters.
“She would go take them with her boys, they would go ride the scooters with the boys at Liberty Park,” she said. “We would take all of our kids and go ride them, and it was never an issue.”
Salt Lake City ordinances state everyone on e-scooters or bikes must ride in the bicycle or travel lanes. Riding on sidewalks is not allowed.
Peck’s family says it’s often impossible to ride the scooters in traffic.
“I’ve looked at the Lime website and it says, stay far to the right as traffic as you can,” Gonzalez said. “Sometimes you can’t even get to the far right side of the traffic. You have to get on the sidewalk.”
He said he and his family are hopeful for repairs.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office sent a statement to KSL Sunday night:
“This is a tragic incident and the City is reviewing the circumstances related to the accident, but cannot comment further.”
A GoFundMe ccount has been set up to help Peck’s children and to cover her funeral expenses.
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