'I was very lucky': E-scooter crash victim warns others to wear helmet

A Windsor, Ont. woman is sharing her cautionary tale while warning others to wear a helmet after falling off an e-scooter last month.

Kim Klyn says it happened on Bridge Avenue, just a block away from where she and her daughter were ending their first Bird Scooter ride together.

“We were almost home, five houses away and I hit something in the road,” she says.

Klyn says she was thrown airborne, landing on her head, knocking her unconscious before paramedics brought her to the hospital.

“I do remember vaguely hearing the people over surrounding me when I was coming to saying she wasn't even going fast,” she recalls.

The educational assistant continued, “I didn't suffer any broken bones. I didn't even have any fractures or sprains, considering I was completely unarmored when I landed in the middle of Bridge Avenue.”

According to Klyn, doctors said there were no permanent injuries, however the 58-year-old says she was diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and still suffers from a slight pain in her ear, which doctors continue to monitor.

Klyn explains that she feels lucky her injuries weren’t worse, noting numbness and severe headaches subsided after about a week.

“I have to abstain from driving for a while. I am still dealing with extreme vertigo. I'm not able to go back to work now till November safely,” she says. “So, I missed the first day of school so I'm sad about that. But, you know it's a lesson learned and it could have been worse.”

In an email statement to CTV News Windsor, Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons said, “Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Bird Canada.”

Lyons explained that free helmets are available for delivery through the Bird Canada app, noting helmets are “extremely helpful” in providing a safe riding experience.

The statement added, “Before any user can even take their first ride, they must review and acknowledge that they've read and understood all the safety information about our vehicles so that they're able to ride safely and properly. We further remind riders regarding safe riding behaviour during every subsequent ride, and through our social media channels, our app and the e-scooters themselves, which are deliberately adorned with safety information.”

Klyn told CTV News Windsor she plans to get on the scooter again with her helmet strapped on tight, saying, “At first I was a little nervous, but it really is easy to navigate. They're not difficult.”

However, she has a final message for anyone interested in hopping aboard an e-scooter.

“Wear your helmet,” she says. “That's the thing I can emphasize the most. I was very lucky.”