Dozens of students riding electric bikes swarmed some of Austin’s busiest roads on Saturday, May 16, prompting a Travis County Sheriff’s Office investigation after deputies say many riders blew past orders to stop and pulled risky stunts in traffic. One deputy trailed the pack off county roads until the group crossed into Austin city limits, then handed things off to city police. Detectives and school resource officers are now trying to put names to faces, and investigators say some riders could be looking at citations or even impound fees.
What deputies say happened
In a letter sent to families in the Eanes and Lake Travis school districts, Sheriff Sally Hernandez described the May 16 ride-along on Westlake Drive and State Loop 360 and urged parents to keep kids off public roads. As reported by KEYE, Hernandez said deputies tried using lights, sirens, and an amplified speaker to clear the roadway but were ignored, and that dashcam video captured what she called reckless behavior.
Deputies describe a “street takeover”
TCSO spokesperson Kristen Dark told KXAN the group was “nearly 50 kids” strong and that deputies referred to the scene as a “street takeover.” Dark said the deputy who first encountered the riders chose to follow instead of forcing a stop, in an effort to avoid escalating the situation into something even more dangerous while the agency works to identify those involved.
An Austin Police Department spokesperson told KXAN that callers reported the group “was taking over lanes of traffic, driving into oncoming lanes, running red lights, performing wheelies and donuts, and weaving through traffic” in several parts of the city. APD says officers tracked the group’s movements as it entered Austin and coordinated with other agencies throughout the incident.
Possible charges and the law
Authorities say students could face citations for driving without a license and for operating an illegal vehicle on a roadway, and TCSO said they may seek reckless driving warrants based on what each rider did. The sheriff’s letter also says e-bikes may be impounded based on dashcam evidence, as reported by KEYE. Texas Penal Code §22.041 makes it a crime to abandon or endanger a child, and prosecutors have used the statute in cases involving illegal high-powered e-motorcycles. The full text of the statute is available from the Texas statutes…