Man’s mouth ‘shattered into dust’ in e-scooter crash
An Auckland man is sharing his story of a severe e-scooter accident that left him with extensive facial injuries to advocate for mandatory helmet use. Despite wearing a helmet, the lack of a chin strap resulted in catastrophic damage to his jaw and mouth.
Why it matters
The story underscores the safety risks associated with e-scooters and the ongoing public policy debate regarding mandatory safety equipment.
An e-scooter crash left Scott Kendall with a shattered mouth and years of surgeries. Photo / 123rf
An Auckland man’s mouth was “shattered into dust” in an e-scooter crash, but he says he could have died if he wasn’t wearing a helmet.
Scott Kendall got in touch with RNZ to share his story after reading about a West Coast mum who wants helmets for e-scooters to be mandatory. The woman’s 15-year-old son spent more than a week in hospital with a fractured pelvis, internal bleeding and memory loss after a crash.
Kendall had a crash on his e-scooter in 2024, while wearing a helmet, which resulted in extensive facial injuries, five broken ribs, a broken elbow and major lacerations to both hands “down to the tendons”.
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