Suspects Using E-Scooters Carjack A Man In Midtown

ATLANTA — On the same day as the Atlanta City Council introduced legislation to prohibit any new e-scooter permits in the wake of three deaths, two men are accused of using the alternative transportation device to carjack a man in Midtown. Police said the man's rental car was stolen by two e-scooter-riding suspects at a Ponce de Leon Avenue Chevron gas station. The victim suffered cuts and scratches, but did not require medical treatment.

The stolen vehicle was a four-door white sedan with a Tennessee tag, police said.

The carjacking came on the same day as Atlanta political leaders struggle with the proliferation of e-scooters on city streets. Over the last two months, three people riding e-scooters have been killed on downtown and Midtown streets. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms wants the city's planning department to cease issuing new permits for the so-called sharable dockless mobility devices.

“Given the serious effects these devices have on our infrastructure, public safety, and quality of life, the city cannot allow this rapidly growing industry to move faster than our ability to regulate it,” Bottoms said late Monday night. “In the coming weeks, this administration will introduce a larger solution to keep our streets safe for all modes of transportation—including scooters, cars, bikes and wheelchairs—and ensure greater equity in mobility.”

On Monday, the city council prohibited any additional permit requests from the nine companies now operating e-scooters in Atlanta.

Read: New Scooter Regulations Coming At Atlanta City Council Meeting

And: No More Scooter Permits In Atlanta, Mayor Says

The latest scooter-related death came a week ago, when a woman was riding on 14th Street near Crescent Avenue when she was struck by a car. Another death happened near 15th and West Peachtree, when a man was hit by a CobbLINC bus. The first happened back in May at the West Lake MARTA station, when a scooter ride was struck by an SUV.

Despite the controversies, Atlanta remains a huge and growing market for the transit alternative. Back in early June, GetCharged, Inc., a New York-based manufacturer of charging, storage and service stations for e-scooters and e-bikes, announced it has secured over 250 charging station locations in Atlanta, with the first 25 installations to be up and running in the next few months. The company has partnered with local parking operators and real estate owners to secure more than 250 private locations throughout the city to install its docking stations in its first key North American market.

More: More Than 250 E-Scooter Docking Stations Coming To Atlanta

Buckhead, Midtown and downtown Atlanta are the sites for most of the stations, according to a map provided by the company.