TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — What takes most students just minutes to ride to class left one Tampa family with a lifetime of heartbreak.

Michelle Lynch’s son, Connor, was just 19 years old when he was killed in an e-scooter crash near the University of South Florida in February 2024. The sophomore had recently declared himself an entrepreneurial business major.

“Connor was full of life, and full of promise,” Lynch said.

On the night of the crash, Connor was heading back to his apartment on his scooter when a car turned left in front of him. He was unable to stop.

USF Police Chief Chris Daniel said from 2023 to 2025, officers responded to 29 scooter-related accidents on campus.

Doctors at Tampa General Hospital see the consequences of those crashes firsthand. A 2023 study by USF professors recorded nearly 300 e-scooter injuries treated at TGH.

“If you end up at my hospital after an e-bike injury, odds are 10 to 15 percent I’m going to admit you, with about a 40 percent chance that me or one of my partners are going to operate on you,” said Dr. Jose Diaz, a trauma surgeon at TGH.

Diaz said many riders also wear the wrong helmets, which are not designed for the speeds scooters and e-bikes can reach.

For Lynch, reliving her son’s story is painful, but she believes sharing it is necessary.

“The pain of losing a child is absolutely unimaginable,” she said. “It’s important to share this message to prevent another family from enduring the heartbreak that ours endures every single day.”

AAA campaign Safe Streets for Small Wheels launched this week at USF. It aims to raise awareness of scooter and e-bike safety across Florida campuses.