The death of a D.C. official in an electric scooter collision has prompted concerns about rider safety, with a local community leader saying more education may be needed.
Talib Shakir, 50, who most recently led the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs, died after colliding with another scooter rider at 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE just before 7 p.m. Friday, according to D.C. police.
Both riders were taken to a hospital, where Shakir was pronounced dead. The other rider, an unidentified woman, was treated and released.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Talib Shakir,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement on X.
“Through his work in public service, most recently leading the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs, Talib was committed to creating opportunity for DC residents.”
ANC 8C Commissioner Salim Adofo said he is still processing Shakir’s death.
“There was just so much more work that we would have looked forward to him being able to do,” Adofo said.
The tragedy has also brought renewed attention to scooter safety.
“I’ve heard numerous people say that they fell off of a scooter; that they’ve hurt themselves,” Adofo said. “So there seems to need to be some education on how to remain safe while riding the scooter.”
D.C. police told WTOP that neither rider was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. The department urged everyone traveling throughout the District to take precautions to reach their destinations safely.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Talib Shakir. Through his work in public service, most recently leading the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizen Affairs, Talib was committed to creating opportunity for DC residents,” Bowser said.
Shakir died after his electric scooter collided with another scooter at 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE just before 7 p.m. Friday.
An unidentified woman was also injured.
ANC 8C Commissioner Salim Adofo said he is still processing the loss of Shakir.
“I had a chance to meet brother Talib. You know, in the course of being an advisory neighborhood commissioner,” Adofo said. “There was just so much more work that we would have looked forward to him being able to do.”
Adofo said he’s now monitoring concerns expressed by some community members in light of the tragedy.
“I’ve heard numerous people say that they fell off of a scooter; that they’ve hurt themselves. So there seems to need to be some education on how to remain safe while riding the scooter,” he said.
In a statement to WTOP News, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department said Shakir and the woman involved in the crash were not wearing helmets at the time of the collision, adding that they strongly encourage “everyone traveling throughout the District, whether by car, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, or on foot, to take every precaution to get where you are going safely.”
The Department of Transportation has the following tips on its website for e-scooter and e-bike users.
Do:
Don’t:
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