Edison Man Charged In E-Scooter Hit-And-Run: PD

EDISON, NJ — An Edison man has been charged in an e-scooter hit-and-run, making him the first e-scooter rider to be arrested in Hoboken, police said.

According to the Hoboken Police Department, while directing traffic in the area of Newark and Hudson Street at 12:43 p.m., an officer saw a man riding an e-scooter opposite the flow of traffic.

As the officer watched, the rider – later identified as Carl Mattson, 35, of Edison – struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk. When the officer stopped to help the pedestrian, Mattson allegedly fled the scene on his e-scooter, authorities said.

Ignoring the officer's commands to stop, Mattson continued riding away from the scene opposite the flow of traffic. Police eventually caught up to Mattson and arrested him a short distance away.

The pedestrian suffered an injured ankle, police said.

Authorities charged Mattson with obstructing the administration of law. He was also issued several motor vehicle summonses for traveling the wrong way on a one-way road, failing to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk and riding on a sidewalk.

Last month, Hoboken kicked off a half-year pilot program that makes e-scooters available for rent throughout the city. The ubiquitous transportation devices are allowed to go to 18 mph, but riders are banned from traveling on city sidewalks.

Hoboken is the first New Jersey city to see the e-scooters, but Lime has had a footprint in the Edison and Metuchen area with a pedal bike sharing program. The company recently introduced several e-bikes into the fleet in Metuchen.

Metuchen officials have said they are exploring the idea of adding e-scooters to their Lime partnership, but nothing was immediately in the works.

With reporting by Eric Kiefer