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On The Record: Reckless Riders
Teenage e-bikers ignoring rules of the road.
Good morning. ☕ This is your Thursday, April 23, Rye Record newsletter, curating some of the latest headlines across the city of Rye.
Today’s Weather Channel local forecast is cloudy with a high of 67 degrees. ⛅ Check out the forecast for the rest of the week here.
Terror on the trails. On an early Sunday morning in April, Mallory Pittinger was pushing her 7-month-old daughter, Charlotte, in a stroller across Forest Avenue, toward Playland, when a pair of teenagers quickly approached on electric bicycles.
Pittinger, who lives in the area, started to walk faster as the riders approached, then picked up the pace even more when she realized the two teens had just blazed through a red light. Suddenly, she heard a loud crash.
“One boy was probably 10 feet away on the ground and had flipped over his handlebars … he crashed right in the middle of Forest Avenue,” Pittinger told The Record.
This was one of several recent incidents involving e-bikes on Rye’s trails, sidewalks, and roads. The uptick in reckless riding, especially among teens, prompted renewed warnings from city leaders about the dangers of improper use of e-bikes and scooters.
“As the weather warms up, we are seeing increased use of electric scooters throughout the City, particularly in our downtown and along busy corridors,” wrote City Manager Brian Shea. “With that increased use comes a shared responsibility to operate them safely and in accordance with the law.”
On March 10, Rye police arrested Benjamin McFadden, 19, of Greenwich, Conn., on charges of reckless driving and unlawful fleeing police on an e-bike at Rye Town Park.
More than a month later, reckless e-bike riders show no signs of slowing.
To read the full report from Chris Marshall and Kate Circelli, visit ryerecord.com tomorrow.
The location where a Rye resident witnessed an e-bike collision earlier this month.
-Today’s newsletter is curated by Chris Marshall
➡️ Follow The Record, @ryerecordnews, on our social media channels and at ryerecord.com for the latest news. 💻📱
RYE RECORD STUDIOS 🎙
IN OTHER NEWS
HISTORY REPEATS. For the third time in three years, a Rye Historical Society executive director stepped down from the role. Sophia N. Johnson, who was announced as director in February, held the position for less than three months. — Chris Marshall
ONLY IN NEW YORK. Rye girls lacrosse is 4-3, but topped Horace Greeley 14-5 in its latest game to remain unbeaten against New York opponents. After beating last year’s section runner-up, the Garnets face Yorktown, the defending champs Section 1 Class AA champs, this Saturday. — Record staff
A NEW LEAF. Leaf blower summonses decreased by 90 percent, from 20 in March 2025 to two this March. However, it wasn’t a quiet month for police, as traffic stops increased by more than 100, and arrests more than doubled year-over-year. — Rosie Newmark
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SPORTS
Jackson Pineault hit a game-winning homer Monday. Photo/Archie Martin
Rye’s baseball team was down to its final out, trailing by a run in the bottom of the seventh, when senior catcher Jackson Pineault hit a two-run, walk-off home run to give the Garnets a 5-4 win Monday against Clarkstown North. (See video of the home run here.)
A day later, the Garnets didn’t leave any room for dramatics, completing a sweep of the Rams with an 11-0 victory on the road. Rye (9-2) scored once in the third and fourth innings, then exploded for nine runs in the fifth, forcing another game to a sudden end, this time in a run rule.
The Garnets have won nine straight after starting the season 0-2, with games coming up Thursday and Saturday against Fox Lane, the defending Section 1 Class AA champions.
— Chris Marshall
POLITICS
George Latimer and his wife, Robin, at the Carole E. Kirby Memorial Easter Egg Hunt. Photo/Alison Rodilosso
U.S. Rep. George Latimer announced he secured the Democratic line in his bid for a second term in Congress. The long-time Rye resident submitted more than 9,500 nominating signatures and has no opposition within the Democratic party, assuring his spot on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.
No candidates submitted petitions for either the Working Families or the Conservative parties, which means Latimer will be running straight up against a Republican candidate in the fall election.
In the 2024 primary, Latimer won 58.6% of the vote to unseat incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman. There were also Democratic primaries for the position in the 2018, 2020, and 2022 elections, but this June, Latimer won’t have to worry about competition within the party.
— Record staff
HISTORY
Jan Kelsey shared her research on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
During the Revolutionary War, Rye and Westchester County were “a terrible place to live,” homes were deliberately set on fire, and people were afraid to be on the streets.
In front of a capacity crowd at the Rye Free Reading Room, Jan Kelsey, a Rye resident and president of the Westchester Historical Society, discussed her research on the tumultuous era from 1776 to 1783, when Westchester County was known as “neutral ground.”
The northern part of the county was associated with the Continental Army, but New York City sided with the British loyalists, leaving Rye and Westchester County open to plundering by both sides looking for cattle and supplies. During the seven years of the war, Kelsey said, “Westchester County lost more homes to deliberate burning than any other county in the 13 colonies.”
— Rhonda Barnat