The Simi Valley community is mourning a 13-year-old who, while riding an e-bike, was fatally struck and killed by an Amtrak train — among recent incidents in Southern California involving electric two-wheelers that have resulted in serious or fatal injuries.
Authorities have not yet identified the 13-year-old, but the nonprofit youth baseball organization Simi Youth Baseball said on Instagramit was mourning the loss of one of its players, Reis Beck, who was “more than a talented player, he was a beloved son, a brother, a teammate and a true friend to so many.”
Local police said a student of the Simi Valley Unified School District was riding a “two-wheeled motorized device” near the Amtrak railroad crossing at Sequoia and Los Angeles avenues, on the northeastern edge of the community, on Saturday.
In their preliminary investigation, authorities found the 13-year-old failed to stop in time at the crossing and was struck by the passing train.
“Despite emergency response efforts, the juvenile succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision,” police said in a statement.
Simi Youth Baseball said in its post that Beck’s love of the game “was evident every time he stepped on the field, but it was his kindness, his energy and his unforgettable smile that truly made him special.”
Beck’s father, Landon Beck, spoke to KTLA 5 and said his 13-year-old son was one of four boys and a sports fanatic.
“He played rough, he loved sports, he loved competition,” Beck told KTLA. “He, like all of our boys, also had a sensitive side — he had an intuition and an ability to read feelings.”
The Times attempted to reach the Beck family but did not hear back before publication.
Simi Valley police said that, whether operating bicycles, or electric bicycles or other motorized devices, riders need to “remain alert and attentive near roadways and railroad crossings.”
“Always obey posted signals, stop when required, and ensure it is safe to proceed before crossing tracks,” the Police Department said in a statement. “Taking a moment to stay aware can help prevent devastating incidents such as this.”
Incidents involving electric bikes have made headlines in recent months.
A Yorba Linda teen was critically injured riding an e-bike that had been modified into an e-motorcycle with the help of his father. The 12-year-old ran a red light at an intersection and was struck by a Honda Civic in July of 2025. Last month, his father, 39-year-old Richard John Eyssallenne, pleaded not guilty to one felony count of child endangerment and abuse and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. If convicted, Eyssallenne faces up to six years in state prison.
In another incident in Orange County, a 14-year-old “doing wheelies” near a high school on an e-motorcycle hit an 81-year-old man who authorities said “was a veteran of the Vietnam War and had been working as a substitute teacher.”
The mother of the 14-year-old was arrested this month and faces felony charges related to her child’s use of an electric motorcycle. She’s being charged with suspicion of felony child endangerment and felony accessory after the fact of a crime, as well as misdemeanors for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, loaning a motor vehicle to an unlicensed driver and providing false information to an officer.
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