WILMINGTON — A Wilmington teenager received a suspended sentence, supervised probation, community service and other requirements from a judge Wednesday after pleading guilty for striking a 5-year-old on his e-bike.
19-year-old Camren Isaiah Creme was charged with assault inflicting serious injury and appeared before Judge R. Kent Harrell on Wednesday, Aug. 12. The Class A1 misdemeanor carries up to 150 days in jail and a discretionary fine depending on one’s prior record.
Harrell sentenced Creme to a 60-day suspended sentence, 18 months of supervised probation, and 500 hours of community service. The teenager already completed 334 hours before the plea, the district attorney’s office revealed.
READ MORE: Teenager charged with injuring 5-year-old on motorized bike
District Attorney Jason W. Smith said in a press release, his office views the plea “as a teachable moment,” for the defendant and other e-bike operators.
“Actions have consequences,” Smith said. “When a person hurts another person, especially a child, there will be legal consequences. While this plea arrangement is not appropriate in every case, this office and the victim’s family felt that the defendant could be held accountable without making him a convicted felon.”
As reported by Port City Daily last April, Creme was driving his e-bike in Smith Creek Park, which prohibits motorized vehicles along pathways heavily traversed by pedestrians and bicyclists. A 5-year-old wearing protective gear, including a helmet, was learning to ride a scooter. The child moved in attempt to avoid being hit by the e-bike, as Creme’s foot became lodged between the brake and the ground. Creme reported to authorities he, too, tried to avoid the incident, according to the release.
However, traveling between 25 and 30 miles per hour, Creme hit the child, who was then thrown 20 or 30 feet away from impact. The child suffered a severe concussion, five fractures in his face and jaw, and a broken femur and had to be airlifted from New Hanover Regional Medical Center to the UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill.
According to the DA, Creme remained on the scene to help law enforcement’s investigation. He also broke his foot in multiple places; laboratory tests ultimately revealed THC in the defendant’s blood.
As part of Harrell’s sentencing, Creme also also must submit to a substance abuse evaluation and comply with recommended treatment stemming from any evaluation. He will need to complete an eight-hour course with Street Safe driver education program for young drivers and will become a presenter regarding the importance of e-bike safety so peers can learn from his situation.
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