A San Diego man lost his memory after he was involved in an e-scooter accident and suffered a head injury.
Since the accident, Carlos Mercado has had no recollection of when him and his wife got married or when his child was born.
‘On Oct. 17, he got home around 6 a.m. and his face was all bloody and he kept saying he didn’t know what happened to him and I kept asking him, but he kept saying he didn’t know,’ his wife Marlene Sanchez told NBC 7.
Sanchez is not sure where her husband was hit but she believes it happened at the intersection of 40th and Landis St. in City Heights.
It is unclear exactly what happened or how Mercado was hit, but his e-scooter has been bent in half from the handlebar to the base.
Carlos Mercado (pictured) was involved in an e-scooter accident in San Diego on October 17 around 6am. Once he got home, he refused medical attention and took a nap, but when his wife Marlene Sanchez woke him up, he couldn’t remember major life events. She took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a head injury
NBCUniversal Privacy Policy
Mercado’s wife Marlene Sanchez (pictured) was stunned to find out that her husband forgot their wedding anniversary and their son’s birthday. She said that the only thing that her husband can remember is that just a few hours earlier he went downtown and came back on the scooter
After he was hit Mercado refused to go to the hospital and instead took a nap.
His wife woke him up and asked when their wedding anniversary and their son’s birthday was, but Mercado didn’t know.
‘When he woke up, I asked him, “What happened to you?” And he said, “I don’t know,” so I said, “Did someone hit you?” And he started crying,’ Sanchez said.
She ended up taking him to Scripps Mercy Hospital where he had to be admitted for days after he was officially diagnosed with a head injury.
‘He doesn’t remember anything from before the accident, he doesn’t remember any life events that he’s had, he doesn’t remember how he fell, where he was going,’ Sanchez said.
She said that the only thing that her husband could remember is that just a few hours earlier he went downtown and came back on the scooter.
A report released by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in early October revealed that injuries related to e-bikes and e-scooters increased by approximately 21 percent from 2021 to 2022.
‘Micromobility-related injuries have trended upward since 2017, increasing an estimated average 23% annually,’ the report said.
It is unclear exactly what happened to Mercado while he was on his e-scooter. His family has asked anyone that might know what happened to the father and husband to come forward with information. ‘Definitely wear a helmet- that’s all I can say. Wear a helmet- we had to find out the hard way,’ Sanchez said
Though it is unclear exactly what happened to Mercado, his wife showed his e-scooter after the incident. It was split in half from the handlebar to the base. A report released by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission in early October revealed that injuries related to e-bikes and e-scooters increased approximately 21percent from 2021 to 2022
Though the report is still ongoing, it concluded that so far, 233 deaths have been associated with these devices from 2017 through 2022.
Besides safety on the road, the report touched on safety habits that should be considered by e-bike and e-scooter drivers even when they’re not on the road.
‘Fires were a significant hazard across all micromobility devices. CPSC is aware of 19 deaths associated with micromobility device fires from January 1, 2021, through November 28, 2022,’ the report said.
In order to avoid fires electric vehicles, their battery packs and chargers need to be certified before purchase.
The report also urged riders to be present when they charge their devices and to never charge them overnight.
Sanchez said that her husband is still suffering from repercussions of the accident. Mercado has since been sent home from the hospital to recover from his injuries.
Mercado’s wife thinks that his accident occurred at the intersection of 40th and Landis St. in City Heights. She ended up taking him to Scripps Mercy Hospital where he had to be admitted for days after he was officially diagnosed with a head injury
His family has asked anyone that might know what happened to the father and husband to come forward with information.
‘Definitely wear a helmet- that’s all I can say. Wear a helmet- we had to find out the hard way,’ Sanchez said.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission also reported that there has been a surge in electric bike and scooter injuries between May and April.