Lewisville, Texas — A 12-year-old boy is recovering after an e-scooter crash left him with a fractured skull and brain bleed, prompting his mother to warn other families about the dangers of riding without protective equipment.
Creed Clark was visiting his father when he went out to ride an e-scooter with friends on July 28. He had initially been wearing a helmet after a friend’s mother gave him one, but he eventually removed it.
Looking back on the decision, Creed now has a simple message for other young riders: “Wear the helmet all the time.”
Boy Took Off Helmet Because He Felt It Looked ‘Goofy’
Creed said that he had been playing with friends before the crash and had worn the helmet for a while. But the 12-year-old eventually decided to take it off.
“I thought I looked goofy in it … because it’s like a blue helmet, and it looked weird,” he recalled.
His mother, Brittany Rowe, said Creed was riding the scooter without the helmet when he encountered a small pothole. The crash resulted in serious injuries and required the boy to be airlifted to Dallas Children’s Hospital.
CT Scan Revealed Skull Fracture and Brain Bleed
According to an online fundraiser created by Rowe, doctors performed a CT scan after Creed arrived at the hospital.
The scan revealed that he had suffered both a fractured skull and a brain bleed. His injuries were serious enough that doctors performed emergency brain surgery that same night.
Rowe said a portion of her son’s skull had to be removed to provide his swelling brain with additional room. The piece of bone was reportedly temporarily stored in Creed’s abdomen for two weeks while he recovered.
Creed also recalled that doctors had to cut a muscle in his jaw during his treatment.
Mom Says She Was ‘Terrified’ Her Son Could Die
For Rowe, the situation quickly became every parent’s worst nightmare. She described seeing her son surrounded by medical equipment and blood while facing the possibility that he might not survive.
“I don’t think that there’s like a way to describe the feeling, like scared but terrified thinking that, you know, he can die because he had tubes and blood everywhere. It was terrifying,” she said.
The family then faced weeks of uncertainty as Creed recovered from his injuries. After three weeks in the hospital, Creed was finally able to return home, according to an August 18 fundraiser update.
Recovery Continues After Three Weeks in Hospital
Although Creed is home, his recovery is not over. The boy is expected to continue outpatient physical and occupational therapy and attend follow-up appointments with a neurosurgeon.
The family is also raising money to help cover medical-related expenses, including the cost of the emergency airlift. Rowe said the air ambulance expense was not covered by insurance, with the base cost estimated at approximately $16,000 to $19,000.
Mom Warns Other Families About E-Scooter Safety
Rowe hopes Creed’s experience will encourage other children and parents to take e-scooter and e-bike safety more seriously.
She warned that these vehicles can travel much faster than people may expect, making protective equipment particularly important. For Creed, the lesson is already clear: keep the helmet on for the entire ride, even if it feels uncomfortable or embarrassing.
In her fundraiser, Rowe reflected on how frightening the previous three weeks had been while also celebrating her son’s progress.
“There were moments in the beginning when we didn’t know what our future was going to look like,” she wrote.
Today, she said she can watch Creed walk through the house, talk, laugh and play video games—ordinary moments that now feel extraordinary after his life-threatening injuries.
What do you think parents and children should know about e-scooter safety? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
