Julia Lynn Kalthof, a 65-year-old resident of Windsor Terrace in Palm Coast, faces a felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge after she was captured on video driving off the road and onto a foot-and-bike path apparently to chase a 14-year-old boy on an e-bike the evening of June 7.
The incident underscores the increasing prevalence of electric bikes on public roadways and foot paths. The boy was not at fault in any way and did not commit infractions. But certain cities are adopting tough new rules to regulate e-bikes–in some cases tougher rules than apply to car drivers. St. Johns County recently considered adopting stricter rules than state law provides for, but finally declined to do so.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly is calling on the Legislature–but not local authorities–to toughen state law.
The boy riding on Pine Lakes Parkway, here referred to as Eddie (an assumed name), told a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy that as he was riding west on Pine Lakes Parkway, someone in a gray SUV started chasing and harassing him. The SUV had followed him from the Pine Lakes intersection with Woodbury Drive to Wood Haven Drive and Palm Coast Parkway, and at one point tried to go around him and cut him off as he was in a crosswalk, almost striking him, according to Kalthof’s arrest report.
In fright, Eddie started pedaling as fast as he could while the SUV kept chasing him. He took out his phone to document the incident, and at one point is heard saying, “this lady is trying to hit me.” At that point the SUV was behind him, on the bike path. Eddie later flagged down a car that got in the way of the SUV, enabling him to get back to his house. He told deputies that “his heart was racing and he was afraid for his life.”
The witness who helped him had called 911 as the incident was ongoing. The witness’s girlfriend was driving behind him and recorded a portion of the incident on her phone, which she shared with authorities. The witness had seen Kalthof’s SUV get to within 6 to 10 feet of the e-bike on the bike path. The video shows the SUV getting “within a car length” of the bike at one point, before backing off, the arrest report states. The witness then cut off Kalthof and took down her vehicle’s identifying information.
Kalthof told a deputy that she was angry that Eddie “had been riding his e-bike through the neighborhood fast,” according to her arrest report. She was following him to find out where he lives. She wanted to speak with his parents. She said she tried to get past him to get him to slow down. She “admitted that she had made a mistake and asked if she was being arrested.”
She was–for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, a third-degree felony, and reckless driving, a misdemeanor. Deputies also issued Kalthof a traffic ticket for driving on the multiuse path. She was booked at the county jail on $3,000 bond and issued a no-contact order regarding the boy and two witnesses.
“This woman caused a dangerous situation with her reckless and aggressive behavior and could have seriously hurt or killed not just the child she was chasing, but anyone who happened to be walking or biking on that path,” Sheriff Rick Staly was quoted as saying in a release. “I’m thankful that nobody was hurt, or she could be facing even more serious charges. I also want to thank the bystander who stopped a dangerous situation and called 911 so that our deputies could handle it, conduct their investigation, and arrest this driver who clearly needs anger management.”
According to Florida law, an e-bike “or an operator of an electric bicycle shall be afforded all the rights and privileges, and be subject to all of the duties, of a bicycle or the operator of a bicycle.” Licenses are not required to ride e-bikes, which may be ridden on sidewalks.
“E-bikes are becoming more and more prevalent in Palm Coast, and the riders need to control their speed and recklessness too,” Staly said. “The legislature needs to give us the new laws to address the behavior of these riders, such as limiting the allowed speed riders can go, just like cars.”
