Penn State University Sues Football Player for Injury to Child in E-Scooter Accident

Penn State University and a Penn State football player are being sued for negligence following an incident where he struck a child while riding an electric scooter on campus, causing injuries.

De’Andre Cook, a freshman on the Penn State football team, was riding an electric scooter on the Penn State campus in February when he struck a boy who was crossing North Burrowes Street with his father, according to the lawsuit. The then-6-year-old boy suffered two pelvic fractures, a foot fracture and a head injury that required four staples, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in Central County Court by the child’s father, Shane Richard, states that the child is receiving treatment and may face other medical treatments. It also states that the child has experienced or may experience “severe pain, anxiety, depression, emotional distress, humiliation, loss of pleasure and enjoyment of life, and/or serious impairment of one or more bodily functions.” The lawsuit alleges that the child “did not contribute in any way” to the accident or injuries.

Cook, listed Penn State’s football roster A 6-4, 282-pound defensive lineman, he summarily pleaded guilty in March to charges of failure to yield to pedestrians and failure to stop at a stop sign and paid a $238 fine, according to online court records.

The lawsuit includes a negligence count against Penn State for not enforcing a campus ban on electric scooters, and a negligence count against Cook for causing an accident while using the scooter. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff is seeking at least $100,000 in total damages.

In the case, lawyer Richard Godshall states: Penn State University policy which prohibits the use of motorized devices such as e-scooters on campus that “do not meet PA Vehicle Code requirements for operation on a public highway.” The policy states that such devices are “prohibited from being used on University property, including buildings, roads, sidewalks, bike paths, and shared paths.” According to the lawsuit, the electric scooter model Cook used “is not permitted for use on public roads in Pennsylvania.”

The lawsuit states that Penn State provided Cook with an electric scooter. It also states that Penn State violated policies to “encourage favoritism” among student-athletes and failed to train student-athletes on how to safely use electric scooters.

“Despite acknowledging the dangers e-scooters pose on campus and admitting that they do not meet PA Vehicle Code requirements for use on public highways, Defendant Penn State nevertheless offers student-athletes, and student-athletes only, the following option: Take advantage of this high-speed transportation option.” the lawsuit states. “The special favoritism that Defendant Penn State provided to student-athletes like Defendant Cook foreseeably and directly led to the child’s serious injury.”

Penn State does not comment on pending litigation.

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