E-bike death numbs community

There’s a heaviness hanging over Simi Valley this week, and it’s the kind that doesn’t lift quickly. According to the *Simi Valley Acorn*, 13-year-old Reis Wade Beck, a student at Sinaloa Middle School, was killed on April 25 when his e-bike was struck by an Amtrak train at the crossing near Sequoia and Los Angeles avenues. That intersection is familiar to so many of us—a busy spot where cars, bikes, and trains all share space. It’s impossible not to feel the weight of this loss, especially for parents who’ve watched their own kids zip around town on those quiet electric bikes.

This tragedy hits close to home because it’s not just a statistic; it’s a reminder of how quickly our daily routines can turn. E-bikes have become a staple for Simi Valley kids getting to school, the park, or a friend’s house, and the crossing at Sequoia is one many of us pass without a second thought. As a community, we’re left holding our kids a little tighter and asking hard questions about safety. Let’s keep Reis’s family and his Sinaloa classmates in our hearts—and maybe take an extra moment at those tracks to remind our own riders to stop, look, and listen.