Maine Public | By Nicole Ogrysko
Published June 30, 2026 at 2:53 PM EDT
Portland police have charged a motorist who struck an 11-year-old boy riding his bicycle yesterday Monday evening.
Police say Beder Hussein, 19, of Portland confirmed he was talking on a cellphone immediately before the collision. Hussein was also driving with a suspended driver’s license.
The boy suffered a minor leg injury and was treated at the scene. Hussein was charged with operating after suspension and driving to endanger.
The latest accident comes after the Cumberland County district attorney announced an initiative to treat all pedestrian or bike crashes resulting in injury as potential criminal or civil violations. And earlier this month, the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety launched a pedestrian safety campaign in Portland, Lewiston and Auburn in response to a growing number of accidents.