Penn State football player, university sued for on-campus e-scooter crash that injured 6-year-old

A true freshman Penn State football player and the university are being sued for an on-campus electric scooter accident that occurred earlier this year.

Nittany Lions defensive tackle De’Andre Cook and Penn State are facing a lawsuit from a Union County family whose six-year-old boy was seriously injured after Cook hit him on the scooter.

According to Bret Pallotto of the Centre Daily Times, who first reported the story, the family was walking in a crosswalk on North Burrowes Road in University Park on the evening of February 18 when Cook struck the boy after failing to stop at a stop sign. The boy suffered two fractures to his pelvis, a broken foot, and a closed head injury, among other injuries.

Cook has already pleaded guilty and paid fines for citations for failing to stop at a stop sign and failing to yield to a pedestrian.

Penn State is being accused of violating its university policy banning the use of motor-driven devices like electric scooters on campus. Under Pennsylvania state law, the devices do not meet the requirements for use on public highways.

However, the lawsuit claims that the university provides “special favoritism” to Penn State student-athletes by allowing them to use electric scooters on campus.

The lawsuit is seeking over $100,000 in damages for two counts of negligence.

A three-star prospect out of the Friendship Collegiate Academy, De’Andre Cook was the No. 4 player from the District of Columbia in the 2024 recruiting class. He chose Penn State football over Alabama, Boston College, North Carolina, Rutgers, and USC.

Cook has yet to see the field in his Nittany Lions career.

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