A runner was critically injured in Central Park after being struck by an e-bike rider. The incident occurred on July 7 on West Drive, a popular route for runners in New York City.
The victim, Jean, a 43-year-old woman, was jogging near West 64th Street around 4:30 p.m. when the e-bike rider allegedly hit her from behind.
According to Brandi Wiltse, Jean’s niece, her aunt is an avid jogger and running through Central Park was a normal part of her routine.
Wiltse said she was told by police and eyewitnesses that the rider hit Jean from behind, and that she didn’t see him at all before being struck down.
Hoon Chan Sim, a witness, gave a similar account, saying the rider was moving fast in the wrong direction in the running lane instead of using the bike lane.
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“He was going the wrong way on the running track,” Sim said. “I heard a really loud screeching noise. My guess is that he was going pretty fast.”
The rider appeared to try to leave after the crash, but bystanders stopped him and kept him there until police and emergency responders arrived.
Jean was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center with head injuries, and Wiltse told reporters that her aunt needed emergency cranial surgery, as well as the removal of part of her skull.
She also suffered a broken elbow that required surgery, deep lacerations that required skin grafts, and three blood transfusions.
“Now, over a week from the incident, she is still not awake, still in a medically induced coma,” Wiltse said.
It was also reported that Jean was first admitted as a Jane Doe because she was unconscious and couldn’t even identify herself post-crash.
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The e-bike rider was identified by police only as a 26-year-old man, but Wiltse told reporters that she was informed police were no longer investigating the crash and wants officials to examine the witness account that the rider was going the wrong way.
“If he was traveling the way the laws intended, that’s one thing,” she said. “That’s something the police should look into.”
Wiltse also wants stronger accountability for e-bike riders. “After this, the fact that there is no accountability, there’s no registration requirement, there’s no insurance … There should be laws in place,” she said.
As the family waits for Jean to recover, they have started a fundraising campaign to help cover rent, travel, and other expenses while she remains hospitalized.
Any support, whether through a donation or by sharing Aunt Jean’s story, means the world to our family, according to the campaign page.
