An avid Higher West Facet jogger was run down from behind by an e-bike rider allegedly going the incorrect manner in Central Park — and is now in a medically induced coma, based on her household and a witness.
The “vibrant” 43-year-old runner, recognized by her first title, Jean, needed to have a portion of her cranium eliminated throughout emergency cranial surgical procedure following the harrowing July 7 crash, her niece, Brandi Wiltse, advised The Publish on Thursday.
“Now, over every week from the incident, she continues to be not awake, nonetheless in a medically induced coma,” Wiltse mentioned.
However the electrical bike driver concerned isn’t dealing with any penalties, based on the police and an outraged Wiltse — who mentioned town can “completely” do extra to carry reckless cyclists accountable.
“After this, the truth that there is no such thing as a accountability, there’s no registration requirement, there’s no insurance coverage … There ought to be legal guidelines in place,” she mentioned.
Jean was was jogging on West Drive, close to West sixty fourth Road, at round 4:38 p.m. when she was hit by the e-bike rider, who was described by cops solely as a 26-year-old man.
Witness Hoon Chan Sim mentioned the bicycle owner was allegedly driving quick within the incorrect route within the operating lane — as an alternative of utilizing the lane designated for bikes — and hit Jean from behind as she ran, inflicting her to fall and land on her head.
“He was going the incorrect manner on the operating monitor,” Sim mentioned. “I heard a extremely loud screeching noise. My guess is that he was going fairly quick.”
The bicycle owner — who gave the impression to be a “courier,” based mostly on his fast-looking bike — allegedly tried to depart however different pedestrians surrounded him to pressure him to remain and watch for first responders, Sim mentioned.
“The saddest factor was that he didn’t have a look at the sufferer. He was attempting to get away from it however folks gathered round him so he couldn’t,” Sim mentioned.
“Jesus, I imply, the lady was bleeding out of ears.”
EMTs rushed Jean to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Middle with head accidents in “secure situation,” police mentioned.
“She was moaning, and folks have been tending to her, like, saying, ‘Are you okay?’ after which she was simply moaning on a regular basis on the sidewalk. She was just about unconscious, non-responsive,” Sim mentioned.
Wiltse advised the West Facet Rag, which first reported on Jean’s situation Wednesday, that her aunt was checked into the hospital as a “Jane Doe” as a result of she was unconscious.
She had three blood transfusions and in addition suffered a damaged elbow that required surgical procedure and lacerations so deep she wanted pores and skin grafts, Wiltse advised The Publish.
Docs have been nonetheless monitoring her situation and her niece mentioned the household expects she is going to face a protracted street to restoration. Wiltse mentioned her dad and mom could be touring from Georgia to be with Jean, who misplaced her job in April, and had packed for “an indefinite period of time.”
“We’re simply all attempting to do no matter we will as a result of we don’t want her to be alone when she wakes up,” she mentioned.
The NYPD, in an announcement, mentioned the “26-year-old male operator of the two-wheeled automobile remained on scene” — however wouldn’t say whether or not he had been ticketed and even affirm whether or not there was an ongoing investigation Thursday.
However Wiltse mentioned police advised her they have been not investigating her aunt’s accident. She mentioned cops ought to look into the witness claims that the e-bike rider was going the wrong-way.
“If he was touring the best way the legal guidelines supposed, that’s one factor. That’s one thing the police ought to look into.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani in March issued an govt order ending prison enforcement of sure low-level e-bike violations and limiting police to civil tickets.
Driving the incorrect manner would have been a prison offense for bikers previous to Mamdani’s order — which is now dealing with a lawsuit from a bunch of victims who argue the coverage has successfully “legalized” harmful e-bike using and made New Yorkers much less protected.
It comes throughout a spike in collisions involving e-bikes in New York Metropolis.
Citywide, there have been 514 e-bike collisions to date this 12 months, 9 of which have been deadly, public data present.
For a similar time interval in 2025, there have been 384 collisions involving e-bikes, six of which have been deadly.
Wiltse described “Aunt Jean” as a “vibrant” member of the family and a cautious runner whose life has been instantly upended by the crash.
“On a day run, her life modified instantly when a person using an e-bike collided along with her. The affect left her with a traumatic mind harm,” Wiltse wrote on an internet fundraising web page in search of donations to assist her aunt pay her lease and for journey prices for kinfolk.
She mentioned she needs her aunt’s case to function a warning concerning the risks of fast-moving e-bikes.
“E-bikes can attain speeds of 20+ mph, require no registration or insurance coverage, and are practically silent on strategy. They trigger critical accidents each day and there’s a common lack of accountability,” Wiltse wrote on the GoFundMe.
