A Runner Was Critically Injured in Central Park. Her Family Says E-Bike Safety Laws Need to Change.

Central Park’s West Drive is part of the everyday map for runners in New York City. On July 7, it became the site of a crash that left a 43-year-old woman in a medically induced coma.The runner, identified as Jean, was jogging near West 64th Street a little after 4:30 p.m. when an e-bike rider allegedly struck her from behind. Her niece, Brandi Wiltse, told West Side Rag that Jean “is an avid jogger,” and said running through Central Park was a normal part of her aunt’s 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.Witness Hoon Chan Sim gave a similar account to the New York Post, saying the rider was moving fast in the wrong direction in the running lane instead of using the bike lane.“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.”Sim also said the rider appeared to try to leave after the crash, but bystanders stopped him and kept him there until police and emergency responders arrived.“The saddest thing was that he didn’t look at the victim. He was trying to get away from it but people gathered around him so he couldn’t,” Sim said to the Post.Jean was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center with head injuries, and Wiltse told the Post 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. Wiltse said to West Side Rag that doctors have told the family that Jean may be aware of what’s happening around her, even though she can’t communicate.“The last thing we would want is for her to wake up by herself and have no idea what’s going on,” Wiltse told the outlet. “My mom has been trying to be there and talk to her, to read to her, and it’s just very hard because she doesn’t have that immediate support system.”The e-bike rider was identified by police only as a 26-year-old man, but Wiltse told the Post 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 told the Post she 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.Jean’s family has started a GoFundMe 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,” it says on the GoFundMe page. “Thank you for caring about her recovery and the safety of others in the community.”Sean Abrams was the Senior Editor, Growth and Engagement at Men’s Health. He’s a former hip hop dancer who likes long walks on the beach and large glasses of tequila. You can find his previous work at Maxim, Elite Daily, and AskMen.