A New York local has spent a week in a medically induced coma after she was struck by an e-bike rider who was allegedly going the wrong way while cycling in Central Park. The 43-year-old, Upper West Side jogger has only been identified by her first name: Jean.
Jean’s niece, Brandi Wiltse, told the New York Post that the violent crash between her aunt and the cyclist, which occurred on July 7, resulted in the woman requiring cranial surgery. However, she is far from out of the woods, as Wiltse claimed, “Over a week from the incident, she is still not awake, still in a medically induced coma.”
Jean had been jogging on West Drive, near West 64th Street, around 4:38 p.m. when an e-bike rider reportedly struck her. Cops only described the suspect as a 26-year-old man. A witness named Hoon Chan Sim claimed that the rider had been traveling fast in the wrong direction and in the wrong lane when they should have been in the designated bike lane. The witness said that the cyclist hit Jean from behind, causing her to fall and land on her head.
“He was going the wrong way on the running track,” Sim claimed, adding, “My guess is that he was going pretty fast.” Sim went on to say the rider allegedly tried to flee the scene and “didn’t look at the victim.” Sim claimed that a crowd of people gathered around him to block his apparent escape attempt.
Jean has a long road to recovery
After the incident, Jean was described as “pretty much unconscious, non-responsive,” although she could be heard moaning according to Sim. She was rushed to hospital and checked in as a Jane Doe at first due to her being unconscious.
Jean had to have a portion of her skull removed during emergency surgery as well as three blood transfusions according to her niece. Wiltse said Jean’s family are giving as much support as they can, but they expect there to be a very long road to recovery.
The e-bike rider is not facing any consequences
In a statement, the NYPD said that the “26-year-old male operator of the two-wheeled vehicle remained on scene,” however, they did not specify whether the rider had been ticketed or if there was an ongoing investigation into the incident. Wiltse claimed that police were not investigating her aunt’s accident and called for the city to do something about reckless cyclists.
Wiltse also claimed that police should investigate claims that the rider was going the wrong way on the running lane: “If he was traveling the way the laws intended, that’s one thing. That’s something the police should look into.”
An executive order issued by the New York mayor in March ended criminal enforcement of some low-level e-bike violations. Critics of the move have claimed that it effectively “legalized” dangerous use of e-bikes. According to the New York Post, driving the wrong way down a one-way lane would have been a criminal offence before the executive order.
Published: Jul 17, 2026 09:27 am