A New York jogger is in a coma after being struck by an e-bike allegedly going the wrong way in Central Park, according to a report.
The 43-year-old runner, identified by her family as Jean, was struck by the e-bike at 4.38 p.m. on July 7. The New York Police Department told The New York Post that the cyclist was a 26-year-old man.
Witness Hoon Chan Sim claimed to the publication that the unnamed man was not in the cycling lane when the incident occurred and was instead heading in the wrong direction in the running lane. When he hit Jean from behind, she fell to the ground and landed on her head.
“Jesus, I mean, the woman was bleeding out of (sic) ears,” he said.
In a GoFundMe campaign launched to support the family, Jean’s niece, Brandi Wiltse, said that her aunt was left with a traumatic brain injury. The injury required emergency cranial surgery.
Jean also suffered a broken elbow, which required surgery, and deep lacerations which needed skin grafts.
Jean has been placed into a medically induced coma and remains unresponsive, Brandi said, adding that her aunt has undergone three blood transfusions.
“The doctors have said she may be aware of what’s going on, that she may be able to hear, and she just can’t convey that,” Brandi told West Side Rag. “My mom has been trying to be there and talk to her, to read to her, and it’s just very hard.”
In addition to supporting Brandi’s mom with travel expenses between Georgia and New York, funds raised by the GoFundMe campaign will go towards covering Jean’s rent while she remains in the coma.
“We don’t want her to wake up and find out that she lost her apartment, and that we had to pack up all her stuff and move her out,” Brandi told West Side Rag.
Brandi also said that Jean and her family are from Long Island, but that her aunt has resided in the Big Apple for 10 years.
The New York Police Department revealed to the publication on Wednesday that there was no investigation into the crash at the time. A spokesperson for the force added that the cyclist had handed over his details to authorities at the scene.
According to NYPD collision records obtained by AEE Law, 17,447 people have been injured in e-bike crashes in New York City from 2019 to May 2026. The records also show that 133 have been killed, with pedestrians making up 16 of those killed.
In her GoFundMe campaign, Brandi said that she hopes to “raise awareness about the dangers of e-bikes.
“E-bikes can reach speeds of 20+ mph, require no registration or insurance, and are nearly silent on approach,” she said.
The Independent has contacted the NYPD for comment.
