Barely conscious and moaning and unable to answer questions, according to witnesses, she was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell<\/a>, where she was checked in as \u201cJane Doe.\u201d Her father was ultimately reached through her cell phone.<\/p>\n To relieve brain swelling, doctors removed part of her skull, and she was put into a medically induced coma, relatives said.<\/p>\n The cyclist who crashed into her stayed at the scene, but was not charged or arrested, according to police.<\/p>\n Brandi Wiltse, 31, the jogger\u2019s niece, said doctors decided last Thursday it was safe to remove Jean \u2014 who had been heavily sedated \u2014 from her medically induced coma. The next day, she opened her eyes. Since then she\u2019s been able to say her name and a few words a few times, but at other times loses her verbal ability altogether. She is not yet responding to verbal cues, such as when asked to wave or give a thumbs up.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the type of traumatic brain injury she received, it\u2019s very common that it\u2019s gonna take a while, that she\u2019s gonna be groggy,\u201d Wiltse said.<\/p>\n Witness Hoon Chan Sim, 53, was sitting on a park lawn with his dog near West Drive when he was startled by the squeal of braking tires, and spun around to see the horrific collision.<\/p>\n \u201cThe victim, she was on the running track,\u201d Sim said, referring to the pedestrian lane. \u201cShe was looking northbound. She wasn\u2019t running or moving that fast. Then the e-bike going too fast just struck her. She fell forward, hitting her head, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the cyclist was heading north \u2014 going the wrong way, against the park loop\u2019s counterclockwise direction \u2014 when he hit Jean from behind.<\/p>\n A photo Sim snapped right after the crash shows both jogger and bike lying on the ground in the pedestrian lane. As a crowd gathered, blood could be seen coming out of her ears, he said.<\/p>\n Sim said the e-biker was questioned by cops for 20 minutes before being let go.<\/p>\n Jean grew up on Long Island and attended New York University, then chose to stay on in the city. She lives near the American Museum of Natural History, relatives said.<\/p>\n \u201cShe likes being around all the people, the hustle and bustle,\u201d her niece said. \u201cShe jogged, I would say, daily.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond her brain injury, Jean suffered a broken elbow and deep leg lacerations requiring a skin graft.<\/p>\n Further complicating Jean\u2019s situation, the jogger was recently laid off from her marketing job, and to save money had been forgoing her health insurance. A GoFundMe <\/a>Wiltse launched\u00a0has raised nearly $30,000 for her,\u00a0quickly surpassing its target of $18,000, with many donations by \u201ctotal strangers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The funds will help pay the rent on Jean\u2019s apartment for the next two months so she\u2019s not homeless after leaving the hospital. The money will also go to bring Wiltse\u2019s mom and stepdad, who live in Georgia, up to New York so they can care for Jean. Any funds beyond immediate expenses will go toward her medical care and recovery.<\/p>\n Wiltse is hoping police will fully investigate the incident and, if the cyclist is found to have been negligent, that he\u2019ll face charges. The NYPD did not return an email requesting an update on the investigation Friday.<\/p>\n The violent collision has reignited concerns about e-bikes and pedestrian safety, particularly in the iconic Manhattan park.<\/p>\n While cars were banned from Central Park in 2018, e-bikes were officially allowed in the park as of June 2023 under a city pilot program. Technically, it\u2019s still a pilot, with e-bikers supposed to adhere to a 15-mph speed limit.<\/p>\n Since they\u2019re heavier and faster than traditional bikes, when an e-bike hits someone, the impact is worse<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/JOGGER-victim-and-e-bike-down-in-pedestrian-lane-by-Hoon-Chan-Sim-1.jpg\")
The crash scene on Central Park’s West Drive at W. 64th St. on July 7, showing Jean, the jogger, and the cyclist’s e-bike that hit her both lying on the ground in the pedestrian lane that’s used by joggers. (Courtesy of Hoon Chan Sim)<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2154302256.jpg\")
People cycle and run in Central Park in 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n