WATCH: Bystanders, police lift Volkswagen off woman pinned underneath after dramatic e-bike crash
Bystanders and police officers in Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, worked together to lift a Volkswagen Beetle off a 44-year-old woman who became trapped beneath it after crashing her e-bike into the car on Monday morning. The rescue, captured on body camera and surveillance footage, saw around six members of the public join officers in freeing the woman, who survived with multiple broken bones despite the severity of the collision.
Police Chief Dave Madonna said the woman had been riding her e-bike at over 20mph without a helmet when she struck the Volkswagen at a junction on Route 420, apparently while attempting to overtake traffic on her way to an appointment. She was taken to Lankenau Hospital, where she underwent surgery for a broken collarbone among other injuries. The Volkswagen's driver will not face charges, while the e-bike rider could receive a traffic citation once the investigation concludes; Madonna also used the incident to raise wider concerns about a rise in e-bike-related crashes.
- Bystanders and police freed woman trapped under car after e-bike crash
- She suffered a broken collarbone and other injuries, but survived
- Police say she was speeding on e-bike without a helmet
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E-bikes are bicycles with an electric motor that can help riders travel faster or with less effort. They share roads and junctions with cars, where speed, visibility and traffic manoeuvres can affect how safely people pass one another.
Prospect Park is in Pennsylvania, in the United States. Police Chief Dave Madonna said the woman was riding above 20mph and without a helmet when she collided with a Volkswagen; police are investigating the circumstances, and the driver is not facing charges.
The crash has also drawn attention to concerns about e-bike safety. How e-bikes are used alongside other traffic matters to riders, drivers and local authorities considering road safety.