Rider of Illegal Electric Unicycle Badly Injured in Crash with Central Park Bicyclist

The war between the speed of high-powered electric vehicles and the more measured human-powered pace of bicyclists and pedestrians has claimed another victim, and left the operator of an illegal e-vehicle hospitalized.

The incident occurred in Central Park on Monday, June 30, at around 4:30pm, on West Drive, near West 60th Street, when the electric unicycle somehow hit the bicyclist, while both vehicles were traveling south on West Drive.

The location of the incident is also the approach to and from Columbus Circle. As such, it’s highly trafficked, including tourists on foot and pedicabs. Although West Drive is ostensibly one-way, its unpredictable congestion makes it the last place in Central Park anyone should be speeding.

The name of the 40-year-male rider of the electric unicycle—a vehicle that is not legal to operate in New York City—has not been released but he was taken to Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical but stable condition, according to police.

Manufactured by companies including Begode and Inmotion, depending on the model, an electric unicycle can travel from a slow walking pace to over 40 miles per hour. While such vehicles may have utilitarian uses, both companies highlight their thrill and adventure capabilities.

Although electric unicycles are self-balancing, their direction and speed are controlled by the operator: lean slightly forward and the vehicle accelerates; leaning back it slows down.

The bicyclist—using regular pedal power—who was allegedly struck by the unicycle is Carolyn Backus, 30. Backus’s name is known because NYPD, when investigating the incident, released a surveillance photo of her.

When Backus subsequently turned herself in to the Central Park Precinct, she was charged with leaving the scene of an accident—which was in error, and the charge was dismissed by the Manhattan DA.

“Carolyn Backus was operating a non-motorized and non-electric bicycle, and the charge only applies to those operating motor vehicles,” said spokesperson M’Niyah Lynn. “She also remained on scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person.”

It is believed that Backus posted her account of the accident on the /NYCBike Reddit forum before NYPD was looking for her:

“Basically I was riding that Central Park loop that we all love a few hours ago with my partner. I was about to turn off to get on Columbus Circle when I heard this horrific zooming noise in my ear and I was suddenly thrown backwards off my bike. Next thing I know, my partner is holding me up and a lovely cyclist (maybe one of you!) stopped and asked me a few questions to ensure I was ok. It was very, very scary but I came away totally fine, just shocked and a bruised tailbone.”

The account continued: “The guy on the one wheel however did not seem so lucky. He was going incredibly fast and not wearing a helmet. I don’t want to get too graphic, but he was in very, very bad shape. Fortunately, the ambulance got there pretty quickly and a lot of people stopped to help him as best they could. I am hoping and praying that he wakes up tomorrow.”

(Technically, a “one wheel” is a different, also illegal in NYC, type of electric vehicle that looks like a skateboard with a giant wheel in the middle.)

Another /NYCBike poster, Revolutionary Gene, corroborated this account:

“My husband and I were riding our e-bikes when the incident happened. He was just ahead of me and passed by at full speed. I was alert and stayed in my lane when I suddenly heard a noise close by—someone was passing. It turned out to be a man on a unicycle, riding extremely fast and recklessly.

“Within seconds, he sped past me and then crashed—there was a loud noise as he hit the e-bike ahead. He fell and hit his head hard. There was blood everywhere. Thankfully, a nurse nearby rushed to help and immediately began CPR. He was unconscious and appeared to have lost control of his bodily functions. It was a horrific accident to witness, but huge respect and gratitude to the nurse for acting so quickly and keeping calm under pressure.

“I called the number provided to report the incident because I’ve been seeing news reports falsely claiming the girl involved fled the scene. That’s not true. She was clearly shaken and likely in shock—she fell badly, possibly injuring her spine, and remained at the scene for some time, likely trying to process what had happened. From what I saw, I think she stayed until the ambulance arrived.”