A 16 year old girl is in a critical but stable condition after being hit by an e-bike while walking on Shellharbour Road, near Sunset Avenue, at Barrack Heights south of Wollongong, at about 10:50pm on Sunday 4 October. ABC Illawarra reported that paramedics treated her at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in Sydney.
NSW Police say two e-bikes were in the area at the time. One rider left without stopping to help, and police are searching for him. The other rider, a 35 year old man, stayed at the scene and was arrested. Police allege a breath test returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.135, and that he returned a positive result for cocaine and methylamphetamine; the samples will undergo further analysis. His e-bike was seized for forensic testing. NSW Police have since clarified that no one has been charged over the incident.
Southern Region Assistant Commissioner Stephen Hegarty asked anyone with dash cam footage or information to contact Lake Illawarra Police, Oak Flats Police Station or Crime Stoppers, and urged the rider who left to come forward.
A run of e-bike injuries in the region
The crash is the latest in a string of incidents south of Sydney. ABC News reported that a five year old was hospitalised after being hit by an e-bike in Engadine last week, days after former ABC presenter Margaret Throsby, 84, was injured on an Illawarra shared path. The Sydney Children's Hospital Network has also reported that child presentations for e-bike and e-scooter injuries have quadrupled since 2023.
Assistant Commissioner Hegarty said e-bike accidents were becoming a concern for police and that the community was asking police to be more involved. He said the speed and manner of riding meant it was getting to a point where police may have to take more serious action, and that police would be looking more closely at the compliance of bikes and the way they are ridden. NSW Police have confirmed 36 e-bikes seized statewide since the new seizure laws began in August. The ABC understands no bikes were seized in a late September Illawarra operation, which ended in several fines and youth warnings.
What it means for riders
Expect more checks in the Illawarra, on both the bike and the rider. Police have said they will look at compliance as well as behaviour, and NSW police can now test, seize and destroy non compliant bikes without a court order.
- Drink and drug riding: the road rules that apply to bicycle riders apply on an e-bike, and police are breath testing riders
- If you are involved in a crash, stop, help and stay at the scene; leaving someone injured is a serious matter for any road user
- Ride at walking pace around pedestrians, especially at night and on roads without a separate path
- Make sure the bike is legal: in NSW that means no more than 500 watts continuous power, assistance cutting out at 25 km/h and a throttle limited to 6 km/h
- Use lights front and rear after dark, and wear a helmet
Sources
- ABC News, e-biker allegedly tests positive for alcohol and drugs after 16yo critically injured in crash (5 October 2026, updated 6 October 2026)
- ABC News, NSW government ramps up illegal e-bike crackdown under new seizure laws (1 October 2026)
Details of the crash, the injuries, the alleged test results, the search for the second rider, Assistant Commissioner Hegarty's comments, the Engadine incident and the seizure figures are as reported by ABC News on 5 October 2026, including its editor's note of 6 October that no charges have been laid. The NSW e-bike power and speed limits are as reported by ABC News on 1 October 2026. The hero photo is an ABC file image of e-bikes and does not show the crash or anyone involved.