The mother of a boy seriously injured by an e-bike rider has made a plea to the alleged teen rider’s parents.
Her five-year-old son was allegedly hit by a 13-year-old boy, who is accused of riding off on his e-bike after the playground crash in Sydney’s south in late September.
Nicole Brown said her son was playing with his sisters on the grass at Cooper St Reserve in Engadine when he was allegedly struck by an e-bike that Brown claims had been doing wheelies on the nearby basketball court.
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The five-year-old boy suffered fractures to his tibia and fibia leg bones and was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital.
“Six weeks later, he remains in a wheelchair unable to walk or stand,” Brown said in an open letter to the parents of the alleged rider, posted in a local community group on Facebook.
He will not be able to walk for another four weeks, and any long-term consequences of the injuries are unclear.
“Every morning I have to carry him wherever he needs to go: to the lounge, onto the floor, into his wheelchair and to the toilet,” Brown said.
“I have become his full-time carer, while still trying to meet the needs of our two other children, who are also extremely traumatised by the whole situation.
“Each day is debilitating and my heart goes out to any parent caring for children with disabilities that are in a situation like this permanently.”
Just over a month after the crash, NSW Police said: “A 13-year-old boy was spoken to at Sutherland Police Station. He will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.”
Brown’s open letter addressed the parents of the boy: “I want you to take the time to read this and genuinely understand the impact your decisions have had on our family.
“I do not believe your son deliberately set out to hurt my child. He did, however, ride an e-bike in a place that he should not have been.
“It took five weeks for police to identify your son.
“During that time, he did not come forward, contact police or take responsibility for what had happened and, from what we have been told, did not confide in you what happened.
“It is deeply concerning that he did not feel able to tell you, his own parents, about an incident in which he had seriously injured another child.
“He knew what he did as he stopped and turned to look at my son on the ground screaming before riding off.
“I understand that he is 13 years old and may have panicked or been frightened by what happened. Perhaps that is why he rode away rather than stopping to help or making sure my son was OK.
“However, that response only reinforces the very point I want you to consider: a 13-year-old child is not old enough or responsible enough to be riding an e-bike in public spaces.”
Parents slammed over their reaction
Brown was disappointed with both the decisions and radio silence reaction from the alleged e-bike rider’s parents.
“A 13-year-old does not independently make all the decisions about what vehicles he has access to, what risks he is exposed to or what he is permitted to ride. Those decisions ultimately sit with the adults responsible for him,” she said. “You made the decision to allow your son access to an e-bike. You made the decision to put that responsibility into the hands of a child who, at 13, does not have the maturity, judgement or life experience to fully appreciate the consequences of operating such a vehicle around other people. “It is our five-year-old son who is now living with the consequences.
“While your son received little more than a talking to from police and walks away, with police unable to confiscate or crush his e-bike, my five-year-old son is still unable to walk. “We have also heard nothing from you. There has been no offer of an apology, no acknowledgement of the harm caused, no apparent remorse and no offer of compensation for what your actions have put our family through.”
Bills and trauma for victim’s family
Brown said that her family has had to cancel holidays and let go of tickets for events amid the recovery.
“He is currently home full-time, unable to attend his final term of preschool, his summer sports and so many of the ordinary childhood experiences he should be enjoying as a carefree five-year-old,” Brown said. “But the physical injuries are only part of what your son’s actions have caused.”
Brown said she and her other two children were traumatised by what they witnessed.
“We are all trying to process something that no family should have to experience at a children’s playground. We no longer feel safe going to the park as these e-bikes are everywhere,” she said. “And while we are left dealing with all of this, there is no insurance or compensation available to cover the injuries, to support the ongoing care, rehabilitation, counselling and the enormous disruption this accident has had to our lives, financially, physically and emotionally.”
‘I hope you reflect’
Brown shared her parenting advice and hopes that the alleged rider’s parents might learn from the incident.
“I hope you reflect on why your son did not feel able to come to you when this happened,” she said
“A child making a serious mistake needs guidance, accountability and the opportunity to understand the harm they have caused. Avoiding responsibility does not make the consequences disappear. “I am not writing this because I expect you to undo what has happened. You cannot give my son back these moments of his childhood he has lost, take away the trauma our children have experienced or guarantee that he will make a full recovery. “I do believe you need to understand that your decisions have had a very real impact on another family. This is not just an unfortunate accident that can be brushed aside.
“An innocent five-year-old child was seriously injured and his family has been left to pick up the pieces.”
