A woman in her late 60s has described how she was left with life-changing injuries after being struck by a child riding a Lime electric bike in central London three years ago. Jane Ouartsi suffered a fractured collarbone, two spinal fractures, and a broken femur that required three operations. She spent 36 days in hospital and 18 months learning to walk again.
The incident occurred in early August 2021 as Ouartsi walked across a pedestrianised square with her partner, Dave Mathias. CCTV footage shows a rider, estimated to be around 10 years old, speeding across the empty square and knocking her over. The clip went viral last week, sparking renewed scrutiny of Lime's safety measures.
Despite the severity of her injuries, Lime has not paid compensation to the couple. Mathias said he has repeatedly tried to persuade the company to acknowledge the consequences of the crash, but without success. Ouartsi now relies on a walking stick and is terrified of falling, while Mathias had to take extended leave from work to care for her.
Hospital staff told Ouartsi that e-bike injuries are becoming increasingly common, placing a drain on resources. She is calling for Lime to rethink the weight and speed of its bicycles and impose stricter penalties for irresponsible riding. “I honestly don’t know how I survived,” she said. “I was a broken china doll.”
