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Exclusive: An American tourist who suffered brain injuries after being hit by an e-bike while on holiday in Sydney was later fined by police as he fought for life.
Dad-of-two Rod Maroney, 64, a retired aerospace engineer, was crossing the light rail tracks on George Street in the CBD last September when he was sent flying by the bike, which he didn't see coming.
He needed emergency brain surgery, spent weeks in a coma and is still struggling to recover.
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While he battled to survive in hospital, he was fined $86 by NSW Police.
That's despite riding a bike along the light rail tracks being illegal, Transport for NSW confirmed.
The police fine, which says he was hit with a notice for the offence of "move into rider's path" was put through the door of his wife's Airbnb while he was in hospital, she said.
Barbara Maroney, 61, a semi-retired lawyer, took on a lawyer to contest the fine and said it was withdrawn.
She was interviewed by police at St Vincent's Hospital as her husband of 40 years was undergoing tests.
Then the fine turned up from the officer.
"Him serving me while my husband is in the hospital in a coma was outrageous," she said.
"In the US, that would not be good service of process because my husband never lived at the Airbnb.
"If he really wanted to serve the citation, he should've gone to the hospital and dropped it in my husband's unconscious lap, I guess."
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NSW Police told 9news.com.au that after an investigation, they fined Maroney and hit the cyclist with a fine for "disobeying a no entry sign".
Authorities confirmed riding in that part of George Street is banned.
"E-bikes and bicycles are not allowed to be ridden on the footpath on George Street in front of the Queen Victoria Building and are prohibited in the Light Rail corridor," Transport for NSW said.
City of Sydney Council says online: "You can't ride a bike along George Street between Hunter and Bathurst streets, unless you're accessing a private driveway."
Deadly crash on bucket list holiday
Barbara said the couple was at the start of the "bucket list" trip when the crash happened on September 22.
The pair from Phoenix, Arizona, were crossing the road after dinner to get back to their hotel, The Hilton on George Street around 7.30pm.
The street is traffic-free apart from the light rail.
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Barbara said her husband crossed the road ahead of her by the QVB Light Rail stop.
She said she saw him look for trams but didn't see a "very fast" bike coming.
She shouted three times to try and warn him, but he didn't hear her, she said.
"Right before the bike hit him, I hear the biker yell 'Hey!'" she said.
"I will never forget seeing the collision, and seeing Rod flying through the air."
Maroney, who had been knocked unconscious, was rushed to hospital.
He needed brain surgery and spent two weeks in a coma.
The rider had also been knocked off his bike, didn't appear to be hurt, and remained at the scene, Barbara said.
Lost memories, recovery uncertain
When Maroney woke up, he had lost his short-term memory and regressed to the past.
"He would call the nurses and doctors by the names of people he used to work with," Barbara said.
"He would ask them when they were going to have their part of the airplane project done."
He spent seven weeks in St Vincent's Hospital before he was able to fly home on November 8, with the couple accompanied by two nurses.
He has been left with a bulge on the side of his head from the accident and surgery.
Barbara said he has memory loss, struggles to understand complex sentences, has lost some vision and can't drive.
Doctors don't know how much further he will improve.
"We shed a lot of tears at night together, both of us grieving for our loss of the man he was," Barbara said.
Travel insurance covered most of the medical costs.
Do you have a story? Contact journalist Sarah Swain at [email protected]
Call for crackdown
The couple wants authorities to take action over e-bikes in Sydney.
Barbara said she can't understand why the city isn't cracking down.
"Why is Sydney's council allowing silent, deadly bikes?" she said.
"Given the speed of the bike, Rod could have been killed.
"Why are e-bikes not regulated like vehicles?"
Solicitor Martin Bell, who is acting on behalf of a pregnant woman hit by an e-bike in the same area, called the fine handed to Maroney "bizarre".
He said he has approached Sydney City Council about e-bikes on George Street, which he calls "wholly problematic".
NSW Health does not have figures for the number of people hurt by e-bikes.
However, Victoria has seen a 454 per cent increase in injuries related to e-bikes since 2019, and a 64 per cent increase in the past year, the Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit says.
What are e-bike rules in NSW?
Riders should follow the same road rules as for standard bicycles, Transport for NSW says.
Permitted e-bikes are allowed a combined maximum power output of 200W, cannot be propelled exclusively by the motor/s, must weigh less than 50kg and have a maximum continued rated power of 500W.
The power output must progressively reduce as the bicycle's speed increases beyond 6km/h and cut off when it hits 25km/h or when the rider stops pedalling and the travel speed exceeds 6km/h.
E-bikes should not be ridden "negligently, furiously or recklessly", with fines up to $514 in place.
Police have previously carried out e-bike fining blitzes.
