Adam Peck, 49, was hit by an e-bike while walking to his job at Illinois State University on September 26, 2022, and died four days later in hospital
A heartbroken widow is calling for tighter controls on e-bikes following the tragic death of her husband, who eerily foretold his own demise in a similar incident just days before.
Adam Peck, 49, was struck by an e-bike while en route to his job at Illinois State University on 26 September 2022. The e-bike, capable of hitting speeds up to 22mph, collided with him on the pavement, where riding these vehicles is illegal in Illinois.
He was swiftly taken to Carle BroMenn Medical Centre and underwent several surgeries, but sadly succumbed to his injuries on 30 September 2022. This comes as news breaks of a cruel mother and her murderous partner killing her 9 year old son in the bath. The news emerges as tube strike chaos arrives in London as RMT members walk out as travel alert issued for weeklong disruption.
In the week leading up to his premature death, Adam had two near misses with e-bikes close to the spot where he was eventually hit, and had ominously told his wife, Michele Peck, 48, that he feared he would be killed by one.
Michele, an account executive from Bloomington, Illinois, is now leading a campaign for stricter laws, arguing that the current state regulations do not offer enough protection for pedestrians. She alleges that enforcement is inconsistent and signage is insufficient, resulting in riders frequently using e-bikes in restricted areas, according to Mirror US, reports the Mirror.
“I think they need to be regulated in a way that identifies them as vehicles,” Michele declared. “They need to follow the rules of the road. They are currently classified as bicycles. There is zero protection for pedestrians if you are in a collision. This bike did not go more than 22mph, and Adam did not survive it. You wouldn’t think a bike would kill you, but it does.”
Michele recalled the devastating phone call from the police chief whilst she was driving her daughter to a therapy appointment.
By the time she reached the university, Adam had already been rushed to hospital.
“My first priority was to make sure my daughter did not see what was happening,” she explained. “When I got there, I wanted to know the facts. I did finally get to see him; he was unconscious. I squeezed his hand and told him I was there.”
Adam endured multiple operations, including surgery to reduce swelling on his brain.
Four days after the crash, doctors confirmed he was brain dead.
Michele faced the agonising choice to switch off life support once his organs had been donated.
“Everything was horrifying,” she revealed. “We had a very rich and full life. But we were about to enter that chapter as empty nesters where we could be together again, and we kind of missed all that.”
At the time of Adam’s tragic passing, Illinois law only categorised e-bikes with motor assistance over 28mph as vehicles.
As the e-bike that struck him didn’t exceed this limit, Michele was unable to claim accidental death insurance through their motor vehicle policy.
“People who are used to operating a bicycle jump on an e-bike and don’t realise their braking distance has to expand because they’re moving faster on a heavier vehicle,” she explained.
On 1 August 2025, Illinois expanded its definition of bicycles to encompass e-bikes capable of speeds up to 30mph. However, Michele feels this amendment doesn’t go far enough.
“I think this new law is super dangerous because you can kill somebody going at 20mph,” she expressed. “You have to drive 20mph in a school zone if you’re in a car. There’s no restriction if you’re on an e-bike. Labelling them as bicycles only lessens protections for pedestrians and boosts protections for insurance companies, because they don’t have to pay with this clarified definition.”
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