Charges against Carolyn Backus have been dropped.
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The woman arrested earlier this week after colliding with a unicyclist while riding her bike in Central Park is no longer facing charges. The Manhattan DA’s office has determined she never fled the scene, and that the charge does not apply to her situation.
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On Wednesday, 30-year-old Carolyn Backus was arrested on charges of Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Serious Injury. The crash took place on Monday, June 30 at about 4:30 p.m. near 60th and West Drive, when a 40-year-old man riding an electric unicycle collided with Backus, who was on a bicycle. The man was left in critical condition. We reached out to the NYPD for an update on his status but they had nothing to report at this time.
The NYPD initially said that Backus left the scene without waiting for police. However, the DA’s office later told Streetsblog that she actually stayed at the scene for approximately 45 minutes—long enough to speak with witnesses and wait for paramedics.
“Carolyn Backus was operating a non-motorized and non-electric bicycle, and the charge only applies to those operating motor vehicles,” Manhattan DA spokesperson M’Niyah Lynn told Streetsblog. “She also remained on scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person.”
As a result, the case against Backus was dropped.
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Shortly after the crash, a Reddit user believed to be Backus described an identical sounding incident. The user described being thrown off her bike after hearing a “horrific zooming noise.” They also said that the unicyclist “was going incredibly fast and not wearing a helmet,” and that they had walked away with a bruised tailbone but the man’s condition was “very, very bad.” The post also included a note about the ambulance arriving quickly.
ILTUWS first reported on the Reddit post after being tipped off by a reader. At the time, the NYPD told us Backus “appears” to have turned herself in but could not confirm that definitively. Police also said she had not waited at the scene—an account now contradicted by the DA’s findings.
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Oh, I thought ILTUWS had looked into the accusation before posting. My bad. /s
Several times during the Helen Rosenthal Dist. 6 era, I asked her City Council office if electric unicycles were legal. Never did get a response. Haven’t asked Brewer in her current incarnation as Council Member of Dist. 6.