E-bike rider who knocked down pensioner is chased down by hero bystanders

An e-bike rider was caught red-handed after crashing into a woman and leaving her bleeding on the road.

Grandmother Margaret Scaldwell was left fighting for her life after ex-footballer Kian Monks, 22, crashed into her in Wigan as she was crossing the road.

Ms Scaldwell was in a coma for weeks with life-changing injuries after Monks sped at her with a powerful electric dirt bike on August 1, 2023.

Monks, then aged 19 and who only had a provisional licence, was caught by an angry mob that chased after the bloodied rider as he cowered in a nearby alleyway.

He has now been given a 22-month prison sentence at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to a host of driving offences, including failing to stop at the scene to help Ms Scaldwell.

Ms Scaldwell, then in her 60s, said the crash left her ‘no longer living’ and she is ‘just existing’ after the crash robbed her of being an ‘independent lady who always had a smile on my face.’

Following the crash, she struggles to eat as she lost her teeth and has to sleep in her lounge downstairs as she cannot climb stairs.

The crash happened as the ex-Wigan Athletic player sped through Orell Road with a Talaria Sting electric motorbike with a friend sitting behind him.

He was speeding at 40mph in a 30mph zone.

CCTV footage shows Ms Scaldwell suddenly stopping in her tracks as she is about to cross the residential road.

But the speed of the e-bike left her no chance to escape from the head-on crash.

The grandmother was sent flying through the air for several metres and hit her head on the pavement.

Ms Scaldwell broke her leg, bones in both arms and her pelvis, and had several broken ribs and suffered severe facial injuries.

Monks and his friend, Joel Pilling, fled the scene, but bystanders chased Monks and began filming him.

He is seen leaning against the wall without his shoes with blood pouring down his face as the bystanders surround and restrain him.

He says before getting up and trying to leave: ‘I wasn’t driving, it wasn’t me. I’ve hit my head. I’ve hurt my head and my jaw.’

Pilling, who was 20 at the time and owned the bike but had no licence, later turned himself in at a police station.

Ms Scaldwell said in a statement after the sentencing: ‘These men’s selfishness have ruined my life.

‘Before the collision I was an independent lady and always had a smile on my face.

‘Now my life is dehumanising, reduced to a long list of hospital appointments with no end in sight and I can no longer walk wash or feed myself.

‘No sentence will bring back my health. But I will not let them beat me as I am determined to recover the best I can.’

Monks was jailed for two years and three months over causing serious injury by dangerous driving, dangerous driving and driving with no licence or insurance.

He was banned from driving for four years, and he was also found guilty of failing to stop at the scene, failing to report a crash and failing to provide a specimen following a serious collision.

Pilling was given a 22-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for causing serious injury by dangerous driving, dangerous driving, and driving with no licence or insurance.

He was also ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work and banned from behind the wheel for two years.

Detective Constable Steve Pennington from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: ‘This was a shocking incident where two individuals recklessly rode an e-bike through one of Wigan’s busiest areas with complete disregard for public safety.

‘Their dangerous driving resulted in a horrific collision with a grandmother who was simply crossing the road. She suffered life-changing injuries and spent weeks in a coma – it’s nothing short of miraculous that she survived.

‘This incident highlights the severe consequences of operating e-bikes illegally on our roads. These aren’t toys – they’re powerful vehicles that require proper licensing, safety equipment, and responsible handling.

‘Riding without these essentials isn’t just breaking the law, it’s putting lives at risk.’

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