Member of the Royal Australian Navy is fighting for life after crashing an e-bike in Sydney’s eastern suburbs

First responders arrived at a haunting scene after an e-bike crash that left a young Adelaide navy officer fighting for life. Picture: 9News

Wade Franks, 28, was returning from a night out with friends to the naval training academy HMAS Watson when he crashed on a steep and winding road. Picture: NINE NEWS

A voice calling out from a mobile phone startled passers-by as they came across an e-bike crash that has left a young sailor in hospital with serious head injuries.

Wade Franks, 28, from Adelaide, was returning from a night out with friends to the naval training academy HMAS Watson in Sydney’s eastern suburbs around 1.30am on Sunday when he crashed on a steep and winding road.

A member of the Royal Australian Navy is fighting for life after crashing an e-bike in the eastern suburbs.

It's believed the 28-year-old sailor had been out with friends and was riding back to the Navy's training academy when he lost control. @hayleyefrancis#9Newspic.twitter.com/FMhEPZpjmL

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) September 24, 2023

Brian and Sandy Monkhouse heard a “loud scraping noise” then saw a figure lying on the ground — but then were startled to hear a female voice calling “hello, hello?”

“His phone was on the handlebars,” Mr Monkhouse told 9News, and the voice was a young woman he had been talking to before he lost control.

Wade Franks suffered critical injuries in the crash. Picture: 9 News

Sandy and Brian Monkhouse called for help. Picture: 9 News

Sandy and Brian Monkhouse came to the rescue of Wade Franks, a sailor who crashed on an E-bike. Picture: 9 News

The couple tended to Mr Franks, who was drifting in and out of consciousness until paramedics arrived.

“He was very, very clammy and cool,” Mrs Monkhouse said.

He was taken to hospital with critical injuries.

The safety of e-bikes and e-scooters has been under the spotlight in recent years, with an Adelaide University lecturer struck and severely injured by a Lime e-scooter rider in Melbourne in 2022. 

Dr Julia Miller suffered a broken right shoulder and elbow, sprained her left ankle and had a haematoma in her right ankle that developed necrosis.

At the time, Dr Miller’s lawyer Nick Mann, of Polaris Lawyers, said taking legal action against e-scooter companies was difficult in Australia, with heavily limited liabilities.

Originally published as Member of the Royal Australian Navy is fighting for life after crashing an e-bike in Sydney’s eastern suburbs