‘One of a kind’: Bride-to-be killed while riding e-scooter in Lithgow

A recently engaged Jessie Van Der Draay, 32, was riding home on an electric scooter when she was involved in a deadly crash in Lithgow.

A bride-to-be described as ‘one of a kind’ was killed in an horrific crash while riding an e-scooter.

Jessie Van Der Draay, 32, stood no chance when the electric scooter she was riding crossed in front of a utility at Lithgow, west of the Blue Mountains.

The tragedy comes just days after it was revealed road safety experts advised the NSW Government that e-scooters should be limited to 10km/h on shared pathways.

A recently engaged Ms Van Der Draay was riding towards her home on February 28 when she collided with the ute at the intersection of the Great Western Highway and Lee Street, just after 5pm.

Jessie Van Der Draay, 32, who was killed while riding an e-scooter in Lithgow on Friday. Picture Facebook

Despite the desperate efforts of witnesses who ran to her aid, followed by paramedics who worked for more than an hour to save Ms Van Der Draay, she died at the scene.

Her heartbroken fiance Kayla Bunting wrote simply on social media: “Absolutely lost without you.”

She said Ms Van Der Draay, who worked for a refrigeration and air-conditioning company, was ‘one of a kind who cannot be replaced’.

“Jessie was, and is, loved and respected by many people … she always was there to help anyone who asked,” Ms Bunting said.

“There was rarely a time you’d see Jessie without tools in her hands or building something new that she’s thought of. She was a woman of many talents.”

A local resident who helped direct traffic around the horror crash scene praised the work of State Emergency Service volunteers who gave CPR until paramedics arrived.

“The first responders did all they could. They weren’t giving up easily, they were trying for over an hour. It is heartbreaking,” Krystal Jade said.

Electric scooter generic. Picture: iStock/bortnikau

Police said the driver of the ute, a 44-year-old man, was taken to hospital for mandatory blood and alcohol testing.

The Daily Telegraph revealed last week a series of emails where the NSW Centre of Road Safety recommended e-scooters be limited to a maximum speed of 10km/h on shared pathways, yet Transport for NSW is considering a 20km/h limit.

While riding e-scooters on public streets is currently illegal in NSW, the Minns government last year announced they would regulate and legalise the transport, and has been conducting a series of trials across the state.

In a separate crash, a man in his 30s remains in a critical condition in hospital after being hit by a car while riding an e-scooter in Sydney’s south west last Monday.

The rider suffered massive head injuries when he was struck on Canterbury Rd at Belmore, just after midday.