'My husband was killed by an e-bike just days after he told me they'd kill him'

A grieving widow is demanding stricter regulations on e-bikes after her husband was tragically killed in a collision with one, just days after he chillingly predicted his own death in such a manner.

Adam Peck, 49, was hit by an e-bike while walking to his job atIllinois State University on 26 September 2022. The e-bike, capable of reaching speeds up to 22mph, struck him on the pavement, where it's illegal to ride these machines in Illinois.

He was rushed to Carle BroMenn Medical Centre and underwent several operations, but sadly passed away on 30 September 2022. The news comes as a vicious mum and her murderous boyfriend killed her 9-year-old son in the bath.

In the week leading up to his untimely death, Adam had two close shaves with e-bikes near 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.

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Michele, an account executive from Bloomington, Illinois, is now spearheading a campaign for tougher laws, arguing that the existing state regulations fail to provide sufficient protection for pedestrians. She claims enforcement is patchy and signage is inadequate, resulting in riders frequently using e-bikes in prohibited areas, reports the Mirror US.

"I think they need to be regulated in a way that identifies them as vehicles," Michele stated. "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 remembered the chilling phone call from the police chief while she was driving her daughter to a therapy session. By the time she arrived at the university, Adam had already been whisked away to hospital.

"My first priority was to make sure my daughter did not see what was happening," she said. "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 underwent several surgeries, including procedures to alleviate pressure on his brain. Four days post-crash, he was declared brain dead.

Michele made the heart-wrenching decision to turn off life support after his organs were donated.

"Everything was horrifying," she said. "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 death, Illinois law only classified e-bikes with motor assistance over 28mph as vehicles. Because the e-bike that hit him did not exceed that threshold, 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 said.

On August 1, 2025, Illinois broadened its definition of bicycles to include e-bikes capable of speeds up to 30mph. However, Michele believes this change doesn't go far enough.

"I think this new law is super dangerous because you can kill somebody going at 20mph," she said. "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. Calling them bicycles only diminishes protections for pedestrians and increases protections for insurance companies, because they don't have to pay with this clarified definition."