US Online Influencer Penalized After Large-Scale E-Bike Gathering on Sydney Harbour Bridge

New South Wales police have levied a penalty against an American social media personality and handed out two traffic infringement notices for alleged reckless operation following a large group of e-bike riders converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on Tuesday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 individuals riding e-bikes and motorcycles proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The assembly then turned around and traveled through the downtown area and a nearby district.

"There was potential for serious injury or fatalities," stated NSW police assistant commissioner David Driver on Wednesday.

Police said they did not chase right away the riders due to safety concerns but instead located the assembly at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, at which point they broke up.

Penalties Issued for Content Creator

Later in the week, police stated they had issued the American online personality known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (not involving death or prior injury), carrying a fine of $562 and three demerit points per notice, connected to the bridge incident. They added that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer is said to have more than 3.4 million followers on YouTube and over 1.2m on Instagram.

Creator's Response

The content creator gave comments to a local publication this week after the incident spread rapidly on digital platforms, saying he regretted giving "the biking community" a bad reputation.

"I accept the blame. That was one of the safest gatherings I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, and I intend to come here respecting the laws and norms of the city. When I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to greet people under the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we ended up on the bridge and I had a decision to make: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and comes back, an illegal act. Or we turn around, basically, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

Broader Context on Electric Bike Rules

The increase of electric bicycles on roads nationwide has prompted growing calls for stricter rules. A senior government official, Mark Butler, commented that illegal ebikes were a "complete hazard on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the injuries that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are absolutely devastating," he said. "We must make sure we stop these things coming into the country [and] officers are given the authority to take strong action, to confiscate them, to crush them, to dispose of them."

The state reported 226 injuries associated with ebikes in 2024. But, in the first seven months of the following year, that number surged to two hundred thirty-three injuries plus four deaths.