christ0ph

I just read this NYC story. It strikes me as just incredible that this guy would not stop.

"Driver Hits Cyclist In Bike Lane And Keeps Going As Victim Clings To Front Of Van"
https://gothamist.com/2013/03/19/driv...ke_lane_an.php


John Kelly is lucky. Lucky that he wasn't seriously injured when a van struck him (twice) while he was riding his bike home in Astoria, lucky that the van's windshield wipers didn't give out as he clung to them while the vehicle kept moving, and lucky that at least four people witnessed the whole thing. "I'm just astounded," Kelly says. "[The driver] just stared at me the whole time I was hanging on the hood and shouting. He just had this angry look on his face. It was really disconcerting."



This is a picture in the story of the van..

unterhausen

pretty shocking the cops wouldn't go after the guy

Matariki

What is wrong with people? What part of modern life is sucking away their humanity?

unterhausen

this seems like a good case for crowd-sourced justice, and I don't really mean mob rule

Burton

And what exactly are the police doing thats so much more important that they don't think going after this guy is 'worth their while'?

unterhausen

there is a police report, so going after insurance shouldn't be a horrible problem. But yeah, this does seem to rise to the level that something should be done about this driver. He probably will act out again, and it could easily be fatal. And if they don't cough up the driver, obstruction of justice charges could be brought. Since there are witnesses, it doesn't seem that hard

Chris516

Has anyone ever written NYPD Comm. Ray Kelly, and NYPD Police Chief Joseph Esposito about the disparity?

CB HI

There was once a day when I was willing to risk my life to save a cop. There are several police departments now, that if I see one of those cops in trouble, the will not get my help.

This is an example of a guy that someday will seriously hurt or kill someone. If the cops who are payed by us to do the job, are unwilling to help stop him, then let it be a cop he kills. Harsh yes, but I am tied of these guys refusing to even try doing their job.

ratdog

THe police bear the brunt of the blame for being the most visable for this disgusting attitude, but what is little known is the Mayor and the Police Commisioner have quietly instituted a policy to downgrade crimes so that their statistics look better. This is but one of the examples where inactivity by them will lead to no charges filed and hence better crime statistics.

LeTigre

While [fixing crime statistics] is obviously morally reprehensible, this would only make sense IF these incidents weren't so public and publicized. What do they gain doing nothing about this?

I feel as if the public at large "gains" worse and worse drivers by letting these incidents go without real consequences.

contango 

Better crime statistics for a time perhaps, but if the police don't do something about crime over and above brushing it under the carpet it can only be a question of time before there's a rise in vigilante justice, in which case statistics for assault and worse can only rise.

Essex

It's a bit of an odd article. Cops would certainly go after the company and the driver of the van. It's their legal / professional obligation to do so and the consequences for not following up would be very time consuming in a court of law.

Additionally, NYC is a rather bizarre and angry place. For the most part it's a dog-eat-dog mentality. And if you stay long enough in the bowels of everyday living in this rat race it permeates your personality and polarizes your perspective on the world. This ****can of a van driver probably lives under a fair amount of duress, stays in a angry mental state most of the time, medicates with some unknown substance and gives a toss about others unless it concerns his wallet, comfort or immediate security.

The cops will come a knocking and it probably wouldn't be a huge surprise to know that this guy has a prior criminal record. Seriously, anyone driving forward with someone clinging to their windshield is a psychologically-defective human being.

On a side note - the first week I arrived in NYC I walked by Grand Central Station. Some business (angry) guy shoves a normal guy and a fist fight ensues. They punch each other for a good 15 seconds. People gather in a circle to watch. I alone break up the fight. The business guy gets a bloody mouth. And both go on their way. One guy who was watching tells me - "why'd you break it up?" Seriously - sick **** goes down in this place.

ratdog

I agree a lot of sick crap happens in NYC, but there's also a lot of good things that go on in NYC that go unmentioned because people only remember the horrific.

ratdog

As far as the person that got hit by the van, I'm sure if he got press coverage or got the local bicycle advocacy groups to make noise to the mayor's office, something would be done. It would be a terrible legacy for Bloomberg to back all the construction of bike lanes just to have people drive into a bike lane with the sole purpose of trying to run a bicyclist over. Imagine the irony that would be and how the papers would run with it. He would have to do something even though they are trying to quash crime statistics.

K'Tesh

Since there's a clear photo of the van involved, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they get a whole lot of new calls.

"Hey my Heater/AC is acting up..."
"Be right there..."

Ding Dong... "Here to fix your Heater/AC"
"We didn't call you for our Heater/AC... Get the F-out!"

Meanwhile.. Pop-Pop-Hiss-Hiss... two flat tires.

kmv2

personal motorised vehicles?

Essex

This can be true on occasion. However, on a personal statistic - more mean stuff goes down on a daily basis vs. good things. Hence, we get twisted stuff like this. And personal accountability for one's actions is not high. On many occasions I have to ride the subway / local roads and sometimes the prevailing conditions act as a incubator for hostile acts. I say this because I used to live in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Davis Ca and the % of seeing sick stuff was low and hot stuff like fights, nasty words, shoving, spitting, copping a feel, gangs etc. were rarities. That said - this is a apples to oranges comparison.

I am sure the cops will go after the guy. Because it is assault and battery + deadly weapon. At the very least - the victim should be calling a lawyer to get some recompense from the owner of the van/business.

dynodonn 

If this happened to one of NYPD's own officers, I seriously doubt that any of the department heads would hold the same attitude being shown the cyclist.

Another nail to be driven in NYPD's ranking in it's relationship with NYC cyclists.

vol

"the police said my best option was to try and sue the owner of the van to pay for the property damage, but that may cost more than the bike is worth."

That's a common problem: lawsuit expense and the time consuming-process are major deterrents to many victims pursuing the cases, especially when they were told they are not likely to win. So police attitude is very important. Unless they become high-profiles (hopefully this one does).

Occasionally I encountered drivers who apparently deliberately move to pass me by an inch (when there was ample space for them on the opposite side), then move back to their lane. If this were nighttime, I could explain it away by thinking they were curious about the lights I was using, but this happened in daytime. (These were in NYC, too.)

Essex

There is always small claims court NYC. This rider can also consult with a ambulance-chaser lawyer and they are typically good at determining whether or not there is case. And a suitable financial outcome for both. The consult is usually free.

One thing is for sure- you do nothing in a reasonable amount of time you get squat. A medical report, police report, pictures and affidavits from witnesses help.