Motorcyclists chase driver after fender bender

[Dan Diego 40]

I see some DS riders in the mix.

Pack of motorcyclists chase driver, his wife and child in SUV, attack him in upper Manhattan after fender bender on West Side Highway

The man’s Range Rover was surrounded by several bikers on the West Side Highway on Sunday. One biker apparently cut the driver off and slammed on the brakes just before the SUV bumped his rear tire. But when the driver stopped, several bikers began to damage his SUV. Cops are investigating.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/pack-motorcyclists-chase-man-suv-attack-upper-manhattan-street-fender-bender-west-side-highway-article-1.1471585#ixzz2gOSIk3l3

[TrophyHunter 15]

I don't know what happened prior to the guy slamming his brakes on in front of the SUV but this group needs to read up on the "fight or flight" response. A very good example of mob mentality, the horrible results of it and a huge black eye for the motorcycling community.

Get a license plate number, document whatever offense you think happened & call the cops. Vigilante justice, especially assaulting & slashing their face - equals felony.

[ADV Bum 205]

Vigilante justice, especially assaulting & slashing their face - equals felony.

OR DEATH. That guy should of used them as a 4x4 obstacle course. The big "Cow killer" bumper on my truck would of worked wonders. I can understand being upset and following, getting a license plate, but to bash in the windows and trying to force your way into the car = douchebag's!

[Chris in Wildomar 0]

Unreal! I feel bad for the guy and his family. This will forever be etched into their minds.

[dirt dame 561]

I saw this clip elsewhere. A stated above, it was unclear as to exactly what started the whole thing, but the second the guy in the car ran over the bike, he was just asking for for it, like a suicidal move. Not sure what I would have done, but you can bet that I wouldn't want to make a move that would inflame a mob on two wheels (or on foot, or anything else). Maybe call the cops? Or drive to the nearest police station? Not sure. Both parties looked like they used stupid judgement.

[Bubbagums 42]

Poor reporting. I'm still not sure what happened.

[TrophyHunter 15]

Cutting off a vehicle then braking in front of it is illegal. Vandalizing a vehicle is illegal. The real threat of physical violence is just that....real. I'm guessing the driver's fight or flight instinct kicked in and he chose not to risk harm to himself or his family. Putting your motorcycle in front of a vehicle capable of running over it while threatening a family....not smart.

I've seen too many cases of what might seem like a minor attack, one punch, etc - turn into brain damage or death for someone. I'm not sticking around to find out how tough I am against that mob or risk my family and if some of them pay the price for being on my exit route, so be it.

I think staying put would've been suicidal and I would've done what he did. I just never would've left the freeway and got on the phone with the cops. Maybe he thought this mob wouldn't be so brazen in a more public place? Did you notice how some of them stayed behind, blocking the exit ramp so no other vehicles could go up and witness anything? If they were interested in revenge, they would've continued. Instead, they chose to block the exit.

This mobs reaction to whatever "traffic offense" or "perceived "dis" " by the SUV driver was waaaay over the top. They started the ball rolling.

[blakeNY9 0]

Wow, that was a really bad situation.

[Leoffensive 0]

That's why I keep a gun in my truck.

Even with no gun I would have slammed that thing in reverse(flat tires or not) and not let them get to me.

I can't believe that not one single rider or person intervened to help that guy out.

[Yeti 0]

Gosh, and people wonder why motorcyclists get a bad rap? It's idiots like these "Hollwood Stunters." It was pretty clear to me that they set the guy up and when it didn't work out the way they planned, "mob justice" took over.

I'm with Bum and TH, if that had been me with my family, I would have taken off too but not gotten off the freeway and called the cops immediately.

[HVYWT 3]

That is so way out there you could think it is a movie, "Hollywood Stunts" the group/mob.

Like it was said what a Black eye......

[Bubbagums 42]

25 seconds from hitting the bike to fleeing? Why did he hit the bike in the first place? It didn't look like sudden braking to me. The guy in the SUV panics and runs over other bikes and breaks a guys leg? Ouch. What happened in that 25 seconds? Hit and run is a felony. Seems like there is a second side to this story.

[TrophyHunter 15]

Hit and Run with injury is a felony IF you didn't plan on reporting it in a reasonable timeframe. Getting your family injured is reason to leave. He may have been thinking of options for those 25 seconds but when they started beating on his car and who knows...yelling threats..? Time to go.

The initial contact with the bike seemed like a nudge. I can imagine a lot was going through the drivers mind, like "what could I have possibly done to get surrounded by an angry mob?"

As mentioned, a lot of unknowns here.

[blakeNY9 0]

Certainly unknowns on how it all started. No one besides who was right there in the vicinity will probably ever really know and even then there are likely two very different perspectives, that being from outside the vehicle and from inside the vehicle.

Once that group of riders turned into an angry mob of sorts and with my wife and baby in the vehicle, I can't say I would have done anything different from the driver. With the exception of course being not getting off the freeway and only stopping to meet the police.

[Strega 0]

CNN Article:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/us/new-york-bikers-road-rage-video/index.html

[cj54x 51]

serpentine, brake check, and repeat

[Honda90 0]

This is like a scene from a Bronson movie. What a bunch of punks. The dudes who attacked the car should have been shot (would have if it were me with my family).

[tlking6 0]

Does anybody know what was going on there to get every sport bike, dualsport and SM in the area on the road? Was it some kind of protest or something? National hoodlum day?

[ADV Bum 205]

Does anybody know what was going on there to get every sport bike, dualsport and SM in the area on the road? Was it some kind of protest or something? National hoodlum day?

From what I had seen on the news this morning, this group has blocked the streets of NY before to do stunts downtown. The NY police said that this is becoming a growing problem with the motorcycle group harassing vehicles and taking over the roads.

[ShocknAwe 0]

I have a different opinion based upon the video. The bikers were reckless at points, but the only harm they really posed was to themselves, which is common for stunt punks like this. That said, they are just punks. Let them wheelie and speed on. Let speed demons pass and call the cops to nail them down the road for speeding and careless and imprudent driving. One bike slowed down a bit and that Range Rover started ran him over and didn't stop! If someone did that to some DSers I would want to react the same way and beat that Range Rover guy's ass. That was my reaction watching the video. That jerk in the Range Rover paralyzed one of those bikers, broke someone's leg, and should be charged too. The minute he hit one of those bikes he should have pulled over and called police instead of running and hitting again. The way he kept going and running them over made him look bad when all he had to do was slow the f down for a few seconds and let the punks pass. The punks just caused the Rover to slow down a few seconds. The Range Rover could have killed someone, and helped caused paralysis and a broken leg. The bikers posed no real threat to the Range Rover before he hit them. He deserved a couple of black eyes IMO.

ShocknAwe

[Honda90 0]

SNA,

That's not what's being reported. They pulled in front of him causing him to stop. They were in the process of surrounding his car, attacking his doors and tires when he fled. Beyond that, they share the road with everyone else, so it's impossible that they are only endangering themselves. According to a police source, “We had over 200 calls just on Sunday about this particular group operating in a reckless manner."

Dad was right to jet to escape danger; his mistake was in stopping. He should have kept driving while wife talked to 911. The poor guy is paying a heavy price for panicking. (Who could predict such a bizarre scenario?)

The paralyzed rider is paying a heavy price for hanging out with fools. The videos here were from the YouTube account of the guy who filmed the incident. In one video this mob blows at least 4 red lights in a row. In another they split lanes of oncoming traffic. Check it out.

[ADV Bum 205]

The paralyzed dude is screwed. It will be hard for him to sue when he was an accessory to the crimes being committed. I hope his club steps up and takes care of him.

[Oracle 195]

Based on what I saw, I believe the driver was justified in his actions, and any biker that got his ass run over in the process got what he deserved. I think it will be pretty easy for the driver to articulate that he was in fear for himself and his family. He not only has a right, but a duty, to protect his family, especially his 2 year old girl. So, if you ever find yourself in that situation, after you are done shitting yourself, you better do what you have to do to get your family out of there. It's better to be judged by 12, then carried by 6

[TrophyHunter 15]

First class A$$HATS

Too many violations to count. Check the 4th or 5th one where they tie up an intersection getting gas. The "They've done it before" video is pretty telling, too.

[Desertrunner 0]

I'm stilled ticked about this incident. It really is a black eye for the motorcycling community.

I was talking with a coworker from another department at work. Without knowing I ride, he said motorcyclists are @$$holes and specified this incident as proof. He also said he keeps thinking about opening his door on riders when they lane split to teach them a lesson. I reminded him that he would be liable in such a situation, but he said he as good insurance that will cover whatever happens to the rider and he'll just tell the police he didn't see him. He said that with a straight face as if he had thought it over already.

Ride safe everyone. I'm trying to be extra aware of idiots as specified above.