Range Rover vs bikers - Who's right, who's wrong?

[Neil]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...ver-chase?lite A clash between a pack of motorcyclists and a Range Rover on a Manhattan highway — which triggered a harrowing chase caught on a viral video — has left one biker facing charges and a second in critical condition. Edwin "Jay" Mieses, 32, could be paralyzed after being run over during the chaos, a relative said. “He was an innocent bystander,” Mieses’ aunt, Delilah Domenech, told NBC News on Tuesday, saying her nephew was checking on another motorcyclist when he was struck by the panicked motorist. Seems something happened, surrounded the guy in the Range Rover, and he bolted, OVER, the bikers in the way. TBH, if I have a wife/partner and toddler in the car, and was surrounded by dozens of angry men (who used knives at least later on), would I hang around? Suspect not! What's your take? With 20-20 hindsight he should have just driven along the freeway at 10-20mph until the police turned up, and not gone into town into a traffic jam.

[MinionZombie]

Interesting that the video cuts off just seconds after those two bikers attack the vehicle. Was that deliberate or accidental? Digging into the article itself: One biker, identified by police as Christopher Cruz, 23, of New Jersey, slowed down right in front of the SUV and gestured at Lien, who clipped the motorcycle, the video shows. The group of riders then surrounded Lien's vehicle. "They take their helmets and start to dent his car, and apparently his tires are slashed there with a knife," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. ... Police said the gang pulled Lien out of the car and assaulted him in front of his wife and child, slashing his face and chest. Cruz, who was also injured, was charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and endangering the welfare of a child for his actions on the road, officials told NBC New York. "This man with a Range Rover and luxury lifestyle — it's OK for him to do something to someone because he rides a bike or has tattoos?" she said. She said she didn't know if the driver should be charged. "But it should be acknowledged that what he did was wrong," she said. "He had many other options but he chose the violent one." So might it all be because that one biker deliberately slowed down right in front of the 4x4? The 4x4 could have slowed down earlier to maintain more distance prior to the bike braking suddenly, but either way it's all rather sudden, and there's a lot of distraction going on on all sides - even for the bikers themselves. I'd imagine being surrounded by a pack of bikers (or a pack of anybody), who then attack your car, would be bloody terrifying - you can't really tell from the video what's going on before the car makes the escape from the surrounding bikers. I don't see what him having a Range Rover has to do with it, nor his personal finances (do we know he's rich, and even then that has no bearing on the situation in this video). So, a silly intimidation of a driver for a joke that gets very out of hand? We've not got the entire story here, so we'll have to see how it plays out, but the video doesn't look good in all regards.

[shootemindehead]

What are these f*ckin idiots doing clogging up the bloody road anyway? Fools.

[AcesandEights]

Hello, West Side Highway! God, I hate motorcyclists... It's even worse when they get in this congested city traffic and basically follow their own rules. I haven't really seen big groups like this in the city, but I don't go often enough. That said, the things these guys do on bikes, at high speed in the midst of traffic is often crazy. I don't know that I can blame the guy in the SUV. I'd say more, but the right and wrong is all based on circumstances none of us are fully privy to...that said, these motorcyclists never should have been rallying the way they were, nor blocking traffic and helping facilitate the members who wanted to make the altercation physical. The woman decrying how her child was run over and is a victim doesn't seem to realize he put himself in a foolish and criminal position.

[Neil]

Would love to know if anything preceeded this? But at 27s it looks like a biker right in front of the left corner of the Land Rover looks the wrong way, and slows down, and there's an audible crunch sound. Infact I'll swear in the last instant you can see the Land Rover at this moment, the bonnet ducks down as if he's breaking!? Maybe this is the beginning of it all? With this cyclist being knocked over? A group of angry guys threatening to break into your car... So flee!? And everything that driver does is then defensive! He drives at a constant speed. Doesn't swerve into cyclists clearly trying to 'threaten him' while driving along!? Indeed he even stops... and then only flees again when someone tries to break into is car. In my opinion, the event are unfortunate, but the Land Rover isn't to blame. The bikers could have left the matter at any point...

[AcesandEights]

In my opinion, the event are unfortunate, but the Land Rover isn't to blame. The bikers could have left the matter at any point... Exactly! You don't crowd the lane, then break check an SUV with no distance...at every step the bikers were doing what they shouldn't, breaking the law and putting people at risk at every step. And that's all before the real aggression even kicked off. - - - Updated - - - And everything that driver does is then defensive! He drives at a constant speed. Doesn't swerve into cyclists clearly trying to 'threaten him' while driving along!? Indeed he even stops... and then only flees again when someone tries to break into is car. He shows a lot of restraint, given everything that happened. He shouldn't have gotten off the highway, though--no way he wouldn't get caught in traffic before getting to a police station in that area. Call it in to 911, stay on the line and give updates and hope the police get there with backup.