The Manhattan D.A. has charged a motorist just $250 for what witnesses say [PDF] was an intentional assault on a cyclist.
The unidentified victim claims he was riding down Avenue B, which has no bike lanes, when Jose Henriquez pulled up behind him in an SUV. The victim says that he was in the center of the lane to avoid being doored by a parked car and Henriquez started honking at him. After getting the middle finger from the cyclist, Henriquez allegedly rammed the man on a bicycle from behind, throwing him over the handlebars and causing lacerations on his face. The driver then sped away from the scene of the crime.
Steve Vaccaro, an attorney for the victim, tells Streetsblog:
“We went out and got the witnesses to establish that it was a deliberate strike, and to the D.A.’s credit, they added assault charges. Now, inexplicably and without justification, they have dropped them.”
Adding insult to injury, the D.A. accepted the plea deal of a $250 fine without speaking to the victim, who was informed the night before the trial was to begin. (Photo: QXZ/Flickr)
