Neighbors Question Police Response To Driver Vs. Cyclist

Who’s at fault in a crash can often be a contentious debate, but sometimes it seems pretty clear, like when a cyclist is sideswiped by a car, and then chased down by the driver, which is what a woman reported in a story she shared with Brooklyn Spoke. While riding with two children on her bike through Park Slope, and her husband riding on a bike ahead of them, the husband was hit, but not injured it seems. She says:

We kept going but I guess the Prius driver stopped to look at his car and was very upset to see a scratch from my husband’s pedal. As we turned onto 5th ave, we noticed the Prius was gaining on us and he chased my husband, driving in the bike lane, and yelling that he was going to run him down. My husband hopped up on the sidewalk and the Prius driver pulled over, got out of the car, and chased him.

When the police showed up, they recommended that nobody file a report, but that if anyone were to, it would be the driver, because the cyclist scratched the car and then left the scene of the accident.

Many readers have left comments questioning that response, pointing out that this family, and anyone else who has been in a situation like this, should show up to the 78th Precinct Community Council meetings to voice their concerns. The next meeting is Tuesday, October 29 at 7:30pm at the precinct at 65 6th Avenue.

In August (the most recent month for which data is available), the 78th Precinct reported 15 motor vehicle crashes that involved cyclists, 12 of which resulted in injuries to the cyclist. Do you feel like there are more cyclists in our area these days? And does that make you, as a cyclist or as a driver, feel more or less safe on the road?