New York – A New York City highway was the scene of a road rage attack against the driver of an SUV and his family. Police report that the incident apparently started when a motorcycle gang surrounded the SUV on the highway, causing the driver of the vehicle to fear an assault was about to begin. The driver then quickly accelerated and struck several of the bikers. Investigators say that the motorcycle crash caused several injuries with one of the bikers injured seriously. Family members of that motorcyclist explain that the man may now be paralyzed and unable to walk again due to the accident injuries. However, video footage from the scene has prosecutors thinking that the bikers were not innocent and would not be considered victims at all. The driver of the car then sped away to avoid the gang, eventually ending up on local roads in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. There, witnesses say, several of the bikers began hitting and breaking open the car windows and then assaulted the driver. They violently pulled the injured driver out of the vehicle and caused head injuries and facial lacerations.

Police are continuing their investigation into the incident that has left several people injured and one hospitalized. They have arrested several suspects and continue to search for others, including several police officers and even one detective. Some lawmakers and public officials have called for a crack down on dangerous motorcycle gangs in the city. They say that the speeding, reckless driving and road rage shown by some gangs must be stopped before more innocent bystanders, pedestrians and drivers get injured or even killed. The driver of the SUV truck explained to reporters that she feared for her life and for the life of her two-year-old daughter that was in the back seat of the car. It was unclear if she suffered any bodily injuries during the attack but doctors will need to further evaluate her in order to determine if she suffered emotional injuries. Specialists note that this kind of incident can leave even bystanders and family members with a post-traumatic stress disorder or other emotional injury. An injury lawyer explained that these types of injuries can also lead to a civil lawsuit besides the criminal charges that the aggressors might face. The assault victim’s injuries will likely require additional treatment and may also lead to a personal injury lawsuit. See this article for more about this road rage case.

Photo by Artur Andrzej (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons