Status Report: Ninth Avenue Road Rage Case

As reader Omri noted in the comments on the calendar post, this week cyclist Ray Bengen and SUV driver Gus Gonzalez have separate dates in Manhattan Criminal Court. Bengen was charged with criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor, after getting knocked to the pavement and badly bruised while attempting to get around an SUV stopped in the Ninth Avenue bike lane. Gonzalez, allegedly the driver of said SUV, has been charged with third degree assault, also a class A misdemeanor.

We’re tracking both cases, and we’ll keep you posted on any developments. While Gonzalez and Bengen are both supposed to present their desk appearance tickets in court this week (Gonzalez today and Bengen tomorrow), it looks like there won’t be much new to report. Each case is still in a very preliminary phase, and, should the DA choose to move forward with prosecution, arraignments are unlikely until next week at the earliest.