Ninth Ave Road Rage Case: Bengen Cleared; Gonzalez Files to Dismiss
Gus Gonzalez and his Ford Excursion were caught on camera after knocking cyclist Ray Bengen to the pavement back in May.We've got a quick update on the legal aftermath of the Ninth Avenue road rage case, in which the Manhattan DA's office charged both cyclist Ray Bengen and SUV driver Gus Gonzalez.
The DA has dropped the charges against Bengen, who on May 21 was doored and knocked to the pavement by Gonzalez. The charges apparently arose from property damage sustained by Gonzalez's Ford Excursion as Bengen attempted to bike around the vehicle, which was blocking the Ninth Avenue protected bike path.
Bengen tells us that, before the case was dismissed, the DA charged him with two counts of criminal mischief and one count of "auto stripping," all class A misdemeanors. He had expected to be charged with just one count of criminal mischief. In the end, he said, the DA's office decided the case could not be prosecuted beyond a reasonable doubt.
Meanwhile, the case against Gus Gonzalez is still active. Last week, prosecutors filed an affidavit in New York Criminal Court in support of the third-degree assault charge -- also a class A misdemeanor -- against Gonzalez. At the same hearing, the attorney for Gonzalez filed a motion to dismiss, according to a court officer. The case was adjourned to January 11.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
Why Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Long COVID
Covid-19 transformed many U.S. cities' approach to sustainable transportation forever. But how did it transform the lives of sustainable transportation advocates who developed lasting symptoms from the disease?
Analysis: ‘Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program’ is a Failure By All Measures
The Department of Transportation wants the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program to simply expire in part because it did not dramatically improve safety among these worst-of-the-worst drivers and led to a tiny number of vehicle seizures.
School Bus Driver Kills Cyclist in Boro Park, 24th Bike Death of 2023
Luis Perez-Ramirez, 44, was biking south on Fort Hamilton Parkway just before 3:15 p.m. when he was struck a by school bus driver making a right turn.
‘Betrayal’: Adams Caves to Opposition, Abandons Bus Improvement Plan on Fordham Road
The capitulation on Fordham Road is the latest episode in which the mayor has delayed or watered down a transportation project in deference to powerful interests.
Friday’s Headlines: Yes He Said Yes He Will Yes Edition
That headline above is a reference to the last line of James Joyce's Ulysses, which we won't pretend to have read. But we have that ... and other news.
