Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Carnage

One Video Encapsulates Everything Wrong With NYC Street Culture

Two banes of New York City streets -- aggressive dirt bikers using the road as a personal racetrack, and SUV drivers using their vehicles as weapons -- collide in this horrific video making the rounds today.

Yesterday at about 1:30 p.m., Alexian Lien, 33, was driving a Range Rover north on the West Side Highway near 125th Street with his wife and 5-month old daughter as passengers, according to reports in the Post and Daily News. About 20 seconds into the video, group of motorcycle and dirt bike riders surround the SUV in the center lane, and a motorbike rider appears to hit the brakes and get into a fender-bender with Lien's vehicle.

Lien and the group of motorbike riders around him came to a stop. Surrounded, Lien then hit the accelerator (at about 50 seconds into the video), running over at least three motorcycles and striking one man, breaking his leg, according to NYPD. The video shows the group of motorbike riders chasing Lien, exiting the highway at 178th Street in Washington Heights. When Lien reaches traffic stopped at a red light at Wadsworth Avenue (after the six-minute mark), the motorbike riders dismount, and one man uses his helmet to smash Lien's window.

The video cuts off at this point, but police say the men beat up Lien, who went to Columbia University Medical Center, where he received stitches and was released. The Daily News reports that NYPD has not made any arrests, but is still investigating.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

New Bill Would Block Apps From Deactivating Workers Without Cause

A Brooklyn Council member wants delivery app companies to be more human and less robot.

July 18, 2025

Friday Video: Is Berlin a Great Biking City?

Have recent moves by anti-bike, pro-car legislators ruined the experience in the capital of a unified Germany? Sort of!

July 18, 2025

Eyes on the Street: Meeker Avenue Bike Lane Is a Failure

The Department of Transportation still hasn't finished a critical bike lane under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that the agency has been stalling for over four years even after identifying the strip's danger and lack of proper signals.

July 18, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Cuomo’s Road Rage Edition

Why does Andrew Cuomo drive so recklessly? Plus other news.

July 18, 2025

Fixing Third Ave. Was Once ‘Top of List’ For Eric Adams — But as Mayor He Backed Off

Mayor Adams has delayed a redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue despite once saying safety fixes there should be "at the top of our list."

July 17, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Jerry Nadler Edition

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler faced off with Sean Duffy on Capitol Hill. Plus more news.

July 17, 2025
See all posts