Fox News writer repeatedly hits Central Park cyclist with SUV

In a story that ought to interest even the most jaded New York auto accident lawyers, a Fox News writer hit a Central Park cyclist multiple times and drove four blocks with the cyclist clinging to the hood of his SUV after the cyclist confronted him regarding his reckless driving.

In an exclusive, Gawker reports that Brian Dooda, a Brooklyn cyclist, was going about 25 m.p.h. (the speed limit on roads in Central Park) heading north in the left lane on East Drive in Central Park when Don Broderick, a Fox News writer driving a grey SUV, aggressively cut him off, almost clipping Mr. Dooda's front wheel. Mr. Dooda caught up with Mr. Broderick at the next red light and, positioning his bike in front of Mr. Broderick's SUV, told him he needed to slow down and observe the park's speed limit.

Then things got ugly. According to Mr. Dooda's account, Mr. Broderick accelerated, knocking Mr. Dooda and his bicycle to the ground. Quickly standing up, Mr. Dooda once again stood in front of the SUV to prevent Mr. Broderick from fleeing and started imploring bystanders to call the police. Mr. Broderick accelerated again, knocking Mr. Dooda, prostrate, onto the hood of his car.

Mr. Broderick kept driving for four blocks while Mr. Dooda clung to the hood of the SUV for his life, begging Mr. Broderick to stop. Mr. Broderick finally slammed on the brakes, knocking Mr. Dooda off the side of the hood, and immediately sped off again, hitting Mr. Dooda a final time.

Remarkably, Mr. Dooda escaped the incident with just a scraped elbow and some rattled nerves.

When Gawker contacted Mr. Broderick he disputed Mr. Dooda's version of events, claiming Mr. Dooda punched him, after which he promptly left the scene. None of the other witness accounts support Mr. Broderick's version.

From the perspective of a New York auto accident attorney, based upon both of their accounts, neither behaved in an exemplary manner. The NYPD has opened an investigation into the incident. Hopefully, the facts of what occurred will eventually be revealed and the civil and perhaps even the criminal justice system will perform their functions.

New York City auto accident lawyers know both cyclists and motorists need to regard each other as equals. Motorists must respect cyclists' rights to share the road just as cyclists need to remember they are bound by the same laws as motorists. Both must heed speed limits, traffic lights and stop signs. Neither group should antagonize the other. If the two had a more civil relationship, incidents like this would be a thing of the past.

[Gawker]