The so-called New York road rage incident that has ended with one person potentially paralyzed and another fearing reprisals against him and his family is a tragedy that should never have happened!  The video has gone viral with over one million views since the tragic event took place 3 days ago and is detailed here for context:http://www.heavy.com/news/2013/09/watch-range-rover-runs-over-bikers-video/.

A few observations:

1. If the Range Rover driver had just stayed cool and allowed the pack of bikers to ride on by none of this would have happened.  I've been in both situations - driving a car with a pack of riders surrounding me, as well as being within a group of riders that swarm amongst cars.  Having had the experience on both sides of the coin, I appreciate that Alexian Lien was anxious for himself and his family with so many motorcyclists surrounding him.  BUT letting your anxousness overtake you - to the extent that you actually hit a motorcyclist - is unacceptable. Clearly, the Range Rover was not the only automobile on the West Side Highway this past Sunday afternoon... So why freak out?  Lien needed to just stay cool... Sadly, he didn't...

2. From the motorcycle club point of view, the moment one of their own was struck by the Range Rover - and worse, the driver did not stop - that spiked the club members' adrenaline. Anyone who has been foolish enought to poke a stick into a bee hive will know that single act can bring more pain than they reckoned for as the bees swarm them in anger. Lien poked the hive and then ran over another rider trying to flee the scene of an accident!  Had Lien stopped his car and called 911, his chances of avoiding reprisals would have been significantly higher because other cars following up the West Side Highway would have quickly collected behind him offering him and his family flight to potential safety.  But that is not what happened; rather Jeremy Mieses is now in critical condition and facing a life of paralysis from the waist down...

3. While anyone who does not ride may watch the video and take sides with Lien just trying to protect his family, the reality is there is no proof that demonstrates he or his family was threatened by the bikers or were in physical jeopardy... So how is that Lien (1) hit a motorcyclist and then fled the scene of the accident ("hit and run"); (2) when brought to a stop effectively through a citizen's arrest for hit and run, he then hits at least 2 more riders and drives over their motorcycles fleeing a second accident scene (2nd hit and run) and yet remains uncharged for any vehicular crime? That has not gone unnoticed.  Rightly or wrongly, the NYPD are placing charges against the motorcyclists that will be heard in a court of law, so how is it that Lien is being given a pass for not one, but two hit and run accidents?  It is not up to NYPD to make any determinations; it IS their responsibility to hold anyone who flees the scene of an accident accountable with a summons, at the bear minimum.

I'm sure that there will be more revelations over the coming weeks as this highly visible and very sad story plays out, but at this stage there appears to be a number of aspects that have not been appropriately addressed and I am hoping that they will - for everyone's sake.

As I said, in my view, if Lien had just kept his eyes on the road and not hit the motorcyclist none of this tragedy would have happened.  The first rule of kiting or scuba diving or any other potentially dangerous activity - when you find yourself in a difficult situation - is to stay calm and think, before you take any action.  Unfortunately, that did not happen on the West Side Highway in New York this past weekend.