April 3, 2006
NYU Junior Hit By Car
John Broderick Hehman, a 20 year old urban studies major at NYU, was hit by a car on East 125th Street in Harlem on Saturday night, and police have witness reports that say Hehman had been chased by a group of men. One man who witnessed the accident told the TImes, "Some kids were trying to beat him," and leading people to believe that Hehman ran into the intersection of 125th and Park to avoid his attackers. Hehman is in critical condition at Harlem Hospital, with a fractured skull and a broken leg.
Hehman's sister Marisa says that he was headed out to meet some friends at the time; she also told the Post that their mother died of cancer six months ago. The driver of the car that hit Hehman will most likely not face charges.
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"urban studies major" ????
What the fuck is that? Somebody please explain to me what that is so I don't have to research it. Does it cost $50K per year to learn that the black part of town is dangerous, chinatown smells, hassidic landlords are cheap, and tourists love little italy?
Excellent! When you're ignorant it is always best to belittle an idea than to educate yourself.
Hr, get your head out of your ass and open a book.
That's the address of the Metro North station.
it's actually metropolitan studies here at NYU.
because NYU kids are more ignorant about the suburbs than the city?
Who gives a shit what the kid studied?
With all due respect here, people. I think you might be missing the point.
if it's dark out and you don't 'blend' in, it's best not to be in that area
hmmmmm....wonder who was chasing the college student and if it could be characterized as a hate crime.
The details are murky.
"hmmmmm....wonder who was chasing the college student"
...probably a bunch of drunk exFrat guys on their way out of an irish pub
Hey, I wonder what the men looked like. Were they tall? Short? Long hair? Short hair? Walk with a limp? Any scars? Hair color? Race? A basic description sure would be helpful to the police or anyone else to apprehending these guys. But no, in the name of liberal political correctness, we are all going to ignore the race of the men who chased the victim into oncoming traffic. SPLENDID idea.
Does this mean that he will be changing his major?
Actually, metropolitan studies is different. Metropolitan studies is kind of a weird city-only sociology program. Urban studies is part of the fine arts dept. and focuses on urban planning and architecture.
The first question should be why in John Sexton's name was he in Harlem on Saturday night? Anyways though, i hope he'll be all right.
Gothamist, keep following this story as it continues.
ALL OF YOU are being extremely rude and insensitive about this person life, his family, and his friends.
I knew him.
He was a cool kid and it saddens me that he had to die in this fashion.
who CARES what he studied in college..this person will not live on to see his grandchildren or to see his best friend get married.
Have some decency and respect.
It was only 8:30pm when it happened. It wasn’t like he was around there at 3am...
One has to be careful when walking where the tracks are around there, esp below 125th where it turns to stone. It’s hard to see incoming traffic going parallel with the tracks and it’s hard for them to see you.
It’s still dangerous, even if you’re not being chased.
It amazes me. Not only is living in a city dangerous enough, but then if you do suffer some unfortunate event, a buch of snarky assholes who could easily suffer the same fate chime in with the cold, trite, witless blather. How city of you. You're so cool and disaffected arent'cha? I avoid unsafe areas and never j-walk. I have still had a gun pointed in my face twice and almost been hit by motorists countless times. It's disheartening to know that there are so many jerks out there who see tragic events as joke fodder. Hope all the nice people are careful out there.
It's a sad story, especially reading the WSN's quote from his father. The question remains: what was he doing in Harlem?
You know what? It's none of our business what he was doing in Harlem.
Did he die? Was there an update on the story that I missed?
I hope he didn't die!
He didn't it make, people. I'll tactfully disregard your ignorant remarks about his major...which doesn't matter anymore. If this was one of your friends I don't think you would appreciate comments that disrespect the dead.
RIP J.B. We love you.
Is there some reason white people shouldn't use the metro north station at 125 & park at 8:30 at night?
How about white people giving change to panhandlers in Harlem? Is that now verbotten? (NY Post says pot-smoking "teenagers" saw him give change to a guy in a wheel chair, and then shouting "get whitey", chased him into the accident).
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/64110.htm
And finally, why does the Post call them "black teenagers" but compare them to "white bigots" in the Howard Beach case.
Truly RIP, kid - maybe your death will expose the politically-correct hypocrisy for what it really is: deadly.
Yep....my hunch from the start was that this was a racist attack on a white college student. I am horrified that it ended so badly. RIP.
JP--I don't think The Post is cloaking it in PC language. They made it clear that it was a racially motivated hate crime. And I hope the courts treat it as such. Racism is racism.
Very sad ... There are just some things that you don't do if you wish to remain alive in this city.
A white man walking alone at night in harlem is like a lone american aimlessly walking the streets of bagdad whistling a tune.
If more people understood that the city is basically a war zone there would be less of this kind of thing. It is a shame this kid lost his life.
Actually Marc, that is a stereotype and if you notice, it is daylight saving so it wasn't exactly pitch black out when all of this went down. There is more to this story that will probably never get told publically but for people to twist it around is ridiculous. If he was that scared there were plenty of cabs along 125th Street he could have caught and just as many city buses.
"There is more to this story that will probably never get told publically but for people to twist it around is ridiculous."
Care to elaborate, Ms. Maybelline?
If it were a black student in a white neighborhood, conclusions would have been reached before the kid's head even hit the pavement. How much longer will this PC crap continue to persist? There is no rational logic to the continued devaluation of white people's rights at the hands of regressive liberal rhetoric. I cannot say that this was a racially-motivated crime but how can ANYONE be so quick to say that it isn't simply because blacks may be to blame? Wake up.
"that is a stereotype"
What's a stereotype? That "There are just some things that you don't do if you wish to remain alive in this city"
or
"A white man walking alone at night in harlem is like a lone american aimlessly walking the streets of bagdad whistling a tune."
After living here for 53 years, I'd say the first statement is a generalization but true.. And the latter may be a bit broad, but as a white guy who goes to Harlem 1-2 times a month, I'd say that's pretty accurate. My black and spanish friends look at me like I am CRAZY if I use public transportation in Harlem (does the phrase "ghetto pass" ring a bell?)
" if you notice, it is daylight saving so it wasn't exactly pitch black out when all of this went down."
It may not have been "pitch black" but it was an hour after sundown; On the day of the accident, 4/3/06, sunset was 7:22 p.m. (End of "civil" twilight was 7:50 p.m.)
from http://aa.usno.navy.mil/cgi-bin/aa_pap.pl
" There is more to this story that will probably never get told publicly but for people to twist it around is ridiculous."
If you know something you should post it. And the other posters are correct; if this was another white on black case like Howard Beach, Sharpton and Jackson would be marching through the streets already.
"If he was that scared there were plenty of cabs along 125th Street he could have caught and just as many city buses."
Aside from banking on whether these "gangstas" would have left him alone as he whipped out his metro card waiting/running for the bus, it's nice to know that you think cab drivers would have stopped to pick up a kid being chased by a gang.
Look, lets be serious - there are great areas in Harlem, and bad ones, and 125th between park and lex is a madhouse. I used that metro north stop frequently last year for work, and I am surprised the BLACK community isn't fed up with that block. It's likely that these kids prey on black as well as white New Yorkers, but imho, to ignore the "get whitey" aspect is a disgrace to the entire city.
anyone aware of memorials or protests in response to this attack? AJ said it better than I can:
"How much longer will this PC crap continue to persist? There is no rational logic to the continued devaluation of white people's rights at the hands of regressive liberal rhetoric"
and if a minority is attacked in a white neighborhood, no one shrugs it off and says "well, he shouldn't have been there after dark."
It shouldn't be dangerous for ANYONE to walk ANYWHERE in this city. If that sounds unrealistic that only means we've all got alot of work to do.