Gothamist: Drunk Driver Kills Cyclist on West Side Bike Path

J

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 05:27:47 -0500

could that even be considered a comeback? What is he/she responding to? Is raj all for the killing of innocent cyclists?

GM

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:20:02 -0500

Nothing excuses drinking and driving. Whether or not Eugenio Cidron was a good man is irrelevant to the fact that he killed an innocent man that night. He may be a good man but he's obviously not a smart man. His poor judgement costed Eric Ng his life that night and nothing can be said to excuse that. P.S. raj. worsham - watch your language. You're obviously not smart enough to make an intelligent comeback, so stop leaving foul and derogatory comments!

raj.worsham

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 15:00:07 -0500

shut up b!tch

mela

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 11:38:15 -0500

David, I am sorry, I feel no compassion or sympathy for your friend. I have done plenty of stupid things in my life, I have gotten so drunk that I couldn't see straight or remember my name, but I never got into a car and tried to drive it when I was in that state. Your friend was coming from a company party that he had probably known about for a few weeks. He knew there was obviously going to be a lot of free liquor at the party. If he knew he was going to be drinking he should have taken the subway to work that day, there are plenty of trains that go to and from Queens at all times of day and night. He got so drunk that he didn't even realize he drove down what is clearly a blocked off path, he drove so fast that his victim flew 50 feet in the air. His poor judgment cost someone their entire life. Eric Ng will never get to have a wife or 2 kids or the career he worked so hard for because your friend drove drunk. His family is going to have to spend the holidays without him because your friend couldn't take a cab like the rest of us do when we go drinking. Eric was headed to a party that night. He was probably going to do some drinking of his own. The difference was, he was riding a bike and my guess is, he was probably going to crash at someone's house or take the subway home. I know plenty of people who drive. If they drink they are so careful about sobering up before they attempt to drive. If your friend had done the same, Eric would still be alive, teaching children and having the kind of fun that a 22 year old kid in NYC should have.

Dewars?

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 00:27:51 -0500

Why is there a Dewars ad on the "Drunk Driver Kills Cyclist" story? Seems like a poor choice.

youth

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:15:09 -0500

i'm so sorry.

david Vargas

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 02:04:20 -0500

First, let me start by saying that this is a sad story. My condolences to his family and friends. This story saddens me to know someone inncent had to lose his life. Second, Im hear to set the story a little straight. He does not live in the east village anymore. He lives in queens and nobody really knows what happen that night but whats in black white. The westside highway has had this happen before, like twice before this one and even by the NYPD.Eugenio Cidron is a friend of mine and is a very good person. He has a wife and two beautiful kids who now have to see xmas without him. Its sad that this had to happen but this was an a very bad accident. Anyone who knows him knows he would not do this on purpose. He is a gentle person who always has everyone in mind. This the first time he ever did something like this. Now if convicted; which he will, will lose everything hes worked so hard for. His job, his career, house and his wife and kids...so it will be safe to say he would be dead to the world as well...just the fact that he killed someone will be on his conscious forever and will probably never drink or drive again. I would never wish this on no one but, this happen to the wrong people in both parties...God works in mysterious ways...My prayers go out to both families...

Bike Tuff Krew

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 01:20:18 -0500

Where's this mother fucker live? And where's his car at. I'm tired of getting mad and waiting three weeks to have 45 hippies with nubby tires and lids lighting candles at city hall. Fight! back. Open some eyes. The streets are safe for riders if the riders stop playing the victim.

Tony

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 18:23:52 -0500

To serp: You obviously don't ride so you wouldn't understand. That could have been any of us. Keep your smart-ass comments to yourself. If you don't like vociferous left-wing people, move to Oklahoma. Or Hoboken.

serp

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:01:50 -0500

First of all it's spelled "Bubba." I should know. Second of all, this is all President Bush's fault. We should hold a protest for that too! Also people who eat meat are causing accidents everywhere. If tons of animal meant didn't have to be shipped into the city, do you know how much congestion that would alleviate?! Republicans and meat-eaters are ruining our city! For Christ-sakes this guy was driving a BMW. Obviously a real degenerate. Probably voted for Bush and ate a burger on the same day. Maybe we can lobby for tax breaks for people who ride bikes instead of owning cars?! I hope the gentleman that was killed rests peacefully even if many are making a self righteous hay-day of his death.

Canton

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:00:56 -0500

First of all it's spelled "Bubba." I should know. Second of all, this is all President Bush's fault. We should hold a protest for that too! Also people who eat meat are causing accidents everywhere. If tons of animal meant didn't have to be shipped into the city, do you know how much congestion that would alleviate?! Republicans and meat-eaters are ruining our city! For Christ-sakes this guy was driving a BMW. Obviously a real piece of shit. Probably voted for Bush and ate a burger on the same day. Maybe we can lobby for tax breaks for people who ride bikes instead of owning cars?! I hope the gentleman that was killed rests peacefully even if many are making a self righteous hay-day of his death.

Canton

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:00:06 -0500

First of all it's spelled "Bubba." I should know. Second of all, this is all President Bush's fault. We should hold a protest for that too! Also people who eat meat are causing accidents everywhere. If tons of animal meant didn't have to be shipped into the city, do you know how much congestion that would alleviate?! Republicans and meat-eaters are ruining our city! For Christ-sakes this guy was driving a BMW. Obviously a real piece of shit. Probably voted for Bush and ate a burger on the same day. Maybe we can lobby for tax breaks for people who ride bikes instead of owning cars?! I hope the gentleman that was killed rests peacefully even if many are making a self righteous hay-day of his death.

armchair_warrior

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 17:10:14 -0500

i hope he gets a roomy in jail name buba.

sean

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 11:08:01 -0500

Once Bloomberg is done selling firehouses maybe he could look into making "his" city a place where someone could do something as simple as, say, ride a bike without getting crushed by some rude, selfish, pig of a human being.

c

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 10:25:42 -0500

probably one of the nicest people i've ever met. seriously awful loss for the bike community. eric will be sorely missed by all. peace.

filly kream cheez

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:37:25 -0500

There's a bike path from Philly to Valley Forge? that is so cool. I remember doing doing some work there and traffic from valley forge to philly for a meal was crazy during rush hour.

John

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 13:11:58 -0500

In his post, Tom Wrote, "Stuff like this will happen regardless of how you try and 'protect' the bike path." I disagree. When I lived in Philadelphia, I used to ride on the Schuylkill River Bike Path from Philly to Valley Forge. The bike path has existed for over twenty years, but there have never been any accidents involving car/bike collisions on the trail. The bike path is designed so it's impossible for cars to get on the bike path. Likewise, there are simple, effective steps that could be taken here in NYC to prevent cars from accidentally (or intentionally) getting onto the Manhattan Greenway.

amy

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 12:50:17 -0500

i agree. it's absolutely time for a demonstration. enough is enough!

La CC

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 10:51:49 -0500

God, have you read the comments on his myspace page? It's just the saddest, eeriest thing. It really brings home how one minute you're this irreverent kid having the time of his life and the next minute you're out. Life is so precious. That's what I take from this story. And this city is too dangerous for bikers and skaters. I got hit by a NJ Waterways bus leaving its station on the water because a fucking armored truck was parked ON THE BIKE LANE obscuring my view of the light and the bus and vice versa. The illegal parking that goes on in this town will kill more peds than anything.

mike

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 02:24:56 -0500

The "Westside Highway" is actually West St, and it is completely legal to ride a bike on below 57th St (the non-elevated portion). So this is one option if enough cyclists are into it. No permit *should* be required if we're bicycling.

Jacob

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 02:19:18 -0500

I'm down for a demonstration especially if we march/ride down the westend highway.

mike

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 02:16:42 -0500

Tom, Do you have any idea how much congestion costs New Yorkers per year? The MTA estimates it as $4 billion. That's just in direct time loss, and does not account for the losses in public health, property damage, etc., that subsidization of automobiles incur on society. If you are interested in the topic, you should read up on the studies done on congestion charging. They show that businesses would actually benefit. Congestion charging may not have a direct link with a guy driving in Midtown in this situation, but if the goal is reducing traffic deaths and injuries, and improving New Yorkers' health and quality of life, then congestion charging is certainly am available and powerful tool, as it will reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Tom

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 01:18:40 -0500

What about a huge demonstration? Make this a critical mass for congestion pricing. Isn't this city expensive enough already? Not having a car won't make you magically immune from congestion pricing, unless you think all stores will have their product airlifted in. Not to mention the fact... what does a congestion charge have to do with a guy driving at night who would have traveled down the West Side Highway to the FDR to the LES, completely immune to congestion charges in mid-town? But hey, who am I to stop you from turning a guy and a tragic death into a martyr for your pet cause? Carry on.

A

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:21:13 -0500

i'm with you. i want to have a huge fucking demonstration. and not just about one cyclist or one location or one solution. i want a massive fucking outraged demonstration about the injustice of a city that has just given itself over to the automobile to disastrous consequences on so many different levels.

mike

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 20:19:23 -0500

sheila, There are such things are retractable bollards. This is a problem that was already been solved elsewhere many times. no catch-22 here.

sheila

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 20:15:42 -0500

so, they put the barriers back. and then some atrocious crime happens on the path and emergency responders can't get out there to help. there will be a big hue and cry then.... catch-22. condolences to Mr. Ng's dearest.

Liza

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 19:45:35 -0500

This is terrible news, and I send my condolences to his friends, family, and students.

"Deaf" biker

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 19:19:53 -0500

I am VERY SADDENED by the death of Eric Ng. I truly hope that this calloused disregard for human life and safety will result in some kind of positive change, namely a complete ban of ALL CARS from designated bike paths, lanes and greenways. for example, it is far too easy for any drunk or sober motorist to drive onto the hudson river greenway and wreak havoc because many of the barrier posts are not installed or removed and not replaced. i believe that it is fair to say that those barriers that are removed by police, sanitation, parks department supervisors and employees because a specific kind of key or tool may be needed to removed the posts from their bases. those who regularly use the greenway are accustomed to seeing nypd, sanitation, and parks cars on the greenway at all times which is WRONG! by ensuring that all the barriers are in place and banning all service and other vehicles from entering the greenway the city would take a big and very important step in providing more bicycling safety. this is particularly important for those cyclists and pedestrians who feel unsafe or uncomfortable on the streets due disabilities, such as hearing impairment, or other issues. the greenway is an important car-free conduit for many city cyclists. ban ALL CARS from the ALL designated bike paths, lanes, and greenways NOW!!!!!!

Nicolo Macchiavelli

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 18:55:42 -0500

I love all you guys searching for a "technological" fix to auto-murder. What about a socio-political-economic fix? What about a huge demonstration? Make this a critical mass for congestion pricing. Hell, more sober drivers kill cyclists and pedestrians than the drunks. What about them? What about a sober guy running you off the road? What about the broken window theory of policing? Lets apply it to drivers.

bob

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 17:45:45 -0500

Let's get together and all bring some friends and organize a demonstration or protest for more pedestrian and bicycle safety measures in this city. We are far behind some of the major cities in the United States and it's despicable. Who is with me?

Tom

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 17:22:09 -0500

I feel bad for this guy, but stuff like this will happen regardless of how you try and "protect" the bike path. If you put pillars at the entrances to the bike path, eventually a motorcyclist will be going to fast and kill a bicyclist (and probably himself). As per the post: people are still drunk driving because the BAC limit is asininely low to keep lawyers, car insurance companies, and county governments happy. That being said, I hope they throw the book at this guy with an actual manslaughter charge instead of just the vehicular variety.

ryan

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 17:10:20 -0500

eric was a good friend. anyone who's seen his smile knows how shocking this is and how much he'll be missed. there will be a ghost bike memorial and ride late next week. details will be on visualresistance.org.

roger m

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:52:09 -0500

The fact that the PARKS DEPARTMENT DRIVES(small)CARS and sometimes SUVs right ON the westside greenway to patrol the westside greenway is indictative of the level of ignorant car culture saturation in the city administration.

ho

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:44:28 -0500

WOW! RIP Eric Ng. This villain of a Drunk Driver has killed a really good guy. Not only was Eric Ng a smart guy, who rode bikes for excercise and helped curb pollution but he was a NYU grad and A TEACHER!!! And he was young. It's like "Hey, I'm an self-entitled drunk lets see who has the most virtuous attributes to kill". It saddens me that the other person who was killed on the West Side highway was a Affluent and Generous Doctor. Meanwhile, these POS Drivers are walking around and letting Paris Hilton take jet planes to do lines of coke off diamonds mined from the pain of innocents. This world is really hell.

w side cyclist

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:39:33 -0500

The metal post barriers to prevent cars at each intersection street have been removed or never installed. The chelsea piers intersection is the worse. Cars go up there all the time by mistake or design. But thats no excuse for this drunk asshole. Im surprised he didnt hit more people. These barriers are not there because city vehicles, including NYPD, sanitation and parks as well as contractors use the path all the time. There is no reason any car should be on that path, and I have seen some near misses. This is the only place in NYC that belongs to non car transportation, its the one place we should feel safe!!

Gwin

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:28:51 -0500

BrianVan: you definitely made several excellent points, but the fact still stands that this East Village resident chose to drive less than 3 miles instead of taking a cab (for the sake of argument, let's leave out the other option of walking over to the A-C-E and transferring to the F - as God forbid someone walk all the way from the far West side over to 8th Avenue...). NYC is an anomaly to the stats you provide above -- surprisingly, it is one of the greenest cities in the nation, with a clear majority of the populace relying on public transportation (for example, 75% of Manhattan households do not own a car, per the 2000 Census) and consuming only 2000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year when the national average is 4000 kw/year. However, as this sad incident shows, there are stupid, lazy, ignorant people everywhere...

hipster ho

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:20:42 -0500

who the hell is nick denton?

BrianVan

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 15:34:47 -0500

beth: absolutely. You can thank Nick Denton's bar tab for my poor use of namedropping today.

mike

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 15:30:11 -0500

Brian Van, excellent points.

beth

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 15:27:43 -0500

BrianVan-- I was going to say hallelujah to your point above... until you went name-dropping.

Brian Van

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 15:11:27 -0500

I know my grammar sucks today, btw. You can thank Nick Denton's bar tab for that.

BrianVan

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 15:09:57 -0500

Mike, Gwin: After reading the story a bit more closely, I think it's ridiculous that a car could even have a safe way to navigate onto the path. Pedestrians use it! There indeed should be an engineering solution in place that prevents autos from gaining entry except in emergencies. If not, of course there are going to be drivers who abuse the path by using it as a motorway - the traffic in the area is often at a standstill. As a licensed driver and someone who has driven over 100,000 miles, I know what douchebag drivers try to do on the roads to get to where they're trying to go in a hurry. Brightliner: it's about practice vs. theory. Economically, it makes no sense to use public transportation in most of the cities in this country. New York is the exception to the rule; it has one of (if not the only) 24-hour rapid transit systems in the world. The network of metro rail, commuter rail, and bus routes is extensive, and cabs/car services can all fill in the gaps. This is simply not the case elsewhere. At 10pm, the only way to get from point A (not in NYC) to point B (not in NYC) is usually by car. That's true even just a few miles from Manhattan! How do you think people get home from bars in Westchester? Through Grand Central Terminal? How many of them do you think walk or take suburban cab services? (Note: the mileage rates outside of NYC are just as expensive, so imagine that every time you needed a cab to work or a cab to the supermarket, it cost $30-$70 one way.) It's worse out in the sticks, where it's common to drive 20-40 minutes to get to the nearest nightclub or fancy restaurant. Imagine not being able to go on a fancy date and have two glasses of wine without exceeding the BAC limit for the state (usually 0.08%). I'm not excusing drunk driving. I think that's something that one should never do, in any scenario. But our society, through our governments, zoning laws, and civic planning departments, have really fucking things up for us. We have, through suburban diaspora and developer greed, encouraged the institutionalized practice of using automobiles to go everywhere. Our dependence on carbon fuels is ridiculous; our national necessity for cars leads us to waste our wealth on auto insurance, gasoline and car payments; and, of course, we forgot that if you have to take a highway to get to a bar, you probably have to take that same highway to get home from the bar. If as an American you're going to tell me that our car culture is not an economic stranglehold on our society, then I completely understand. There are many fine institutions for the blind here in this great city if you ever wish to seek treatment.

JessDL

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 15:05:23 -0500

This is terrible! I was on the bike path today, and around 22nd street, in broad daylight, a cab turned on the the bike path without looking and drove down it for about 3 blocks to get into Chelsea Piers. He almost hit me!

Gwin

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:52:51 -0500

Mike: sure, I agree with what you are saying - but you are talking about ways to prevent motorists from turning onto it (a totally reasonable idea) whereas I was merely saying that I don't see how a motorist could confuse the bike path with West Street given its size/markings/etc. (in other words, it would be great if motorists could somehow be prevented from turning onto it, but in theory there should be NO confusion between the two as it is).

Toby

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:41:13 -0500

A simple bollard at the center line of the bike path is a simple and effective idea that could work and not make it a hardship of the greenway users.

Brightliner

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:28:13 -0500

Our society requires automobiles for almost everything. Baloney. Many people are addicted to their cars, liking the feeling of being in control of their own, little steel and glass cocoon, but an awful lot don't need them, period. I don't need one, and neither do millions of of residents and commuters who use public transit. You don't "need" to go to a bar, either, whether it's on a highway or not.

mike

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 13:07:37 -0500

Brian Van, Actually, it's a problem for the Hudson River Park Trust to evaluate, since they are charge of the greenway (not the DoT in this case). Despite the fact that this idiot was drunk, that does not preclude the possibility of engineering solutions. For a variety of reasons, NYC is just very behind other cities (mostly in Europe) in terms of traffic calming and bicycle infrastructure, not to mention enforcement against reckless driving. The dipshit could have walked! I've walked from Chelsea myself drunk to the East Village several times. God forbid we operate under our own power.

mike

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:45:26 -0500

Gwin, The greenway could have been raised, so that cars driving across it would be forced to slow down. Although I'm not sure that would have helped in this case.

Brian Van

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:44:33 -0500

First off, this is absolutely terrible. Second, this is not a problem for the DOT to evaluate. A drunk driver completely left the road and hit a cyclist, and by luck managed not to hit any other pedestrians/cyclists either. It's a crazy story, but it does not mean that bike path is unsafe. It's one of the safest around for cyclists. Third, drunk driving is much more common than you think. Our society requires automobiles for almost everything. And although the dangers and the consequences are frequently drilled into our heads, it's not enough to actually stop the practice. For a lot of people, the closest bar is on a highway. That terrible state of affairs needs to be changed. However, it looks like this particular guy is a complete dipshit - he lives in the East Village! He should have been in a cab, or paid for parking for the night. I'll make no such excuses for him - I bet he knew exactly what he was doing, and I hope they throw the book at him.

Gwin

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:37:23 -0500

critical mess: I agree 100%. It's shameful how often drivers are NOT held responsible for injuring/killing cyclists. As for the markings on the bike path, it's only about 10 feet wide (last time I checked, West Street was somewhat bigger than that) with a yellow stripe down the middle and regular bike markings (i.e. a white painting of a cyclist in each direction). I don't know how much MORE could be done to mark it as a bike path.

bermuda shortie

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:36:58 -0500

Bermuda, Bahamas, who cares? The mayor does not give a squat about cyclists but he'll berate you for smoking and if you're on the Atkins diet. I guess revenue from auto tickets are worth more than cyclists lives.

sorri sad

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:32:21 -0500

This is very very sad. I want to send my condolences to his family and friends. I really think this war on cyclists started with the RNC tactics. And, where is commissioner Weinshall sp? This happened around Clarkson Street, no where near the dangerous merging area at chelsea piers. No reason why this should happen.

Bermuda Tourism Bureau

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:30:24 -0500

The mayor has a home in Bermuda, not the Bahamas. He may or may not be spending the weekend, not his vacation, there. But we shouldn't let your attack on the mayor distract from the loss of Eric Ng. The Post article said that TA's had lots of complaints about people driving cars on the bike path. Seems like it should be reconfigured so it is at least more obvious that a car shouldn't be there.

mmm

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:26:45 -0500

seems like a cyclist is getting run over every week. I'd be very afraid to ride my bike in the city. :(

can't hear you

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:19:06 -0500

Mayor's not listening, He's on his weekly vacation in the Bahamas. He gets their in his private car and private jet. Don't blame me, I didn't vote for him.

critical mess

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:14:23 -0500

When will the city finally stop it's war against cyclists and get serious about making the streets safe for all its users? It should be a wake up call to the mayor when bicycle riders aren't even safe on seperated bicyle lanes. Thankfully this driver was actually arrested. But it's one of the few times when a motor-vehicle driver who hit a cyclist was actually held responsible. All too often drivers are let off the hook, despite a dead cyclist being the result of their carelessness. How may deaths have been caused by cyclists? Yet the city of New York insists on spening millions on its war against Critical Mass and other bicycle riders. Rest in peace Eric Ng. Your loss will not be forgotten...

edEx

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:12:22 -0500

oh man... that is so not good. my condolences

mike

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:11:45 -0500

Rest in Peace, Eric. If I'm not mistaken, we volunteered for TA together a few times. May your killer get a very long jail sentence. Besides driving drunk, why the hell was he driving from Chelsea when he lives in the East Village? A disgusting culture of privilege we have. We will work even harder in your memory.