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On December 1, 2006 around 9:30PM, 22-year-old Eric Ng was biking north on bike path by the West Side Highway. Around the same time, 27-year-old Eugene Cidron, leaving a party at Chelsea Piers in his BMW, mistook the bike path for the actual highway, drove south on the bike path and fatally struck Ng near West Street - at least a mile from Chelsea Piers. Ng was hit so hard that his bicycle and shoe were thrown into highway. Police found that Cidron's blood alcohol level was 0.16 - twice the legal limit.
Yesterday, Cidron pleaded guilty to second degree manslaughter. The plea gives Cidron a 3.5 to 10.5 year sentence, versus facing a 5 to 15 year sentence if he were convicted in a trial. Cidron's lawyer said that his client pleaded guilty "because he has two children and wants to see them again before they finish high school. " Cidron is free on $150,000 bail, which the AP says was "secured by his mother-in-law's house."
Ng's death prompted discussion of installing concrete and steel bollards on the bike path, instead of plastic pylons, to prevent further tragedy. And his friends and others saddened by his death (Ng was an NYU graduate and public school teacher) held a memorial ride and created a ghost bike for him: Eliot at Visual Resistance wrote, "When we create ghost bikes, or go on memorial rides, we tap into the hurt of this world and choose to honor that stranger we know could be our friend, our sister, ourself. We choose to remember, even if we never knew. That empathy is a holy rebellion. That choice makes us whole."
As it happens, when asked about improving cyclist safety after Ng's death, Mayor Bloomberg said bikers should "pay attention...Even if they're in the right, they are the lightweights." A few months later, Bloomberg announced his PlaNYC congestion pricing plan.
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I didn't realize when this story first broke that this idiot was driving in the bike path.
Hopefully Cidron will get shanked in the joint, or at least repeatedly ass-raped.
Me caveman. Me bike north on bike path. Me throw bicycle and shoe into highway.
I've always wondered how to pronounce "Ng". Can somebody write it phonetically in Engligh?
I'm glad he got convicted, and he deserves go to prison. He was drunk, and irresponsible, and it's a shame that someone else had to die because some jerk in a beemer doesn't know the difference between the bike path and the west side highway. I'd like to think this will prevent more jerks from drunk driving, and raise awareness that cyclists have rights, but I know it won't. It's bikes vs. cars out there people. Ride safe.
Isn't it "Ing"?
(I don't want the world, I just want your half.)
I pronounce Ng more like "eng" (rather than "ing"), but I don't know if that is correct. Another surname that I had trouble with is Nguyen, which I've been told is pronounced like "win".
bklynd, you forgot my favorite part:
When I was driving once I saw this painted on a bridge...
Bloomberg displayed his usual empathy. Now if it had been a fellow billionaire murdered on that bikepath...
Probably small comfort to the family and friends of Eric Ng, but I'm glad to hear that the man who killed him will spend several years behind bars.
Is it just me or are a lot of these drunk, hit-and-run drivers from Queens? I live in Queens and they're giving it a bad name (or worse name, depending on how you feel about it).
Punishment for these kinds of crimes should include -- in addition to prison -- permanent and absolute revocation of driving privileges.
I hope Eric's family sue the crap out of the guy. and when he comes back out a poor man.
The most surprising part, to me, is that the West Side Highway bike-path is considered the safest and most removed from traffic in the city. And I like that the Mayor finds it more important to tell cyclists to "watch out," rather than drivers.
ng is pronounce eng and nguyen is pronounced as saying new and wen really fast like newen. also, may this drunk driver guy's ass be filled with a black man's cock every day he's in jail.
Agree with Atomische. No way should you be able to drive after killing someone with you car.
'm glad he got convicted..."
he didn't get convicted, he plead guilty. a plea to get a reduced sentence.
@babyhitler:
Why specifically a black man's cock? Have you done some personal research in this area? Would you like to share your findings? And as a side note, why am I even talking to someone named babyhitler?
These stories, and more, coming up at 11.
Ng is pronounced like the first syllable in "English." I like Bloomberg less with each passing day. Stop wasting so much police presence on Critical Mass and focus more on the bad drivers. Eliminate the worst 25% of drivers and you could reduce moving violations by 75%.
i think the only fair punishment is for this guy to see his own kids hit by some idiot drunk driver. But that wouldn't bring back Eric, so instead I hope he gets brutalized repeatedly every day for the full 10 year sentences.