Brian Dooda was riding his bike in the left traffic lane in Central Park around 5 p.m. last Thursday when an altercation with an SUV driver got crazier than usual. In a post on a cycling message board, Dooda describes the incident, which began when a driver in a grey SUV with press license plates angrily cut him off as payback for riding in the car lane, "speeding within inches" of his front wheel. Dooda "gave chase," caught up with the vehicle at a stop light, and, pulling in front of the SUV, "explained to him that what he just did almost cost me my life, the speed limit is 25mph in the park and if he doesn't like it to stay out of Central Park." Bet you'll never guess how that tool in the SUV responded!
The driver then accelerated, lunging straight into me, knocking me and my bicycle to the ground and to the left side of his car. I quickly got to my feet and positioned myself in front of his vehicle to prevent him from fleeing the scene. I called out to bystanders to call the police and yelled at the driver that he was insane, he just hit me, and he can't leave. The driver again accelerated into me, with no intention of stopping, forcing me, prostrate, onto the drivers side hood of his vehicle. Riding precariously with a 4,000 lb wheel inches from pulling me beneath it, I screamed for the driver to "Stop!!! Please Stop!!" over and over. He continued to ignore my pleas for some 200ft. keeping a steady 5 or 10mph. He then stopped suddenly allowing me to fall off the side of the hood. Just as quickly as he stopped he violently accelerated again knocking me to the side.
Witnesses managed to get the SUV's license plate, and Dooda filed a police report. But it wasn't until Gawker did some digging that the driver become a complete cliche: His name is Don Broderick, and he writes for Fox News. Of course, he insists, "Whatever this guy is claiming, there's no truth involved—he punched me. And I left, because he was attacking me." Dooda denies punching Broderick, and tells Gawker: "I'm sure he felt like I was antagonizing motorists because I was in the left lane riding a bicycle. But did I attack him? If he considers me pointing out that he is an aggressive and dangerous driver to be an attack, yes. Otherwise, no."
Anyone who regularly bikes around New York (or has seen Fox News) won't have a hard time deciding who the asshole is here. Also unsurprising to those familiar with the NYPD-bike-car hate triangle: Broderick says the NYPD never contacted him after Dooda filed his report.
