We can all agree that bike thieves are a scourge to cyclists everywhere. But, there are right and wrong ways of dealing with them. One video out of New York City this week shows perhaps the most reckless response a bike owner can have to someone nabbing his ride.
James Mansfield, 47, was reportedly loading high-end bicycles into a van in Midtown Manhattan when a thief grabbed one of the bikes and rode off. Police say Mansfield then got in the van and gave pursuit, chasing the bike down a one-way street in the wrong direction.
At an intersection, Mansfield caught up with alleged thief and rammed him off the bike – but also struck a 31-year-old bystander who was trying to cross the street. The impact sent the pedestrian flying.
Surveillance footage captured the moment of the collision. Be warned, it’s pretty graphic:
Witnesses say a man stole a bicycle from a guy who then drove his van against traffic on 50th Street, hit him & a bystander at 9th Ave. pic.twitter.com/czquKVn4z9
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) October 15, 2017
Police arrested Mansfield, who after the crash exited the van and physically assaulted the cyclist he said had stolen the bike. Knocked unconscious, the injured bystander was taken to a hospital with lacerations to the head and arm, and is expected to survive.
British-born Mansfield, who owns an interior design and construction firm in New York, has been charged with reckless endangerment. His bike was badly damaged in the crash. The alleged thief, meanwhile, somehow managed to slip away.
Copyright © 2016 Rodale Inc.