Cyclist deserves nothing in NJ councilwoman hit-and-run lawsuit (Opinion)

Does anyone remember this hit and run incident in Jersey City? Almost a year ago a guy who delivered food on a bicycle was sent crashing to the pavement when a Jersey City councilwoman hit him with her SUV. The councilwoman is Amy DeGise and the cyclist Andrew Black.

Well, he’s suing. And in my view it’s about the dirtiest move the guy could make.

Was he injured? I’ll take his and his doctor’s word on it. But let’s remember how this happened. Take a look at the video.

You’ll see at :45 into the video the light turns red. It is red a full 15 seconds before Black enters the intersection on his bicycle going right through that red light. DeGise had the green.

The accident clearly wouldn’t have happened had the cyclist obeyed the traffic signal as cyclists are supposed to do.

Does that give DeGise freedom to not stop and just keep going? No. She reported the accident six hours later and eventually pled guilty and paid the price. The accident itself should be considered a separate issue.

As far as this guy’s injuries, they were caused by his stupidity, not hers. In what universe is it morally acceptable to file lawsuits against others for injuries you caused yourself?

And this goes to a bigger issue of far too many cyclists ignoring the traffic rules of the road.

We’ve all seen the Lance Armstrong wannabes in their weekend latex riding four abreast across the entire width of travel lanes. That’s unlawful. Yet it happens constantly.

Two months ago I had to slam my brakes on Broad Street in Flemington to not take out a jerk on a bike who never even slowed down at his stop sign.

Cyclists want to share the road and that’s fine, we should, but the ones who want only cars to play by traffic laws are an arrogant problem we don’t need.

The lawsuit, filed by attorney Christopher Karounos, alleges that the councilwoman

allowed her vehicle to be operated and/or maintained in an inattentive, negligent, careless, gross negligent and reckless fashion.

Really? Even though his client was the one going through a red light?

The lawsuit claims Black, who stood right back up and walked around immediately after being hit, was caused “serious and permanent injuries, pain, and shock in and about his mind and body”, which will make him “incapacitated and…. permanently disabled,” and is forcing him to spend “great sums of money” for medical aid and treatment.

Additionally the lawsuit states Black

was and will in the future be obliged to request and obtain the gratuitous services of family members and friends to assist in his convalescence, treatment, and daily routines; and was and will in the future be unable to attend to his usual pursuits and occupations; and suffered additional economic losses.

If his usual daily routines include running red lights then he really doesn’t want me on his jury.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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