Seattle Critical Mass Violence Follow Up

From a deep operative -

This story is very important to me because I like to ride. Its a daily thing with me. How cyclists are treated and viewed is relevant. If America was a tad wiser, there would be more bikes out there, in many more cities.

The Seattle Times: Why did violence erupt at Critical Mass ride in Seattle?

According to Jamieson, witnesses told officers that as the Critical Mass group moved down the street blocking traffic, some riders got in the way of the Subaru and prevented it from leaving. Some bikers sat on the car and were banging on it, he said.

"The driver was pretty fearful that he was about to be assaulted by the bicyclists," Jamieson said.

According to police, the man tried to back up but bumped into a cyclist. "This enraged the group," Jamieson said.

Several of the cyclists bashed up the Subaru, shattering the windshield and rear window, Jamieson said.

The driver, whose name and age were not released, tried to drive away but hit another bicyclist, Jamieson said. Still, he drove about a block, to Aloha and 15th Avenue East, before the Critical Mass riders cornered the car and started spitting on it and banging against it, Jamieson said.

One bicyclist punched the driver through his open window, and another used a knife to slash the Subaru's tires, Jamieson said.

The driver got out of his car, was hit in the back of the head and suffered a large gash, police said.

The driver was taken to a hospital. His injuries were not life-threatening, Jamieson said, and his girlfriend wasn't hurt. The bicyclists didn't suffer any serious injuries, Jamieson said.

Then there is the side of the bikers -

..some riders who said they were in the Critical Mass ride characterized the Subaru driver as the aggressor. They said the driver was impatient about waiting for the huge group of riders and yelled that he was late for a reservation.

Ryan McElroy, 25, of Bellevue, was riding with the group and witnessed the incident. Later, he said that the driver was under no threat from the bicyclists when he drove into them.

"He snapped. He deliberately hit the gas," McElroy said. The driver accelerated into two cyclists, pushing one of them across the street and under the car, and then ran the left front tire of his car over the cyclist's leg, he said.

Tom Braun, 36, of Seattle, said the Subaru ran over his right leg. His bicycle was damaged beyond repair, he said, and he ended up in the emergency room. He suffered no broken bones, and was released, but is being monitored for possible internal injuries.

Braun said he first saw the driver of the Subaru "screaming at cyclists to get out of the way."

Some cyclists were explaining that everyone was nearly past, but the driver yelled about being late for an appointment, and drove directly into the crowd of cyclists, he said.

The front right side of the car struck Braun and dragged him along with his bike as he hung onto the front of the car, he said.

Then the driver ran over his leg and bike, and sped down Aloha, he said.