A New Jersey councilwoman reportedly hit a cyclist with her car, knocking him off his bike, then drove away without stopping, according to footage.
Jersey City councilwoman Amy DeGise was captured on camera slamming into Andrew Black on July 19, throwing him over the vehicle’s hood to fall to the ground, according to nj.com.
I look left, suddenly I just hear ‘Ba[m].’ I get hit,” said Black, a 29-year-old UberEats deliveryman. “I roll over and I’m in such pain”.
In the video, Black sits up after hitting the ground and rolling. He was then able to stand up as DeGise drove away from the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Forrest Street in a Nissan Rogue.
Black was left with a small laceration and back and ankle pain. Although grateful the accident didn’t cause major injuries, he said “the incident has already caused increased anxiety,” reported hudpost.com.
The surveillance camera footage appears to show Black riding through a red light at the time. DeGise reportedly had the right of way, but was given a summons for leaving the scene of an accident and not reporting it.
Black said he has hired an attorney, Brandon Broderick, and is considering suing the councilwoman.
“I’m not going out for vengeance or anything like that,” Black said. “I just want justice”.
A GoFundMe for Black raised nearly $300 of the $10,000 goal by Thursday afternoon. His bike was wrecked in the accident, so he has not been able to do his job.
DeGise is now facing calls for her resignation but her spokesperson said she does not plan to do so.
“Councilwoman DeGise was elected overwhelmingly just a few months ago and she has no intention of walking away from the commitment she made to serve the people of Jersey City,” said Phil Swibinski, according to New Jersey Globe.
DeGise “is thankful that no one was seriously injured and she fully intends to speak out more when the legal process is concluded,” the spokesman added.
