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Gloria Allred: Critically Injured Dirt Biker Is "A Human Being Who Has A Heart"
By
Lauren Evans
Published Oct 4, 2013
Modified Oct 5, 2013
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By
Lauren Evans
Published Oct 4, 2013
Modified Oct 5, 2013
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Celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred held a press conference today to defend Edwin Mieses, Jr., the dirt biker run over on Sunday by a panicked SUV driver during what devolved into a violent motorcyclist-versus-motorist melee.
Allred, who entered the room clutching the hand of Dayana Mejia, Mieses's long-term partner and mother of their two children, told reporters that her client was only trying to diffuse a testy situation when he approached the Range Rover driven by Alexian Lien, immediately following a fender bender with another biker participating in the group ride. Mieses had his back turned to the car when Lien hit the gas, crushing him. "To top it off he has been pilloried in the press and in the public eye as though he deserved to be run over in the street," Allred said.
"Let us not lose sight of the fact that Mr. Mieses had done nothing to Mr. Lien," Allred told the assembled media. "He wished them no harm. He was walking away from the SUV when he was run over. Are people so blinded by their fears and prejudices in this case that they cannot see that before anyone laid a hand on Mr. Lien, that Edwin Mieses was run over and left severely injured? Where is the justice in that?"
Mieses, who has since been brought out of a medically-induced coma and is able to communicate, will nevertheless likely be paralyzed for life. His wife Dayana told reporters that Mieses has been a wonderful husband and father to their children.
"Until he was run over by this SUV, he has been there for our two children every single day—literally," she said. "He is the best father I know. And he would give the shirt off his back to anyone. It tears me up that anyone could think that Edwin in any way deserves what happened to him."
Allred and Mejia insisted that crucifying Mieses for his enjoyment of riding dirt bikes is unfair and prejudiced. They declined to comment on recent findings that Mieses was riding without a license, arguing that he had parked his bike on the side of the road before approaching Lien's car. "He was not on a bike, he was not in a car—he was standing," Allred said.
"He is not a member of any gang," she said. "He loves to ride motorbikes and came to New York City with his best friend to participate in a ride—nothing more."
Tagged
biker vs. SUV
dirt bike rampage
dirt bikes
edwin mieses
gloria allred
motorcycle rally road rage
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Lauren Evans
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