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Hit-And-Run Driver Who Struck Bicyclist Charged With DWI
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 30, 2011
Modified Jan 30, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 30, 2011
Modified Jan 30, 2011
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Police charged a driver with a DWI, plus vehicular assault and leaving the scene of an accident, after he struck a delivery man on Friday night. Ricardo Gonzalez had been biking up Eighth Avenue when he was struck from behind by Clark Gettiner, who was in a Lexus. According to the Post, Gettinger, 40, "struck Gonzalez with so much force Friday night that he was thrown from his bike and skidded 20 feet down slush-soaked Eighth Avenue before ending up beneath a double-parked BMW."
Gettinger allegedly continued driving up Eighth Avenue until cops stopped him at 50th Street. A police source told City Room, "He was stopped by patrol officers based on information provided by eyewitnesses. The vehicle was observed with damage to the front passenger-side windshield, and the driver was positively identified by witnesses at the scene." You can see the cracked-up windshield of Gettinger's Lexus here. Gettinger, whose dead father owned the car, is being held on $50,000 bail. The Post notes, "Gettinger's dad, Robert, was one of the original Madoff investors in 1973 -- and a close family friend of the mega-scammer. The family's losses included a $3 million trust fund for his sons, reports said."
FDNY's Engine 54 and Ladder 4 happened to be right by the BMW SUV where Gonzalez was trapped. A FDNY spokesman said that people " were pounding on the door to alert the firefighters" and firefighters managed to lift the vehicle up. Gonzalez is in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital.
Tagged
bicyclist
bmw
clark gettinger
dwi
eighth avenue
hit and run
lexus
manhattan
ricardo gonzalez
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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