WITNESS CLAIMS MOTORCYCLIST IN DEADLY CRASH ‘WANTED TO RUN AWAY’
In a video posted on YouTube, a witness to last Thursday’s deadly motorcycle crash recounted what happened and said the motorcyclist “wanted to run away” after the crash.
Parts of the audio are a little unclear, but the witness recounted the moment of the crash as local artist Thomas McAnulty was crossing 96th street from South to North and the Eastbound motorcyclist hit him. The motorcyclist did stay on the scene after the crash, police said (the witness in the video indicates that he made sure he remained on the scene). McAnulty was pronounced dead on Saturday.
As of earlier this week, no one had been arrested and the investigation was ongoing. The video was first posted on Gothamist. McAnulty’s family has asked for any more tips about the crash from witnesses.
The video, which we’ve posted below, does show the blood at the scene and could be too graphic for some readers.
A small but significant detail: by all appearances, the cyclist was traveling east, not west.
Also, I think it unfair to imply the cyclist, who is pictured and whose license plate is shown, was leaving the scene based on this clip, which is extremely ambiguous. While she does appear to utter the words attributed to her, this video is so difficult to decipher that I think some more journalistic caution would be appropriate.
Too graphic for some readers? Yes, it is. Do we really need to see this poor man’s blood on the street? Do we?
Don’t look. That’s why there was a warning for you.
This corner always freaks me out. They should install the wait light for cars turning east from amsterdam. It’s really bad at 5pm.
Artnet News: Tributes Pour In for Beloved Sculptor and Art Professor Killed in New York
https://news.artnet.com/people/tom-mcanulty-killed-in-car-crash-409439
It should also be noted that the pedestrian was cross against the light. When I drive down Amsterdam I always go SUPER slowly. Why? Because there are tons of people who jaywalk. If I drove even 5 mph faster, I would hit someone. Anyone who’s not familiar with this area and just going a normal speed, by the time you come upon someone who’s jay-walking, it’s sadly too late. It really boggles my mind why, after all the accidents in this area, people continue to jay walk.
Not good to be driving down Amsterdam at any speed south of 110th, since it’s one way northbound.
You do not know if the pedestrian was crossing against the light or not, the police have not completed their investigation. Please show kindness and restraint, this accident is a tragedy.
The WSR reported in an earlier story that the motorcycle had a green light according to police.
Unnamed police officers are always making speculative comments before they investigate crashes, which is highly irresponsible of them. Until they know what happened, they shouldn’t spread rumors to the press. More often than not, these rumors blame the victim, and frequently turn out to be incorrect.
The pedestrian was crossing 96th Street, not Amsterdam Avenue.
The man (not a woman!) who spoke- the witness- lives in my building-160 west 96 st- if anyone needs to find him to ask him more questions-
Thanks, fixed.
snitch
The male witness lives in 150 (not 160) west 96th street.
Why are you posting a person’s address?
Why oh why didn’t you just post a link to the video and not show a scene of that horrible video itself? It’s too graphic is right! Very upsetting. The poor man.
What is the point in posting this story at all WSR? Even if the motorcyclists wanted to flee (and we have only the videographers word on that, we don’t know the motorcyclists side) he did not. Wanting to leave the scene is not a crime. The police know who he is. They have and are still investigating.
Totally agree. Posting a headline saying “he wanted to leave” is 100% conjecture. He didn’t leave, and that is all that matters.
Like how this ‘witness’ takes credit for stopping the motorcyclist from leaving. Then later in the video he says in Spanish that the motorcyclist was drunk as he appeared disoriented.
Regardless of who is at fault, a tragic accident.
Deputy Inspector Larin, head of NYPD 24th Pct, said Wednesday that the motorcyclist passed a breath test at the scene and had “no alcohol in his system.”
The witness looks kind of like the character of Death in The Seventh Seal. Perhaps that’s not a coincidence…