18-Year-Old Arrested and Charged in Connection With New York City Bike Rally Demonstrators Struck by SUV

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Over the weekend, a group of organizers put together a “Justice Ride” protest in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, N.Y. The demonstration was abruptly disrupted after a motorist plowed into the crowd of bicyclists and fled the scene. Police have now arrested and charged a teenager in connection to the incident in which a witness claimed he accelerated before hitting the crowd and yelled a racial slur as he drove away.

ABC 7 reports that 18-year-old Victor Kent is currently in custody and is charged with assault and leaving the scene of an accident. At least two participants in the rally were struck by an SUV Kent is accused of driving.

From ABC 7:

The incident was reported just after 7 p.m. Saturday on 25th Street and Fifth Avenue, where at least one witness claimed the black SUV accelerated while approaching the bikers. That witness also said a passenger in the SUV shouted a racial slur before leaving the scene.

One of the victims is a 19-year-old who was riding with her father at the time of the incident. Allison, who did not want to use her last name, spoke out about what happened on Monday.

“I looked back behind me, and I could see the car coming right at me,” she said. “And it hit me and just kept going.”

The other rider who was thrown refused treatment, but Allison was taken to Bellevue Hospital and may have a fractured heel.

Her helmet was scratched and her bike frame was warped.

Allison also said that the incident seemed intentional and that she felt terrorized.

“I saw that they were coming for me, it made me terrified of what was going to happen, if I was going to survive,” she said, ABC reports. She also told reporters that she will be pressing charges, but she won’t be riding anymore as she no longer feels safe doing so.

Witnesses also said the driver had gotten into a verbal argument with protesters prior to the crash, according to ABC.