NY SUV Driver's Wife: We Were in 'Grave Danger'

The driver of an SUV involved in a bloody weekend confrontation with a
throng of motorcyclists was put in grave danger and feared for the life of
his family when he drove through the crowd, striking a biker on the
street, his wife said Thursday.

Rosalyn Ng said in a statement that she and her husband, Alexian Lien, had
been planning to celebrate their wedding anniversary with their 2-year-old
daughter on Sunday afternoon, but instead they were swarmed by a
motorcycle rally on Manhattan's West Side Highway.

Dozens of bikers rode alongside the couple's black Range Rover until a
biker slowed down and the vehicles bumped, police said. Video captured at
the scene shows the SUV surrounded by dozens of helmeted riders. One
approaches the vehicle and peers into the driver's side window. Police
said others tried to damage the SUV before Lien takes off, plowing over a
rider. The bikers give chase and Lien is eventually stopped, pulled from
the SUV and beaten, police said. He required stitches.

"We were faced with a life-threatening situation, and my husband was
forced under the circumstances to take the actions that he did in order to
protect the lives of our entire family," Ng said.

She said her family's sympathies went out to the injured rider, 32-year-
old Edwin Mieses Jr., who broke both legs and suffered spinal injuries
that may leave him paralyzed — but there was no other option than to flee.

"Our fear for our lives was confirmed when the incident ended with the
ruthless and brutal attack on my husband, me, and, most importantly, our
2-year-old child," Ng said. "We know in our hearts that we could not have
done anything differently, and we believe that anyone faced with this sort
of grave danger would have taken the same course of action in order to
protect their family."

Mieses' friends and family held a rally for him Wednesday evening outside
of St. Luke's-Roosevelt hospital and have said that the Lawrence, Mass.-
resident, known as Jay Meezee, is the true victim. Jaime Reyes said his
friend was doing well, all things considered.

"Hopefully I get to see him walk again and ride again and share special
moments with him again," he said. "But for right now, we're all just
praying for him and thinking positive that he's going to pull through and
make it through this."

Mieses was recently arrested in Andover, Mass., for driving with a revoked
license. According to police and records with the Massachusetts Registry
of Motor Vehicles, Mieses hasn't had a valid license or permit to drive in
the state since 1999. He also never applied for a motorcycle license.

The records show that in June he was named a habitual offender and his
right to drive in the state was revoked until 2017. It isn't clear if he
had been licensed in any other state. His attorney had no comment.

Mieses and the others seen on the video were participating in a periodic
rally in which more than 1,000 bikers head for Times Square, police have
said. There were dozens of calls about reckless driving, 15 other arrests
and 55 motorcycles confiscated.

The Manhattan district attorney's office has charged one rider, 28-year-
old Christopher Cruz, of Passaic, N.J., with unlawful imprisonment and
reckless driving while authorities continue to search for other cyclists.

Investigators and prosecutors, who held off charging another person, are
tracking down and talking to dozens of helmet-clad motorcyclists seen in
the video, which was posted online. The video shows only the chase and
Lien's window getting smashed; the assault is not captured.

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