OAKLAND — In a series of incidents in the East Bay where bicyclists crashed into cars, at least 12 people were hit and two were hospitalized. However, the victims claim that they were not accidental.
Ellie Mead, a victim of the attacks, said she was riding her bike in Rockridge when a passenger in a passing car opened the car door. With no room to maneuver, Mead crashed into it and fell.
“I just hit him with my bike, I fell off my bike,” he said. “Kind of registered that I was on the ground. This car drove off and as it drove away I heard them laughing.”
Mead was on his way to an East Bay Bike Party riding event in Rockridge.
“It really makes your skin crawl just to think that they were just driving us around chasing us and grabbing us,” he added.
Mead believes the attack on her was unprovoked and that she was not the only victim.
“I think it’s really important for everyone to connect the dots here and it’s not just like another bike and car incident. It’s a pattern of attacks. I’m really concerned that whoever did this – they’re going to steal another car tonight and go back to do it. I’m worried they’ll do it at the next bike fest,” he said.
The East Bay Bike Party estimates that more than 30 people have been attacked, with 12 injured and 2 hospitalized with serious injuries.
According to Mingwei Samuel, a volunteer with the organization, “We first learned about a type of incident on Friday night and it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. When we posted the incident on Saturday, we started to have a flood. about people experiencing similar things.”
Mead needed eight stitches for the gash above her eye and suffered numerous cuts and bruises. She no longer feels safe to ride and just wants to know why this happened.
“What those kids did was really unforgivable and I would really like to know who they are and look them in the eye. I think it would be helpful for my own sense of closure,” Mead said.
The East Bay Bike Party later discovered that the silver sedan used in some of the attacks had been reported stolen. The cases are being handled by both the Oakland and Berkeley police departments.
