EYE WITNESS VIDEO: Were OccupyDC Demonstrators Intentionally Run-down?
USLaw.com video analysis shows that contrary to police statements, the silver Lexus that plowed in to at least three pedestrians outside of the Americans for Prosperity’s Ronald Reagan Tribute Dinner last night at the Washington, DC Convention Center may not have been, as reported by DC Police Lieutenant Christopher Micciche, facing a green light while on L Street . Also shown in the video is apparent pedestrian cross-walk sign feet from car strike.
The iPhone 4S video analyzed by USLaw.com captured the incident within 3-5 seconds of the car strike which was said by the videographer to have loudly echoed under the skybridge. While it is unclear exactly how much time transpired between the driver’s decision to move his car towards the L & Ninth Street intersection and when the traffic light was last green, the distance between the car and the fact that light is red not yellow at the beginning of the video seems to suggest that it may not have been green at the time of the pedestrian strike— once more information is obtained about the specific timing cycle of that street light, we will be able to exactly determine the color of the light signal at the time of impact.
Perhaps more pertinent to the determination of blame, the car strike occurs feet from a pedestrian cross walk sign— an area in which pedestrians have a significantly greater right of way than usual and near which drivers are instructed to be most cautious.
There are conflicting reports about whether the pedestrians purposely jumped on the car and/or whether the driver “gassed” his accelerator in an attempt to have the pedestrians disperse and/or to gain the speed necessary to intentionally hit them. The Pittsburg State student and banquet attendee who captured this video believes the woman who was struck by the car had jumped on the hood of the vehicle while it was stopped in front of the harassing protesters. While he was unable to determine the driver’s intent, he did suggest the protesters had created an atmosphere of fear and physical intimidation in the vicinity.
The driver was not arrested, has not been charged, and no charges are currently contemplated accordingly to Lt. Micciche’s statement. Three injured pedestrians were taken to a local hospital, another was cited.
UPDATE #1: Some have commented that driver ought to be cited for leaving scene of accident. Such determination is difficult at his time. Driver was interviewed by police. USLaw.com has not yet learned the circumstances of police interview and credible case could potentially be made that so long as driver intended to immediate identify himself and as there were plenty of other people on hand to render medical assistance, driver needed to distance himself to safer location given the hostility of the crowd in the vicinity.
VIDEO SOURCE: Caleb Hays.
OTHER SOURCES: LiveLeak, The Washington Post, OccupyDC.org, and myFOXdc (via Associated Press).
