Pennsylvania Pastor Bashed After He Reveals His Son Was Crippled in Biker Brawl on Manhattan's West Side Highway
NEW YORK - A Pennsylvania pastor is now under fire after he revealed his biker son was crippled by an SUV driver who was injured during a wild attack by a gang of his son's biking colleagues on Manhattan's Westside Highway in New York on Sunday.
The SUV driver, identified in a New York Daily News report as 33-year-old Alexian Lien of lower Manhattan, plowed into the Rev. Edwin E. Mieses' son, Jeremiah Mieses, 26, in a bid to escape an attack from the younger Mieses' biking friends, which was triggered by an earlier fender bender.
A spokesperson from the NYPD's Office of the Deputy Commissioner Public Information (DCPI) confirmed with The Christian Post on Tuesday that they had arrested the biker who allegedly triggered the fender bender that led to the horrific chase and altercation. He is 28-year-old Christopher Cruz.
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According to the Daily News, NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said about 30 motorcyclists were involved in the attack and most of them were riding sport and dirt bikes. After the fender involving Cruz, Lien reportedly stopped his vehicle but the bikers allegedly attacked his vehicle and slash his tires in the process.
The attack prompted Lien to flee from the scene and he plowed into no less than three of the bikers hitting Jeremiah Mieses and breaking both of his legs, according to the Daily News.
"The rider was bleeding out of his mouth and nose even though he had a helmet on," a witness, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily News. "He was conscious but couldn't move at all."
On Monday, Rev. Edwin E. Mieses, who pastors the Good News Church in Hazleton, Pa., posted the haunting news about his son's injuries on Facebook.
"My son is out of surgery thank God now comes dealing with him not able to walk again. However, I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support. I know in whom I have put my trust and my God is a God of miracles. His will be done," the pastor noted in the Facebook post. CP reached out to Pastor Mieses for further comment on Tuesday but he did not reply to requests for interviews at press time.
In a Chatango feed on his church's website, however, some commenters implied that the pastor's son deserved what he got and deserves no sympathy.
"Your comments implicitly supporting the vicious attack on a family by your biker thug son bring disgrace to God and the whole body of Christ. For shame," wrote commenter Anon6394.
"I wonder if the outcome would have been different if your son had been courageous enough to defend the man and his family who were attacked rather than blocking his vehicle. This is an unfortunate occurrence that should not have happened. If the motorcycle riders were simply riding with good intentions there would have been no altercation," wrote commenter Anon6248.
"I suppose operating motor vehicles without license plates gives insight to the motivations and intentions of the motorcycle riders. I will pray for all of them that they may find God and for the family whom they terrorized and brutalized. I will pray for your son that he recovers well enough to learn the error of his ways and to make a better contribution to our society in the future," the commenter added.
