Right around the block from me!
#1
Right around the block from me!
A night before a driver pinned Igor Kruk's motorcycle to the back of a sport utility vehicle with his car, killing Kruk in what police are calling a fit of road rage, Kruk had a dream his bike was in pieces on the ground and that he was unable to put it together, his family said yesterday.
The dream was telling him to be careful, Kruk told his friends, and so he did not hesitate to go out on his 2004 Yamaha with a friend later Saturday afternoon. Kruk and his friend Victor Fras were headed east on Front Street when they were passed by a brown Honda Accord. Later, police said, they passed it in turn.
That sent the driver of the car, Patrick DeJean, 41, of Uniondale, into a flurry of road rage, police said. He chased the two motorcycles through the streets of Uniondale with witness reports of speeds going up to 70 mph, until DeJean hit the rear of Kruk's bike on Marvin Avenue, dragging him 150 feet until he was pinned to a parked Kia Sportage, police said.
Kruk's bike exploded into pieces, killing him on impact. DeJean got out of the car, his clothes covered in glass, and tried to run away, according to police. Kruk's friend Fras and several witnesses chased him about a quarter of a mile until they caught him and police arrived.
Kruk, 24, a Polish immigrant, lived with his mother in Uniondale, waking up at 6 a.m. each day to work as a house painter, and polishing and upgrading his motorcycle on the weekend.
This wasn't the first time DeJean hit someone with his car, police said. Four years before, in July 2001, DeJean ran over his then-girlfriend, Michelle Bond, with a car after she refused to lend him money, police said. He pleaded guilty to the charge. Police said he served jail time, but records were unavailable last night.
After the 2001 case, DeJean surrendered his New York driver's license but got a new one in Pennsylvania, police said. Yesterday, as police escorted him to his arraignment at First District Court in Hempstead on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, he had few words.
"I'm sorry," said DeJean, in blue hospital pants and a white and blue gown. "I had an accident."
Relatives of DeJean said police incorrectly described the 2001 charges. Ralph DuVal, his younger brother, said Bond stepped in front of the car after DeJean caught her standing outside in another man's embrace and started to drive away. They said DeJean is also a motorcycle driver and described him as a soft-tempered father of three children who works as an accountant.
Bond could not be reached for comment.
"People who drive cars tend to dislike guys on the motorcycles to go past them," DuVal said outside his home. "But he rides also. That wouldn't occur."
In court, though, Nassau County Assistant District Attorney Bob Biancavilla described cars as DeJean's "weapon of choice." He was ordered held without bail on the current charges.
"This, pure and simple, is a case of road rage," said Det. Sgt. Dennis Barry of the Nassau Homicide Squad. "The scene looked like a war zone.
#3
RE: Right around the block from me!
Here's a link to the story with a picture of the aftermath...
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...cal&id=3475501
I hope that driver goes to jail for a nice long time.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?se...cal&id=3475501
I hope that driver goes to jail for a nice long time.
#4
RE: Right around the block from me!
Chasing someone through the city at 70 mph and then pinning him and his bike against an suv isnt no accident. i cant believe hes being charged with 2nd degree. thats first degree murder and he deserves the death penalty.
#9
RE: Right around the block from me!
hes a one time murder. this is his 2nd time purposly running someone over. it said that his then girlfriend (the first person he hit) was un available for comments so im guessing shes still alive. but still this is his 2nd time purposly using a car as a weapon. he should die the old fashion way. 50 lb weights tied to each ankle and hung.