Up Close: Motorcycle road rage incident

NEW YORK (WABC) -- It started as a traffic altercation in Upper Manhattan, but it quickly escalated into a violent attack by an out of control mob of bikers.

We are all familiar by now with the video posted on YouTube that went viral, and it infuriated millions.

A couple out for a ride to celebrate their wedding anniversary, their young daughter in the back seat, when suddenly they found themselves surrounded by an angry group of motorcyclists on the West Side Highway near the George Washington Bridge.

The confrontation ended with the driver beaten, and one of the bikers in a hospital with spinal fractures, run over by the panicked driver as he tried to get away.

So far, seven people, including an undercover but off-duty New York cop who was riding with the bikers, have been arrested and charged in the assault.

Police are looking for at least four more people they want to question.

Residents living in Upper Manhattan where the incident took place have complained about these large motorcycle groups in the past, speeding through their neighborhoods, even riding on sidewalks.

Some local lawmakers now want to crackdown on reckless riders.

Joining us this week: City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who represents Upper Manhattan, including Washington Heights, and Mark Levine, who won the Democratic primary and is expected to take the council seat representing Upper Manhattan.

Also with us to help understand the legal challenges involved in the case is David Schwartz, a former prosecutor with the Brooklyn District Attorney's office.

Finally, we'll speak with Frank Fusaro, the president of Columbus Citizens Foundation. They are the organizers of the 69th annual Columbus Day Parade in Manhattan, the largest celebration of Italian heritage and culture in the world, seen on Channel 7.

Watch Up Close with Diana Williams every Sunday morning at 11:00 on Channel 7.

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