Video shows near miss between BMX rider, pickup truck

<p>A group of young bicyclists clashed with a driver on Park Avenue in Babylon Saturday, and the encounter was caught on video.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Apr 27, 2018, 2:26 AM

Updated 2,191 days ago

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A group of young bicyclists clashed with a driver on Park Avenue in Babylon Saturday, and the encounter was caught on video.
The camera appears to have been worn by one rider in a group of BMX bikers. 
One of the kids is riding in the middle of the street. An approaching pickup truck crosses the double yellow lines and narrowly avoids a collision with the bicyclist.
Then the group of young people encircle the pickup, and at least one of them punches the truck bed. 
The driver hits the gas and speeds off with the BMX riders just a few inches away.
Police say the incident left damage on the truck.
Some drivers in the area say that they often see BMX riders in the road.
"I mean, they're pretty respectful," says Phil Vacchio, of West Islip. "When I see them, I tell them to be safe."
Henry Shephard Jr., 16, says he and his friends from Central Islip High School also like riding their bikes after school. 
"We're not doing anything bad," he says. "We're not doing drugs or anything like that. We're just chilling, riding bikes, and that's it."
Shephard's dad says there are no bicycle lanes in Central Islip or anywhere else where kids are allowed to ride safely. So they stick to the streets.
Henry Shephard Sr. says the kids who hit the truck were in the wrong, but he also says drivers should be careful around children on bikes.
Police say it's against the law for anyone to block the road.


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