14 DAY TRIAL // A man who police believe may have caused a chain reaction, leading to two men getting injured during a biker rally in NYC last week, proclaims his innocence.
Christopher Cruz speaks out in an interview for the very first time. He is the rider who positioned his bike in front of Alexian Lien's Range Rover, forcing him to stop.
Lien was quickly surrounded by other riders when he clipped Cruz. He panicked and tried to flee, running over one of them and sending him to the hospital with spinal injuries which may cause permanent paralysis.
"I never had intentions to slow him down or cause any type of problems," Cruz tells ABC News.
He claims that he is not responsible for Lien speeding up and getting followed and beaten up. Police have charged him with reckless endangerment and unlawful imprisonment, for allegedly leaving the driver no way out of the situation.
"It has turned my life upside down," the car wash worker and father of two notes.
He has been caught on camera slowing down in front of Lien and virtually causing him to stop.
"I was trying to get his attention to make sure he sees me before I pulled in front of him. [...] He never looked back at me," he says.
He explained that his intentions were to make sure that Lien was aware of the fact that he will be riding in front of him, prompting the motorist to drive slower.
"[It was] never my intention to make him stop. [...] I didn't think I was doing anything wrong with just turning into another lane. The other bikes are going as slow as I am.
"I wanted them to pull in front so I could follow them. I didn't brake but when I looked over my shoulder, my hand came off the throttle a little, but the driver didn't slow down at all and bumped me," Cruz adds.
Meanwhile, police have arrested a fourth man in the attack. Craig Wright is facing gang assault charges for putting in the first punches in the brawl.
