A New Jersey City councilwoman is resisting calls to resign after she allegedly struck a cyclist with her SUV and sped away. The Jersey City Mayor’s Office released surveillance videos capturing the moment that a Nissan Rogue, driven by councilwoman Amy DeGise, plowed into a cyclist who ran a red light.
DeGise did not stop to check on the cyclist and sped away from the scene. She did report the accident to the police about six hours later and was charged with failure to report the accident and leaving the scene.
The cyclist, Andrew Black, was taken to the hospital but was not seriously injured in the crash. He told NBC News that he is experiencing pain throughout his body.
“This hurts a lot physically and mentally,” he said. “It gave me some anxiety.”
A petition calling for DeGise to resign in the wake of her actions has amassed over 1,500 signatures as of Friday (July 29) evening.
“The word I use is horrified, that’s how I felt watching the video,” said councilmember James Solomon, who was one of the first people to sign the petition, according to WNBC. “She’s an elected official, and we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and that’s why I think she should resign.”
Despite the demands for her to step down, she has refused.
“Councilwoman DeGise was elected overwhelmingly just a few months ago, and she has no intention of walking away from the commitment she made to serve the people of Jersey City,” said her spokesman, Phil Swibinski.
“Amy recognizes the calls that have been made for additional information and transparency,” he added. “She would very much like to address this situation more comprehensively, but there is a legal process that must play out first, and she will not be making any additional public comment at this time.”
