Bodycam Footage Released In Jersey City Councilwoman's Crash With Bicyclist

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Two days after video was made public of a Jersey City councilwoman hitting a bicyclist in an intersection, bodycam footage was released of the police attending to the bicyclist afterward, who tells the police that he had called 911 for medical treatment.

In the video, posted by Hudson County View Thursday morning, the victim discusses the incident with police, who tell them that area cameras likely caught pictures of the vehicle that hit him.

Councilwoman Amy DeGise was summonsed last Tuesday, July 19, for leaving the scene of a crash at the intersection shortly before 8 a.m.

This week, various videos released of the incident — which shows the cyclist flipping over her SUV, and DeGise continuing to drive — have sparked new criticism of DeGise.

Two council members and two Jersey City street safety groups called on her to resign on Wednesday. Others are asking residents to address the incident at the council's next meeting in August.

On Wednesday, Ward F Councilman Frank Gilmore stated, "After carefully reviewing the CCTV footage, considering a council member hit an individual with her SUV, and left the scene without checking on the individual am calling for the resignation of Council member DeGise. These behaviors are not indicative of someone in elected office."

A petition started by a resident on Tuesday night, July 26, asking DeGise to resign, had garnered more than 550 signatures by Thursday morning.

According to the police report, last Tuesday morning at 7:58 a.m., a man "was riding his bicycle south bound on MLK Drive going through the green light on Forrest St. when he was struck by a vehicle going east that he described as a black SUV. Mr. [redacted] had a complaint of pain to his left ankle and a laceration to his right leg. Mr. [redacted] stated he did not observe who was operating the vehicle."

(Video actually shows that the bicyclist went through a red light.)

After the man was taken to Jersey City Medical Center, the officers watched surveillance cameras in the area, "and the vehicle came back to a black Nissan Rogue registered to a Amy DeGise," the report says.

DeGise was issued two summonses for failure to report an accident and leaving the scene of an accident, the report says.

DeGise is a councilwoman-at-large, a political "rising star" in the county, and the daughter of Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise. According to NJ.com, she was widely considered a possible mayoral candidate in 2025 if Mayor Steven Fulop declines to seek re-election.

DeGise has declined to comment extensively, but said in NJ.com, "I acknowledge this unfortunate event yesterday and I'm thankful that no one was seriously hurt."

At some point, she went to police and reported the incident, but the details are still "murky," NJ.com noted Thursday.

The video shows a cyclist going through a red light, after which he's struck by a vehicle. He and his bike flip over the car. He then limps to the sidewalk. The vehicle continues along.

The crash between the car and bicyclist can be seen at 1:00 in his video.

Bodycam footage shows police asking if he hit his head, but he points out that he was wearing a helmet.