Officials need to put the brakes on skateboarders who “terrorize” Columbus Circle passers-by, according to a new lawsuit against the city.
Nicholas Cooney, 78, said he was walking by the statue of Christopher Columbus last year when the tricks and displays of the skateboarders and cyclists drew his attention.
“I was distracted, going through looking at these kids and the next thing I knew, I was airborne,” Cooney told The Post.
He walked smack into a post planted in the sidewalk, Cooney said. With dusk falling and no streetlamps lit, it was hard to see, especially with the raucous displays of derring-do diverting him,, he said.
The semi-retired lawyer landed on his face and right hand, injuring his neck and tearing most of the ligaments in his right arm, Cooney said.
He was able to stem his bleeding cuts with a handkerchief and walk to his Central Park South home, visiting his doctor the next day.
“I was a mess for a month, at least,” he said.
He has filed a lawsuit against the city in Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming in court papers the city was negligent by allowing the area “to be occupied by skateboarders and cyclists bouncing off the steps and benches . . . to show off their skills while terrorizing and distracting tourists and pedestrians and threatening the safety of those trying to relax or pass through the island. . . .”
Cooney, who is seeking unspecified damages, says he’s unsure of the extent or permanence of his injuries and that he filed the lawsuit to “preserve his rights.”
“One of the main reasons I even filed was to make sure the people are still aware that this condition exists and to do something about it,” he said.
The city will review the suit when it gets the court papers, a Law Department spokeswoman said.