potrero view

July 2010

Attack on Bicyclists Claims Four Victims, Two in Potrero

By Regina Anavy

On June 4, four bicyclists were mowed down by a driver in a six-minute rampage that extended from 22nd and Harrison streets to 17th and Missouri streets. One of the victims, Potrero Hill resident Rory Madden, was immediately released after treatment.  The three other victims – all adult males whose names hadn’t been made public at the time of publication – were hospitalized for several days at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH).  According to Rachael Kagan, SFGH’s director of communications, the victims, who have all been discharged, suffered broken bones and contusions, and were expected to recover completely.

San Francisco Police Department Lieutenant Lyn Tomioka told reporters that the victims “appear to have been targeted, although we don’t know if the driver knew them or if he just had an issue with bicycles.” The driver crashed and abandoned his vehicle, a Nissan SUV, at 17th and Missouri streets, and ran from the scene, leaving behind his identification.  He was arrested after he walked into a police station in the City of Albany to file a complaint that he’d been car-jacked in San Francisco.

Four days after the incident David Mark Clark, 39, was arraigned in criminal court with his hands cuffed behind his back.  The prosecutor, Elliott Beckelman, requested $4 million bail:  $1 million for each victim. The judge, acknowledging the seriousness of the offense – 11 felony counts, including four counts of attempted murder, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon and three counts of battery causing serious bodily injury – denied bail.

Outside the courtroom, Clark’s attorney, Brendan Conroy, told reporters, “Obviously my client has mental health issues. He is being held in a psychiatric facility pending finalization of his arraignment.”  Conroy acknowledged having “met the defendant before today,” but claimed he knew nothing more about the case. When asked whether he’d been hired by the defendant or his family, he declined to comment.

“I have no problem with the judge changing my request for bail to no bail,” said Beckelman.  “I am anticipating a mental health defense. This is not unusual in cases of overwhelming evidence. The defendant is charged with four counts of attempted murder. He used a deadly weapon with purposeful intent; using a car is just as deadly as any other weapon. There are lots of witnesses, and they will testify.” As for the motive behind Clark’s attack on the bicyclists, “I have no idea. People are curious about this, but when you look at what happened, it’s obvious that this was the conduct of someone who was very angry.”  Clark “knew the difference between right and wrong, as there was a purposeful attempt to shift blame by reporting that his car had been hijacked.”  On June 17, Clark pleaded not guilty to all charges.  

Clark has no prior criminal history or traffic violations.  He was working as a tennis instructor in the East Bay, and claimed to be a “master spiritual healer,” who, according to his online promotion, “is a Reiki Master, Priest in the Order of Melchezidek, and Crystal therapist. After an energetic awakening in 2006, David has committed his life to the service of others through healing. He has been highly successful in treating a wide range of ailments….” Clark purported to be a practitioner of Vibrational Energy Therapy and is a member of the Association for Thought Field Therapy. His former landlady referred to him as an “avid bicyclist.”  

 “We are saddened to hear about this tragic incident; it is a rare occurrence,” said Renée Rivera, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s acting executive director. “The good news is that the rate of collisions is decreasing, and more people are riding bicycles. The City has made improvements along Market Street, for example, where there are special bike lanes, painted green and separated from motorists by plastic bollards. There have been no bike fatalities in the City this year, as opposed to one last year. We encourage bike riders to take the free classes we offer on safe and predictable biking in San Francisco.”

 Subscribe to The Potrero View

All rights reserved. Copyright © 2006 The Potrero View.

Content on this site may not be archived, retransmitted, saved in a database, or used for any commercial purpose without the express written permission of The Potrero View or its Publishers.