Man Seriously Injured By Fishing Line Strung Across Street In Dyker Heights
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Residents and police are wondering if a prankster is targeting innocent people on a sidewalk in Brooklyn after a man had to get stitches over something he could barely see.
When Tao Cheung, of California, decided to pay a visit to his sister in Dyker Heights, the last thing he expected was a trip to the emergency room, CBS2's Mark Morgan reported.
Cheung and his sister were walking her dog around 7 p.m. Sunday on a dark sidewalk when one of the leashes got caught on a wire.
"After I untangled the dog, a truck drove by and caught the wire and yanked it off my hand. And the next thing I knew, blood was gushing out of my hand," he said.
Cheung rushed to the hospital, where he required seven stitches to close the wound.
"When the blood stopped bleeding, I could see bones. It was pretty deep," he said.
Cheung said the fishing line appeared to be strung across Cropsey Avenue, plunging diagonally from a pole down to the street -- a virtual booby trap set to ensnare unsuspecting pedestrians.
Earlier that same day, Cheung said he and his sister found another fishing line strung up in the neighborhood. They wound the line up and threw it away.
Several residents in the neighborhood were stunned to hear about the apparent traps.
"It's unbelievable that somebody would even do that. People could get hurt. People could get killed," said Donna Viola.
"People should just be aware that kids come here to play and stuff like that, and you shouldn't do things like that," said Kimberly Law.
Cheung said he has no feeling in the tip of his finger, but he understands it could have been much worse.
"If I would have grabbed the wire differently, I would have lost all my fingers," he said.
Cheung's injury is a grim reminder that what may seem like a prank, can have serious consequences, Morgan reported.
Police said a complaint was filed, which is being investigated by the 62nd Precinct.