One New Yorker’s proposal on the Brooklyn Bridge accidentally turned into a very New York moment when a cyclist crashed into a photographer.
Chris Vigo brought girlfriend Angelina Rivera to the iconic location for what he said was a photoshoot. When they got there, she turned around – and saw Vigo down on one knee.
“I was so surprised,” said Rivera.
However, after that is when it takes a slight turn. Vigo, a meticulous planner, had asked his friend Josh Rosario to document the romantic moment on the pedestrian walkway on Sept. 18. As Vigo prepared to pop the question, Rosario stepped out into bike traffic to get the perfect shot – and got plowed into by a bicyclist.
“I bit the inside of my lip but I wanted to keep good composure,” said Rosario.
The photographer friend was seeing stars, but the couple barely missed a beat, starry-eyed with joy.
“I thought, am I going to wait for her to say yes, or help him up? So I waited for her to say yes,” said Vigo with a laugh.
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Eric Choi, the cyclist, tells NBC New York said he was glad no one was seriously injured but he wants more people to be aware of the bike lanes.
"A couple of bikes passed before me and then [Rivera] jumped out right before me just as I was passing. So I slammed on the break and ran into him but luckily no one got hurt," Choi said.
"Everyone was so absorbed by what they were doing and not really paying attention to what was happening around them. Honestly, I was super annoyed in the moment but I also fully recognize that they were having a special day," he continued.
The situation could’ve been worse for Rosario. The video went on to record a man in a cowboy hat speed by on a moped just a few seconds later. Within hours, Rosario posted the proposal online and it went viral because of the crash.
“It’s so classic New York, everyone on their way,” said Vigo.
The edited version of the engagement video clips out the part about the bike crash — but the happy couple says they’ll never forget it. The wedding is planned for 2021, and Rosario will be there, and maybe this time will bring a helmet, just in case.
