Woman arrested after mob of dirt bike riders pulls motorist out of car and beats her in Rhode Island attack

Rhode Island motorist left ‘shaken and injured’ after being beaten by dirt bike riders as 8-year-old watches on

A woman has been arrested after a female motorist was dragged from her car and brutally beaten by a mob of dirt bike riders in Rhode Island.

The shocking attack is the latest incident of what lawmakers are calling a crimewave in the state capitol of Providence, prompting calls for State Troopers to be deployed to quell the violence.

The driver, 35, honked her horn at a group of 10 dirt bike and ATV riders at traffic lights in Providence just after 11pm on Tuesday night.

According to a report from the Providence Police Department, the gang pursued her, surrounding her vehicle and dragging her from the car.

Footage of the incident captured on cellphone shows one of the mob holding her on the ground by her hair and punching her in the head as she lay prone.

Police said an 8-year-old girl was in the car and watched the attack unfold.

The bikers fled the scene, prompting a manhunt by Providence Police Department.

On Thursday evening, Providence Police said they had arrested Shyanne Boisvert, 24, in relation to the assault.

Ms Boisvert was charged with one count of simple assault and one count of disorderly conduct and is expected to appear in court in the next few days.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza told ABC News the motorist had been left “shaken and injured”.

Mr Elorza said the number of people riding illegal dirt bikes in Providence had grown in recent years, partiuclarly during the summer months.

At the same time, Providence has experienced a wave of violent crime in 2021.

Last month, a 20-year-old man was shot in his backyard, the 12th homicide in Providence this year.

In May, nine people were wounded during a shootout between rival gangs in the southeastern Providence suburb of Washington Park.

The President of the Providence City Council, John Igliozzi, last week wrote to Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee requesting that he deploy State Troopers in the city.

“This wave of violent crime is unacceptable, and we need to act immediately to restore public safety and make our city’s residents once again feel safe walking and sitting outside in their own neighbourhoods,” Mr Igliozzi wrote.