STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A fun evening of rollerblading on Hylan Boulevard in Tottenville turned into a nightmare when a 35-year-old man says he was beaten in “a random act of violence” by a motorcyclist.
“It’s pretty traumatic,” said Vladimir Goussev of Prince’s Bay about the assault that occurred around 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday near Yetman Avenue.
“I think of Tottenville as a good neighborhood,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Advance/SILive.com. “I’m so shocked. I don’t even know what to do or how to keep myself safe.”
Goussev said he was “having a good time” rollerblading in the bike lane on Hylan before he was almost hit by two strangers driving sports bikes.
The motorcyclists circled back and Goussev said one of the bikers threw a shopping bag containing garbage in his direction, but missed hitting him.
The 35-year-old man said he objected to nearly being pelted with trash, questioned why the bikes didn’t have license plates, and threatened to call the police.
The garbage-slinging motorcyclist then stepped off his bike and “the next thing I know, this guy’s decking me in the face,” Goussev said.
Although Goussev stands 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds, he was unable to fend off blows from a biker decked out in protective gear that included a helmet, jacket and plastic-coated gloves.
“I was on rollerblades and couldn’t hold my ground,” said Goussev, who said he was punched at least 10 times.
The second biker watched from a distance as the attack unfolded.
Good Samaritans came to Goussev’s aid as the bikers rode away, and he called 911.
When detectives asked Goussev if there was a motive for the attack, he replied, “I don’t know these people. This is completely just a random act of violence.”
Goussev said his left eye bled and now “looks like a blue balloon.” He described suffering “severe head trauma and wounds” in addition to knee and back injuries.
He suspects that his attackers were in their late teens or early 20s, but it was difficult to tell what they looked like because they were wearing helmets and all-black biker garb.
He questioned why the police aren’t doing more to take aggressive bikers off the road, especially those riding vehicles without license plates.
Vladimir Goussev of Prince’s Bay was injured when he was beaten by a motorcyclist in Tottenville on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025.(Courtesy of Vladimir Goussev)NYPD details alleged assault
A spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed to the Advance/SILive.com that police have a report on file for the incident with no arrests as of Friday.
The police report states that a 35-year-old man was rollerblading northbound on Hylan Boulevard approaching Yetman Avenue when an unknown male stopped him.
The individual allegedly wore “padded knuckle gloves” when he punched the 35-year-old man in the face, causing injuries to the victim’s face, head and back. The victim suffered a laceration to the face and head, according to police.
One of the individuals is described by police as a male with a light complexion, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall who was wearing a black jacket. He fled the location northbound on a black motorcycle.
2nd incident on South Shore
The alleged assault of Goussev was the second in a span of several hours involving a suspect on a motorized vehicle on the South Shore on Wednesday.
An individual riding a moped threw a metal object at an assistant principal at 2 p.m. outside Tottenville High School, according to law-enforcement sources.
The victim was struck in the face.
There were no arrests in that incident as of Friday and it was not immediately clear if police were probing a connection.
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