The 68-year-old Queens man punched into a coma by a motorist in a fit of road rage has died — and prosecutors are weighing murder charges against his attacker, officials said Tuesday.
Chun Man Tse got into a fender bender with Cleamon Anderson, 44, on Colden St. in Flushing about 4 p.m. on July 22. The pair argued and Anderson punched Tse out — mere steps from the senior center where Tse volunteered five days a week.
Tse lapsed into a coma before dying Saturday, officials said. On Monday, the city medical examiner declared Tse’s death a homicide, prompting elected officials to demand prosecutors bring the toughest charges available against Anderson in a rowdy gathering that featured some 30 seniors chanting that they demanded “justice.”
“This was a man twice his size, half his age and over a stupid dispute,” State Assemblyman Ron Kim said at Self Help Innovative Senior Center in Flushing.
“We should look at every measure to send a strong message that in this city in this town we are going to protect our seniors especially against bullies who are obviously unfit to be driving or walking around the street.”
The normally softspoken elderly visitors to the center were furious.
Jinsheng Jane Qiu, the center’s program director, said Tse regularly contributed his skills as a retired carpenter.
“This is quiet, nice man. He’s not a big talker but he’s a big doer,” Qiu said.
“He repaired our kitchen equipment. He repaired our ping pong table. He helped us… The seniors are angry, scared and upset.”
Anderson was charged with assault following the initial attack and released on $50,000 bail, records show.
The Queens District Attorney’s office was investigating if the charges should be upgraded.
Anderson will likely be hit with homicide charges in the wake of Tse’s death, sources said.
Anderson’s sister, Robin Anderson Scott, an NYPD school safety agent, was suspended after she was accused of lying to investigators about what happened to Tse.
Scott was a passenger in Anderson’s SUV when they got into the fender bender. She told responding officers Tse had accidentally fallen — but police later viewed video showing Tse being knocked out by her brother, officials said.
She will likely face departmental charges, officials said.
“The family is pretty devastated — it’s been a pretty rough 10 days,” said Karlin Chen, a spokesman for the Tse family.
