A driver has been filmed in what appears to be the intentional act of hitting and running over a cyclist's bike – and witnesses claim, the rider's leg - with both the front and back wheels of a car, during a Critical Mass ride in East London on Friday night.
Footage captured by two individuals has emerged showing a small group of riders exiting a side street onto Curtain Road in Shoreditch as a Critical Mass protest passes at around 9pm on Friday. A car horn can be heard as the driver of a silver Peugeot comes up behind them, before hitting one cyclist with the driver’s side wheel, running the bike over with the front and then the back wheel of the car.
The front of the car can be seen lifting off the ground as it mounts the bike, and the rider on the floor pulling their legs in before the car’s back wheel hits the bike. The driver appears to stop for a moment before proceeding, after which the footage stops.
The moment of impact was also captured in this Vine posted by a second rider:
@StopKillingCycl such a shame that just 2 hours later on curtain road this happened... https://t.co/2OsNE8MFXm
— TJ Stamp (@TJStamp) November 28, 2015
The YouTube video’s author, using the name Dr Morocho, is among those on social media claiming the driver ran the cyclist’s leg over, as well as the bike.
He says: “The driver of the vehicle swerves towards cyclist, runs over his leg and bicycle and then he fails to stop. He also escapes while running through a red light at the following junction. Some cyclists tried to catch up with him but only manage to confirm his VRN [vehicle registration number]”.
One observer said the side junction was being blocked temporarily to let the main protest ride pass.
