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Hit and run driver strikes cyclist on footpath in Poole (credit - Don Codman, Facebook)Hit-and-run driver chased cyclist on pavement and knocked him off bike in shocking road rage incident
A cyclist was injured in a hit-and-run road rage attack after a motorist allegedly took exception to the bike rider pointing out that he shouldn’t be using his phone while driving. The driver then sped after the cyclist before mounting a pavement and knocking the man from his bike.
Police in Poole are currently investigating the shocking incident, captured on a nearby house’s Ring doorbell device, which led to the cyclist being treated in hospital for injuries to his knees, elbow and shoulder, the Daily Echo reports.
Don Codman told the newspaper that he was cycling home from work at around 5.20pm on Tuesday when he noticed a driver using his phone while in a queue of traffic.
“The cars were crawling along up to the lights. I was going normal pace, and the car went ahead [as the traffic moved],” he said.
“I went past again [when the traffic stopped], and the driver was still on their phone.”
The cyclist, who has been struck by distracted motorists in the past, says that he then tapped on the driver’s car window to inform him that he shouldn’t be on his phone while behind the wheel.
“I debated whether to say anything, but I stopped and tapped on the window. I was just carrying on normally, I was not aggressive at all,” he said.
“I just had to say something. If you see something that could hurt you or someone else you have to say something.”
> Hit-and-run driver laughed at seriously injured cyclist before fleeing crash scene
According to Codman, as he continued on his way home along Herbert Avenue in Poole, he heard shouting, a car engine revving, and the beeping of a horn from behind.
After moving onto the pavement – where he felt he would be safer – the motorist then drove past him before stopping. As Codman rode by on the footpath, in an attempt to avoid a confrontation, the driver restarted his car and began to pursue the cyclist.
Codman continues: “I wasn’t being aggressive, but the driver flew off the handle. He was clearly using his car as a weapon.”
In the footage above, the motorist can be clearly seen turning onto Sancreed Road at speed, mounting the pavement, before hitting the cyclist from behind and driving off.
Codman, who sustained some nasty scrapes and bruises to his elbows and knees in the collision, was treated in hospital for his injuries, while a passer-by who witnessed the incident phoned the police.
(Credit: Don Codman, Facebook)
Despite the shocking hit-and-run, Codman says the incident won’t put him off commuting to work by bike.
“I’ve got to carry it on,” he said. “I don't have a car and it’s the most efficient way.
“Everyone knows there are idiots about, so who knows what will happen. For him to react as he did was just totally wrong.”
A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: “We received a report at around 5.20pm on Tuesday 22 November 2022 of a collision involving a dark blue hatchback car and a cyclist in the area of Sancreed Road in Poole.
“It was reported that the car failed to stop at the scene of the collision. The cyclist sustained injuries that were not believed to be serious. Enquiries into the incident are ongoing. No arrests have been made at this time.”
“This was a very distressing incident for the cyclist involved and we are carrying out a number of enquiries into this matter,” Police Constable Matthew Batter told the Daily Echo.
“I would urge anyone who witnessed what happened or may have captured anything of relevance on dashcam footage to please get in touch.
“I would also urge the driver involved to please do the right thing and come forward so we can take your account.”
Witnesses or anyone with information relating to the incident have been asked to contact Dorset Police through the force’s website, or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55220189695.
Ryan joined road.cc as a news writer in December 2021. He has written about cycling and some ball-centric sports for various websites, newspapers, magazines and radio. Before returning to writing about cycling full-time, he completed a PhD in History and published a book and numerous academic articles on religion and politics in Victorian Britain and Ireland (though he remained committed to boring his university colleagues and students with endless cycling trivia). He can be found riding his bike very slowly through the Dromara Hills of Co. Down.
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47 comments
My parents live in Poole. Having cycled in many big cities (London, New York, Johannesburg to name 3 lovely gentle places to ride), I'd never even consider riding in Poole or anywhere near. There is something about the place, it's an incredibly frustrating place to drive, and I think that wears on drivers turniong them into complete psychopaths.
I don't think anyone here advocates violence, nor those who incite violence against cyclists. The driver was clearly in the wrong to mount the kerb in this incident, no matter what the trigger was for it, and I'm sure I join everyone else here in hoping for a custodial sentence for someone who clearly cannot keep a lid on his temper and who has no business being behind a steering wheel. Being in charge of a vehicle, whether it be a car, truck, bus or bicycle demands accountability.
Unfortunately there are those who advocate vigilantism, and some people who appear to have a vendetta against sections of society they deem to break their own irrational moral code. It is this attitude and course of action which enflames tension between cyclists and drivers. For example, it might transpire that the driver thought they were being targetted in some kind of YouTube cash-for-clicks sting and reacted in an irrational and violent manner.
I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I've never got into this kind of an altercation with another road user, partly because I've been fortunate, and partly because I er on the side of caution and behave in a considerate, polite and courteous manner with immaculate control of my emotions. You have the exact same pitfalls driving a car - there is a lot of anger out there at the moment, and as we go into recession it's only going to get worse. Discretion is the better part of valour.
You think advising someone not to break the law that puts others' lives in danger to be an "irrational moral code"? I hope you don't drive with that attitude.
Today I took my duck for a walk. He wasn't too happy at first, but after about 10 minutes it started raining and he was much calmer and more content after that.
So mounting the kerb was the wrong thing? Would have been fine if the cyclist was on the road from your point of view.
So Neighbourhood Watch is vigilantism? Or having CCTV cameras on your property is vigilantism? Seems, just like "woke", your definition this word is simply wrong.
And you continue to struggle with the meaning of vigilantism. Here's how the Oxford Dictionary describes it.
vigilantism /ˌvɪdʒɪˈlantɪz(ə)m /
▸ noun [mass noun] law enforcement undertaken without legal authority by a self-appointed group of people:
If somebody had dragged the driver out of their vehicle, given them a summary beating and smashed the phone. That is vigilantism.
To say to someone "gonnae no dae that" or "I'm callin the polis" at is simply advise being given. Nothing else. Our police forces rely on the general public to report both summary and indictable offences in order for all to live peaceful and safe lives. I once watched an individual stagger out of a pub and struggle to get into his car. I had two choice. Stop the guy from driving or call it in. I choose the later. The peeler thanked me and later called back to let me know they had stopped him and I might possibly be required as a witness. I know pub landlords who have taken keys of drivers and called a taxi. Is that vigilantism?
Even under Common Law members of the public can make a citizens arrest for an indictable offence, whether committed or about to be committed. There are clear guidelines in place for this. And even then the person is only being detained until a constable arrives. Store security and retail workers are able to detain shoplifters until the arrival of a constable.
If you saw a girl being assaulted would you stand idly by, wringing your hands, before calling the police. Or would you drag the attacker away using reasonable force and detain him until the peelers arrive. I know what I would do.
Dobbing drivers is not vigilantism. CM doesn't release footage until police action has been taken. He does it to raise awareness that certain behaviours can result in injury or death to innocents and hopefully some motorists who see his clips take note. I've yet to see an advert on his channel or to hear him recommending products.
That is precisely what is being done by some people (or at least that's what they make out they are doing). Worse, they profit from their vigilantism by using YouTube's "cash-for-clicks" system, putting their exploits on the internet like demented bounty hunters.
When you saw Mikey jumping on the bonnet of that car, didn't you think he was going too far? How can you not think that was anything other than vigilantism?
Re CM and bonnetgate. The media was quite happy to place the blame on CM by accusing him of jumping on a bonnet. Their headlines and commentary reflected this and swayed people to that way of thinking. Yet CM's take on it, was the driver insisted on driving at him and to prevent his being pulled under the vehicle which is more than likely due to its size, the only option was to grab the bonnet lip. If it had have been a regular saloon then he would have automatically been scooped up.
You continue to accuse various YouTubers of vigilantism for clicks yet I don't see them carrying out their own form of punishment beyond reporting them. But as you said some time ago that you weren't from the U.K. so I'll give you a bit of leeway. Though (no offence intended) Essex is a bit of a deliverance region is it not?
The press didn't accuse him of jumping on the bonnet - that's what the defence argued in a court of law, and the jury saw enough evidence to side with the motorist. The video I shared in my previous post certainly seems to confirm that point of view. Cycleless mikey was shown for the person he is.
And I'm sorry, but when someone hides incognito waiting for "suspects" so that they can leap out to obstruct the road - without their bike - and create artificial confrontations, they aren't passively helping the law take its course. In fact, I would call it "loitering with intent".
So fixated on that case you got banned from Wikipedia for your rudeness over trying to insert misleading comments about CyclingMickey.
So if someone insists on driving forward illegally when you are in front of them (and not braking at all then for 30 metres) would you:-
By the way, when you first commented on this, your words were "who is this person? I've not seen him before". Now you seem to know all about his Wiki page including edits made by BooBooBeaker who you quote a couple of days later and know what his twitter profile had two years ago. For someone who posts "incognito", you should also know that you have used that word wrong as well you racist fuck.
And again you struggle with the meanings of vigilantism and also 'click for cash' And now you bring bounty hunters. Seriously. Any child knows that a bounty hunter is somebody who arrests somebody on behalf of the police.
Also most children being more tech savy understand the whole concept of 'click for cash' and will tell you that CM doesn't qualify for this privilege as he doesn't have sufficient subscribers or views. And even if he had the minimum requirements (which he rarely reaches) he would generate around $1a day.
This is the Way.
Do you know what, for once I entirely agree with you. I am absolutely sick of people who try to escape accountability for their actions on the road. I heard the other day about this guy, obviously an inexperienced and unskilled cyclist, who picked an absolutely stupid line to ride on the road, inches off the verge, and on a rainy day he rode straight into a puddle without thinking about what it was concealing, hit a pothole that a better or more experienced rider would easily have avoided, and then screwed the local council and its taxpayers for £2000 as the cost of his own lack of basic roadcraft. This sort of entitled rider really does need to be more accountable for their own actions and not expect the taxes of hardworking citizens to be spent on compensation for their own reckless and incompetent riding.
I know about this other guy who has no idea whatsoever about perspective, and who thought that a photo of a pothole about a third of the way into the road - virtually in primary - was "inches off the verge".
What a tool!
Honestly, it's OK, you newbie inexperienced riders are going to make mistakes but you need to accept them and learn from them instead of making obviously untrue statements and soaking hardworking taxpayers for the consequences of your errors.
I'll tell you what, I hope you don't come a cropper anytime soon when you're cycling. If I was spouting this nonsense I'd be worried that the karma gods are going to come knocking!
I know you're annoyed I got a payout, but I promise you it wasn't worth the injuries. Lesson learned by the council too and road completely resurfaced. In fact, I might have saved someone's life - I'm pleased that it didn't happen to someone of a lesser constitution as they might not have survived.
Bless you for your kind wishes. There are no guarantees of course, but if I do come a cropper it certainly won't be by riding a foolishly narrow line into a water-covered pothole, I have sufficient experience and skill not to make such a stupid mistake. If I ever was idiotic enough to do such a thing I would at least be honest enough to admit my error rather than become a whining participant in the compensation culture, insisting that hardworking taxpayers should shell out for my mistake.
It would be interesting if he did this before or after he demanded British Cycling to cancel his membership because they were "woke".
I thought that in your years of cycling you'd never had an incident. Now I learn that you got taken out by a pothole!
That's the other one.
Nah, he used to claim the same thing as well, although he once claimed he was almost taken out on his cul de sac by a foreigner driving a taxi. He just can't help being racist can he. Still shocked that Road.cc have been told he is back again, and that he is still the same racist fuck by pretending to be "foreign" and using colloquialisms he though was how foreign people might talk.
Disappointed in Road.cc. Still Ashley has his racist mate back to chat to when he is next on again.
Are you sure you're not just confusing these entirely unique individuals (who just happen to be "thirsty for controversy" in a similar style)? Because they "all seem the same to you"?
Be fair - "primary" because they were on the road and not in the hedge.
You're quite happy to blather on from your armchair with the anonymity of the internet, but when you see someone committing an illegal and dangerous act, your advice is "discretion".
Coward.
"Hand on heart"?
Not possible.
Harsh 😉
Had a similar incedent on that road 25 years ago on way home, had a guy try to take me out for I can't remember what, but I went on the pavement, he monted in front of me and braked hard, so I crossed the road, so did he, mounting the pavement again. This happend 3 or 4 times until I spotted an alleyway, and took it. Scary incedent, but never reported. Welcome to Bournemouth and Poole.
In the past I might have tapped on the window and asked them to put the phone down, but not any more. Seriously, you only need to see a few cycle mikey's vids on youTube to release how many Psychos they are on our road, that wouldn't think twice before putting you in hospital for touching their precious car.
Sadly, there do seem to be quite a few drivers who fly off the handle simply for being addressed by a cyclist, even if politely. It is the main reason I stopped really showing any reaction some time ago - I have cameras, so I just let those record the incident and carry on.
During the early stages of lockdown, I rode on my own in the Kent countryside and simply waved my arm at a driver in protest after he gave me a punishment pass on an empty road. He waited for me at the junction and demanded to know: "What did you ****ing say?" So I just politely said I felt it was a bit close. He pulled out of the junction into the middle of a B road, left his car there with the door wide open and fronted up to me telling me he was going to kill me and that he would run over me and my effing bike. Fortunately he didn't because I just stayed calm and asked him to leave which he eventually did. But I spent the whole of the rest of my ride looking over my shoulder worried he was going to have another go. Got the plate and a good description of the driver and vehicle but it didn't go anywhere - police didn't even contact him because of their preoccupation with enforcing covid rules at the time.
You should be able to ask someone not to use their mobile etc when driving but it can be very risky.
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