Red light jumping cyclist runs over pedestrian – then gets attacked by cab driver

Ten to a penny Brunelle loves all this attention more than anything else.

… what you all said, but Line of Sight is still my fave guilty pleasure cycling movie.

Why isn't Brunelle being prosecuted? I assume that the admission of jumping the red light is now contained in a sworn statement, so surely his own admission in a sworn statement would be evidence enough to secure a conviction.

The taxi driver should ALSO be prosecuted, a lot of the replies above seem to think it must be one or the other, both parties have broken the law and should be punished accordingly, the only innocent victim here is the woman hit by the bike in the first place.

Wow. You can be against RLJumping and alleycats that take risks with pedestrians without supporting an alleged criminal assault and battery followed up by the use of a vehicle to further commit that assault.

Both committed on someone who stopped to try and help the person that he injured.

I won't claim to be disgusted or surprised at the 15 or so comments posted previous to this, but it does make me very aware that some of you are very similar to the road-raging nutbags that we see occasionally going to jail for killing or wounding other cyclists. Well done.

My disagreements with some of Lucas' activities are a matter of record, but I find it extraordinary that he is attracting such vituperation after this incident given that he has not been charged with anything at all, and the taxi-driver has been charged with a number of very serious offences.

As with all such cases, it would be better if people witheld judgement until after the facts have been heard in court.

I agree with those that think that Lucas has, in the past, acted stupidly but I do not agree at all that being physically assaulted represents his just desserts for those actions.

Brunelle in other interviews appears to take pride at the number of tickets he's picked up (showing complete contempt). Yes he stayed with the victim but would the pedestrian have been hurt but for his contempt ? The man deserves to be brought down a peg or two and I am sure the US litigation system will do the trick.

He's a co(k so i can't help having zero sympathy for him.

It really irritates me when i see cyclists breezing through pedestrian crossings when they're on a red. Even if they don't hit a pedestrian, making them worry that they may have to jump to avoid getting hit is bad enough.

hope all the comments about litigating against the fool who ran into a pedestrian are from American commentators. Giving the culture over there , the cyclist certainly deserves credit for staying and helping his victim. He certainly did not deserve to be assaulted, and the taxi driver deserved proper punishment.

Brunelle is a douche, true enough. But he wasn't looking for sympathy, he was trying to get assistance for helping the person he injured (unintentionally I'd assume).

Anyone on this thread backing the taxi driver needs their heads examined.

I certainly hope I never come across you in a tense situation as you seem to think unprovoked physical attacks are just fine, as is using a vehicle as a weapon when fleeing.

Brilliant.

I take it you also side with drivers doing the same to you then?

No? Hypocrites.

hmmm, I'm seeing a lot of love here for Brunelle .....
Kind of says something that...

The thing is, both Brunelle and the cabbie were complete dicks, who's actions were totally unacceptable - however only one of those guys are out there giving the rest of us cyclists a bad name.

Cyclist get enough crap from vehicle driver we don't need people breaking road rules to make a doco to make money. He went through a red light collided with a innocent, ( good that he stoped to help) pedestrian causing injury. He deservers to be prosecuted. No sympathy here as he will properly seeks monetary compensation.
The violence from the taxi driver was uncalled for . A seriously violent assault, well it is the USA.

Tossers all around, I feel sorry for the pedestrian.

I have zero sympathy for Brunelle. He thinks cycling like a dick is cool. Fortunately, most cyclists regard him as a dick.

Having skimmed through his film Line of Sight this morning he does come across as an utter dick.

I'm really shocked at the amount of people saying the cabbie was in the right or the cyclist deserved it. The cabbie inflicted what sounds like a seriously violent assault and what followed sounds like attempted murder!? I agree the cyclist is clearly a douche but whatever the situation, it's unacceptable to just hand out a beating to someone in the middle of the street!

Way too much aggression out there and the assault is a criminal act deserving punishment. However, racing amongst cars and red light jumping makes you more than a bit of a tool adding to the aggression out there.
It would serve Brunelle right if was sued by the pedestrian

Even if the taxi driver saw the accident surely more appropriate to offer assistance rather than vigilante justice?

Reading through the article and the comments again, is it known whether the cabbie actually saw what this Brunelle guy actually did?

I admittedly assumed that he did, hence the reaction, but others seem to be reading it to suggest otherwise? Both the road.cc report and the linked local news reports don't seem to say one way or another.

I wouldn't expect to be assaulted for no reason whatsoever, but if I had recklessly knocked someone over in the street then I might expect some retaliation from witnesses.

Jesus the boy was asking for help not for sympathy DrDee. It doesn't matter what the situation is, if someone needs help because there's an injured body lying on the street, you damn well help them...not start kicking the s**t into them.

At least Brunnelle stopped and tried to remedy the situation. He could have easily cycled on and got away with the whole thing.

Brunelle hitting the pedestrian after running a red light is a complete dick move.

However, it has absolutely zero to do with the taxi driver or his response.

All the taxi driver knew about was Brunelle was out flagging the cab down, to which his response was to jump out, attack him and then try to run him over with his car and leave the scene of the crime.

And people seem to think that's ok?

I do hope you all don't happen across a similar minded sociopath after you've suffered a mechanical on a ride and are trying to flag down some assistance.

Let's be clear though, Brunelle is a bit of a dick.

I do hope no-one on here decides to beat up then drive into someone they consider to be in the wrong - the police don't like that sort of thing.

K**b head road users are k**b head road users, whether they are pedestrians, cyclists or motor users.
Seems the only innocent party in this case, was the pedestrian.

Yes, the taxi driver's reaction was way OTT, and he deserves to be punished. But so does the cyclist, who sounds like an arrogant, selfish tosspot.

Quote:

Who hasn't been on a group ride, and followed the rest of the group through as the lights changed?

I've NEVER been on a group ride where if one person has gone through red, I've felt obliged to follow. Then again, I wouldn't go on group rides where people were so unpleasant that they wouldn't wait for me if I was caught by a red.

Cabbie's reaction was admittedly extreme and so he should face his own consequences, but I have zero sympathy for Brunelle here. Can't believe that he is now making himself out to be the victim.

It's possibly a case of "let he who is without sin...". He was on a group ride. Who hasn't been on a group ride, and followed the rest of the group through as the lights changed?

Not justifying what he did. But there are shades of guilt.