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:
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.
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Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.
Either a deliberate attack using a car as a weapon, or the best Ninja cyclist in London.
I suspect the former, but what sort of nobwit goes out on a dark, rainy night with apparently no lights and black clothing? More to this incident than the video reveals, I suspect.
Either a deliberate attack using a car as a weapon, or the best Ninja cyclist in London.
I suspect the former, but what sort of nobwit goes out on a dark, rainy night with apparently no lights and black clothing? More to this incident than the video reveals, I suspect.
Not to jump to any conclusions, but probably the same sort of nobwit who assumes from a 5-second low-res video that said rider wasn't using lights, and infers some sort of backstory that in some way justifies using a 1.5-ton vehicle as a weapon against another human being.
Road rage - Assault attempted ABH or GBH s.18 - aggravated as car used as a weapon. Could be looking bad for the driver (scum) if they are caught and identified. Also definately without doubt dangerous driving. Is the vehicle insured on AskMid?
Road rage - Assault attempted ABH or GBH s.18 - aggravated as car used as a weapon. Could be looking bad for the driver (scum) if they are caught and identified. Also definately without doubt dangerous driving. Is the vehicle insured on AskMid?
Unless you're seriously injured in my experience the police aren't bothered. I had a driver deliberately aim his car at me in the summer. After glancing my leg and the rear of the bike he drove into the oncoming lane to overtake a line of stationary cars being held at a red and sped off through a junction. I was unhurt and reported him to the police (description, make, model and car registration plus I had an ex army officer as a witness). Police never followed up with the witness. I occasionally chase them for an update but just get the standard 'our investigations are continuing' letter/runaround.
If witnesses have the vehicle' registration number then along with the video evidence, this should all be submitted to the police. It does look as if the car swerves into the bicycle from some of the footage, which is simply appalling. That is a very serious traffic offence indeed and not simply due to lack of attention.
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Critical Mass not big in your part of the world then?
That's a big conclusion to jump to as well, the film looks way too poor a quality to see whether the victim had some lights or not.
Either a deliberate attack using a car as a weapon, or the best Ninja cyclist in London.
I suspect the former, but what sort of nobwit goes out on a dark, rainy night with apparently no lights and black clothing? More to this incident than the video reveals, I suspect.
Not to jump to any conclusions, but probably the same sort of nobwit who assumes from a 5-second low-res video that said rider wasn't using lights, and infers some sort of backstory that in some way justifies using a 1.5-ton vehicle as a weapon against another human being.
Road rage - Assault attempted ABH or GBH s.18 - aggravated as car used as a weapon. Could be looking bad for the driver (scum) if they are caught and identified. Also definately without doubt dangerous driving. Is the vehicle insured on AskMid?
Unless you're seriously injured in my experience the police aren't bothered. I had a driver deliberately aim his car at me in the summer. After glancing my leg and the rear of the bike he drove into the oncoming lane to overtake a line of stationary cars being held at a red and sped off through a junction. I was unhurt and reported him to the police (description, make, model and car registration plus I had an ex army officer as a witness). Police never followed up with the witness. I occasionally chase them for an update but just get the standard 'our investigations are continuing' letter/runaround.
Police should investigate. There is no way a driver would continue to move if they had accidentally hit the bike! Blatant aggressive
If witnesses have the vehicle' registration number then along with the video evidence, this should all be submitted to the police. It does look as if the car swerves into the bicycle from some of the footage, which is simply appalling. That is a very serious traffic offence indeed and not simply due to lack of attention.
Just fucking chin him
Shocking stuff. I think the rider may have had their leg trapped between the bike and the road, even if they managed to pull the upper leg clear.
*shakes head in disbelief*