Car driver tried to knock me off my bike today!

[Ian Raleigh]

Well today I was enjoying a lovely ride but right at the end of the ride a bloke in a car tried to hit me and gave him the normal words of 'move over you idiot' at that point he stopped dead in the road and abuse of words was exchanged, then I made a mistake of me going in front of him because he had stopped, then he tried to knock me off my bike, I took my bike pump off and he backed off but then went at me, nudging my rear wheel, then going by me and swerving at me and in a fit of 'WTF' so I whacked his car and hit the back passenger door, he was that close.

His wife was in the front passenger side and she jumped out of the car to get me, but the driver was doing about 14 miles an hour and she rolled out the car, flipping over head over heals and the driver nearly ran over her!! The driver then went in front of me and blocked my path, he jumped out the car and he knocked me off my bike, into a hedge and he then pinned me down by his knees and holding onto my throat knocking ten bells of shit out of me! I couldn't do anything and was much younger and stronger than me.

Coppers called! Ridiculous!! Three cop cars/sirens/lights a blazing complete with six coppers,copper who was dealing with it listened but what gets me is that the bloke assaulted me was strangling me then hit me in the face was not arrested and the coppers seam to ignore this fact that I had been assaulted, the driver & passenger gave me abuse and I answered back, then this bitch of a female copper told me to SHUT UP.

He trying to do me for damaging his car and I'm going to do him for assault, went to hospital as my back is killing me, nothing they can do at this moment but now my throat is killing were he grabbed and throttled me.

I do have a CTC membership/insurance which should/might help me for this assault on me, will be phoning them tomorrow.

I normally have a camera on my bike but on this occasion I'd not put it on! :facepalm:

Thinking of giving up cycling after this incident.

 

[FairfaxPat]

Re:

That's Exactly why I ride 90% in the dirt, and as many bike paths as possible when I have to go somewhere in towns. Interestingly enough, In Mill Valley yesterday a 40 year old cyclist who is a tech exec got into an argument at an intersection with a 55 year old guy in a small pickup who he blamed for hitting him with his rear view mirror- he pulled the guy out of his truck and beat him badly enough the guy was hauled away to the hospital. The cops arrested the cyclist in this case-as well they should have. It seems to me you might be able to find witnesses to back up your story, Perhaps? Then maybe they would bust the driver for assaulting you...

 

[legrandefromage]

wow...

 

[Tommylurve]

Re:

Thats outrageous :shock: where was this??

 

[lumos2000]

any witnesses? In my experience you'll need a witness, document your injuries

 

[Neil]

Take photos of any evidence of physical injury, and pursue the assault thing, don't take no for an answer - escalate, if need be - make it a formal complaint of assault.

Sounds to me like he overreacted on several counts, and using a car as a weapon against a cyclist ain't on - although often it appears the police don't really want to follow up on things like that. But assault is assault - it's not like it was self-defence. I suspect either he, and / or the police may have overreacted / taken their eye off the ball given what it sounds like happened to his wife - you'd have thought somebody who was really concerned about her would be more focused on her, rather than trying to get you. Maybe that situation complicated matters for the police.

 

[KDM]

Re:

I don't wish to be controversial in my opinion but, it sounds as though at the beginning both of you were at fault.

When two different people get road rage there is always a chance one side will take it too far and violence will follow as in this case the other side has done.

I'm glad your injuries were small ( anyone remember Kenneth Noye ?) but hope they will heal soon and the experience will not put you off cycling.

 

[Ian Raleigh]

This incident happened in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

I have two witness's who saw the bloke throwing me threw the hedge and thumping the f out of my chin!

Not made it clear in my first post KDM!

The driver was unable to overtake us [there was three of us] immediately because of parked cars
to the left & right and we was riding through the middle of them, there was a keep left sign/nip point, after
that, the road ahead was completely empty but the driver was so enraged at being held up for some 20 seconds
that he took it out on the lead cyclist which was unluckily me by giving me a 'punishment pass' but came far
to close for comfort and I swerved to the left as he brushed by me in his attempt to scare me, which worked.

After the incident the woman passenger kept screaming at me that we was in the middle of the road and they couldn't pass!
just a little patience was needed by the driver and all would have been fine, I told the crazy woman why we was in the middle
of the road but she wouldn't listen, the gap between the parked cars was no wider than a small car.

Photo's taken of my injuries and my throat is developing a bruise in the shape of a hand!

Been to doctors and he has logged why I have gone to see him and gave me an injection in my lower back to ease the pain and also got a big bottle of Oramorph for pain relief too.

Contacted CTC for advice and they can't do anything until I hear what the police intend to do!

 

[Ian Raleigh]

By the way the car was a brand new white Nissan Leaf 100% electric car!

I can't understand why anyone would want to drive so dangerously in a brand new car! I'd be driving like royalty and not like a prick.

 

[raleighrider21]

I can't understand why anyone would want to drive so dangerously in a brand new car! I'd be driving like royalty and not like a prick.

dont understand why they were doing that in a car full stop! im not the best of drivers ill admit that but i always give cyclists/motorcyclists/horse riders the respect and space some of them need/deserve.
police dont care because your "just a cyclist" you need to keep bugging them and get them to do something, dont let it rest, go to local media if needs really be, the police never like that and usually gets them off their butts!
sounds like it could of been alot worse though, they sound like they are absolute fruitloops! dont give up cycling!