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news
Police tape (CC licensed by freefotouk on Flickr)14-year-old cyclist in Esssex who asked driver for more room punched by passenger
The mother of a 14-year-old boy from Essex has spoken of how her son was punched by a car passenger while cycling after he asked the driver to give him more space.
Connor Duhig is now too scared to leave the house after the incident on Sunday afternoon, reports the Basildon Echo.
He was cycling through Great Knightleys in Basildon with his brother when a car overtook him.
The youngster asked the driver to give him more space, and the car stopped shortly afterwards with the passenger jumping out and aiming a punch at him.
Connor’s mother, Sarah Duhig, told the newspaper: “He said to them: ‘Can you give me a bit more room next time please?’
“They stopped the car further up the road and the passenger got out. He then punched Connor in the side as he was passed.”
The teenager managed to get away and ran his father, who reported what had happened to the police.
With his brother Nick, Connor knocked on doors of homes where the assault happened and discovered it had been captured on CCTV, with footage appearing on the Basildon Echo website.
It is thought that the black car is a VolvoCX60 with a woman at the wheel.
Mrs Duhig said: “Connor said the man smelt of booze.
“What sort of 40-year-old man does that to a 14-year-old boy?
“I want to ask him why he did it. Why did he want to hit my son?”
She added: “He tried to go to school yesterday but had to come back and was banging on the door saying he just couldn’t do it.
“I am going to try to get him to go back today as he needs to.
“He isn’t normally shy, but this has really upset him.
“He used to go out on his bike a lot but he won’t now.”
A spokesman for Essex Police commented: “Police were called to reports of an assault in Great Knightleys, Basildon, that took place between 4pm and 4.45pm on Sunday.
“The victim, a 14-year-old boy, had been cycling along the road when he was passed by a car.
“Following a verbal altercation, it was reported the driver of the car punched the victim.”
Anyone who has information is asked to contact Essex Police on 101 quoting incident 853 of June 11 or on Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
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Just a comment on the "less exaggeration of danger" remark. I've been over taken by so many close passes on a bike it's just the norm now, I've...
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Just not here. It's the wrong location, local people are against it and we have to listen to them....
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I don't think it would change their attitude to risk taking in any way, they are already prepared literally to risk life and limb in the pursuit of...
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What about all the computer misuse? Stop with the downloading already!
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19 comments
“Following a verbal altercation, it was reported the driver of the car punched the victim.”
The Police enquiries must be going well, they reported being punched by a male passenger stinking of booze who was travelling in a car driven by a female...
40 year old man touches 14 year old boy innapropriately...
Im getting the word.jpg
Unfortunately this doesn't surprise me all that much, as Keirik said, Essex isn't a particularly pleasant county to cycle in (don't get me wrong there's some lovely roads) but some of the drivers really are ridiculous, the intolerance and lack of patience by some is shocking. It's a shame because there's a lot of people who seem to have gotten used to seeing cyclists around here lots more and are pretty good at waiting a few seconds or giving space, but every ride (even a short ride up to the local highstreet and back) there'll be someone who passes really agressively or yells abuse.
Vermin. Pure and simple.
Even being a child is no defence from the filth that infest our roads. I've been out riding with my daughter, junior triathlete, tall for her age, on a small adult road bike so going a reasonable speed, not holding anybody up, but still obviously a junior. And still there have been occasions when she's had the horn and received shouted abuse.
Thankfully they're few (fortunately our area doesn't seem as bad as some I read about on here) but it's an outrage that it happens at all. What kind of "man" shouts abuse at a girl ( or punches a teenage boy for that matter). I just can't comprehend it.
This. A couple of weeks ago, I was close-passed by a driver that left it to the last possible second to force their way past a pedestrian refuge.
I had my daughter in a rear mounted child seat at the time, on the way to swimming lessons.
I was left-hooked by another driver doing the same journey on a different morning.
I'm used to it when out solo, but you'd think they'd give you more room when a child is obviously present.
Your fault for putting the kid in danger innit?
It always astonishes me the way people can justify the killing and maiming of others...
You'd think so, wouldn't you? So would I. But there's an implicit assumption there that everybody whose paths we cross, living in a supposedly civilised society, has at least some tiny kernel of human decency. Call me a misanthrope, but the older I get the more I question that assumption.
There really are no words....... Ok then, Arsehole springs to mind
Living near (but luckily not in) Basildon, I'm surprised they only punched him.
South Essex is the worst part of the country I've cycled in for abuse, Ive had people try to drive me off the road, get out of their car (carrying their obligatory can of Red Bull) threatening to kill me, overtaking on blind bends, the lot.
Scum of the earth in Baz in their souped up hatchbacks - souped up as in cheap bits of plastic stuck on and exhaust silencers removed
The comments on that site are sickening.
We read a lot of stories of shocking behaviour on this site. Words of outrage are rightly expressed with calls for police to take action. I don't often see news of the outcome. Can there be more follow-up by @simonmacmichael? ? Starting with this story would be good. If the guy gets identified, charged and punished it will be a positive piece to read one day.
"Following a verbal altercation"
So asking not to be knocked down is a verbal altercation? Fuck sake...
this
How the fuck can anyone believe that this is any way, shape or form is acceptable behaviour?
How could someone punch a child?
I hope the police pursue this and find the scumbag.
You lot are hoping. He's not a child, he's a cyclist!
Nah, Congo, this is child abuse, I hope the big man enjoys his time inside on the nonce wing.
No less than modern everyday road terrorism...
The only way is Essex.