A video posted to Vimeo today shows an incident in Stockwell, South London during which an Audi driver appears to have rammed a cyclist off the road,
While that part of the incident itself was not captured on camera, shortly beforehand the driver had been throwing objects from his car at the cyclists, who were on Cycle Superhighway 7.
Stunned in Stockwell from Nick Finegold on Vimeo.
He then drives off up the road, and when the rider of the bike the camera is attached to catches up, the motorist has turned left and is reversing back towards the cyclists using the Cycle Superhighway, though he stops short of them.
It does appear though that he hit one cyclist, who is shown picking up his pannier and bike and is gesturing at the driver, while other riders advise him to leave the driver - who shouts "F8ck you" a number of times - alone.
The motorist appears to drive away but instead does a three-point turn and drives aggressively at the cyclist and the other riders who had stopped.
He then reverses up the side road at which point a siren can be heard, with the cyclists applauding, and a uniformed police officer can be seen walking up the road the driver headed up, with the cyclist at the centre of the incident then wheeling his bike in the same direction.
Nick Finegold, who posted the video to Vimeo, told us: "As I arrived the driver was throwing bottles and cans through his window at the cyclist in red, shouting to keep away from his car,
"I had been previously riding with the group and all appeared to be responsible riders.
"The driver was getting more aggressive as the cyclist stood there in disbelief of what was happening.
"At that point he drove off trying to ram the cyclist in red. He drove at speed up the road taking the first left, this point was slightly out of sight for me, but I know at that time it's very very busy with riders on the CS7.
"As I approached the junction where he turned left, a second cyclist was picking his bike from the floor, he states he was completely cut-up, I don't know if he was struck.
"The driver proceeds to make a 3-point turn and mount the pavement using his car as ram towards the cyclists that has stopped to help.
"There was also a mother and children having to take evasive action from the car on the pavement."
He added: "A passing unmarked police car stopped and an officer investigated, at this point you can see the car reversing at great speed to escape, I am not sure whether the police gave chase."
Update (3/8/18): A second video of the incident has surfaced, shot by one of the cyclists involved in the earlier confrontation at traffic lights.
The driver can also clearly be heard claiming that he is driving a stolen car.
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74 comments
Go big or go home
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That unprotected trigger looks quite dangerous, could have someone's eye out.
Good point - safety first!
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The second that someone apprehended unlawful physical violence, the common law offence of assault was complete. You do not need to wait for someone to hit you before defending yourself. What always amazes me about situations like this is that all the cyclists just stood around gawping. You take the D-lock from your frame - you *arte* carrying a D-lock, aren't you? - you walk over and you smash it into his temple - going through the side window if you need to. Please don't waste my time with the bran muffin-munching hipster crap about this being 'excessive force'. The test on reasonable force in the courts is (in the main) subjective (R v Williams (G) 78 Cr App R 276) and R. v Oatbridge, 94 Cr App R 367), and someone driving a 1.5 ton car at you is most definitely in the category of placing your life in imminent danger.
Instead, you all stand around like pussies, as if you're waiting for divine intervention.
And then you wonder why drivers feel emboldened.
Story updated on the beeb: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45079207
Why did PC Plod plod down the road on foot after a fast retreating car rather than stay in his car and drive? You’d almost think he didn’t want to be bothered with having to fill in all the paperwork that goes with actually aprehending someone.
Probably trying to get a look at the number plate. He is almost certainly not a class one driver so not allowed to go of chasing him. Very few officers are even allowed to do that, and people are shouting that there is film of it.
what i don't understand from watching the video is, why is no one confronting this idiot?
he shoots through the bus lane and when he's questioned then he starts throwing stuff out of his window. that would've been a starter that he needed calming down.
there's an abundance of cyclists around, one guy has clearly been knocked off and is threatening the others. crazy behaviour but surely there's enough people there to confront him.
Probably something to do with the tin can he's in which gives him superpowers, such as megacrush which can kill 10 cyclists in one mighty throttle push.
Quite simply - he's armed with two tonnes of lethal metal, and they're not.
And, that fun possibiity of his carrying either a knife or a gun...
And it's an Audi!
True, but that's only if you're in direct line of sight and if he's in the car. if you stood next to his door he wouldn't be able to do anything.
Nothing apart from opening the door and belting you with a hundred kilos of sheet steel.
Don't give him time to open the door. Go through the window with your D-lock. Look, you can all beat off whilst attacking me all you want. This man was driving a car directly at unprotected cyclists and pedestrians. What will it take before you say 'enough is fucking enough'?
I had a similar situation about two years ago. Driver had almost wiped me out - unintentionally but recklessly the first time - when I remonstrated quite loudly. I was to the right of his car and slightly forward of the driver, and he revved the engine and put on hard right lock to aim his car at me. The front right just touched my pedal, enough to cause me to stumble. I dropped the bike and took out my D-lock from my belt. As I went for the swing towards his side window, he gave it beans and by the time my D-lock 'contacted', it was on the driver's side C pillar. That pissed him off and he screeched to a halt, but as I was walking after him, quite obviously intent on going for round two, he shouted obscenities out of the window and scarpered.
There comes a time when inaction on the part of the civil power means you have to do something. You know that, don't you? Do you suffer getting threatened and assaulted all your life, or do you say 'enough'?
Reminded me of that sexual assault video from Paris earlier this week. Plenty of blokes stood up and remonstrated with the guy, none of them cliffed him.
D-lock, it's the only way to be sure.
i bet if you took off and dropped a d-lock from orbit it'd make a nice hole...
You're either a new cyclist or just very naive.
Nutter in car v sensible people on bikes is only ever going to favour one winner.
Thanks don simon and CygnusX1 for the timeline.
Get Fucked I Own Your Zwifting Arses numberplate too...
Probably an anti-doping protest against the LiveStrong t-shirt
Black Audi :rollseyes:
Utterly astonishing behaviour.
LOL at plod! Guy's in a CAR, they're in a CAR. So plod gets out and goes for a wander and the guy DRIVES off. No wonder criminals never get caught.
The police car does go up the road after him after the officer on the passenger side gets out though.
I just watched the second video. Is it me or, if they caught the driver, do you think its likely they're going to get done more for the littering, the speeding, and for driving in a bus lane, than for threatening behaviour and seeing hiow close they can come to killing London commuters...?
There are cameras everywhere.
What I am supposed to be watching in 2 - or is it to send me to sleep?
It took me two cans of Red Bull to sit through it, but around 3:40 the cyclist pulls alongside the driver's window and words are exchanged. Couldn't see anything prior to this.
At 7:50 is the close pass/deliberate swipe at the cyclist in the bus lane, and from 8:30 the altercaton at the corner where he drives on the pavement.
That'll be minute 2 from the first video and 7:45 in the second. Not everyone wants to see sweaty bankers on their commute. But it might be worth seeking the sit up and beg passing the fully lycrad dude.
Hope they don't forget to fine him for littering
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