The cultural war between those who want to bike on public roads and those who think public roads are for cars only rages on. But a victor has emerged from one particular battle: a cyclist who was knocked over by a motorist one day.
The cyclist, Evan Wilder, had his version of a Russian Dash cam — a helmet cam — rolling when the crash went down. Video evidence indicates that the Toyota pickup that hit him did so intentionally, and the truck's owner is now going to trial for assault.
Evan Wilder was on his daily bicycle commute to work in Washington, D.C. when he was struck by a pickup owned by John Diehl. Diehl, a retired District police officer, has denied that he was involved in the accident, but his truck matches the one in the video captured by Wilder's helmet camera.
The video shows someone yelling at Wilder through the truck's passenger window, then moving in what looks like an intentional swerve. Wilder was hit when the truck swerved, and he fell over, injuring his leg and hip.
Diehl has been charged with assault causing significant bodily injury, and faces up to three years in jail and a $3,000 fine if convicted. Wilder, who still commutes to work on his bicycle every day, told The Washington Times that charging Diehl with assault in this case is an important step toward making the road safer for cyclists.
This isn't the first time we've seen a camera-wearing cyclist document anti-cyclist asshattery from a motorist. So, if you want to harass a cyclist, remember that they have dash cams, too.
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