BURST
A 48-year-old Nanaimo man has been charged with assault and dangerous driving after a motorcyclist allegedly shoved a cyclist toward oncoming traffic, leading to a nasty crash.
A passing motorist captured the Aug. 2 incident near the intersection of Departure Bay Road and Granite Park Road in its entirety on dashcam video.
“After being shoved, the cyclist lost control of his bike and collided with the raised sidewalk, eventually crashing face first,” said Nanaimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien in a news release.
“The motorcyclist did not stop. The cyclist required medical treatment for his non-life-threatening injuries.”
The cyclist, a 78-year-old man, spoke to Global News at the time and said he had ridden toward the centre line before being pushed because he was about to turn left.
He claimed not to have impeded the motorcyclists approaching from behind but that he was cursed at before the shove.
The video was posted on social media and was widely seen and discussed, said O’Brien.
The eight-second clip shows a group of three bikers, one of whom appears to push the cyclist toward the opposite lane. As the motorcyclists pass out of frame, the cyclist with a trailer in tow veers in front of the oncoming vehicle before crashing headlong into the sidewalk.
“The resulting attention by local media and the public after viewing and posting the video of the incident was extremely useful, as it allowed the investigation to move forward and for police to identify the suspect,” O’Brien said.
Marcel Trudeau is due to make his first appearance in provincial court in Nanaimo on Tuesday.