June 8, 2023 - Local Toronto cyclist, Dafydd Hughes, was verbally accosted and threatened by the driver of a red vehicle while cycling on College St. according to a live video of the incident, reports The Biking Lawyer and Global News.
Captured on camera, Hughes first avoids a utility van that cut him off while it was attempting to parallel park. The cyclist moved into the centre lane to get around the van, and while transferring back to the curb lane was cut off again by an irate driver in a red car who appears to be attempting to run the cyclist off the road – and then yelled profanities and homophobic slurs at him.
“It’s incredibly upsetting,” said Hughes who remained calm throughout the incident and has filed a report with Toronto police. Before leaving the driver threatened to “… beat the shit” out of Hughes.
According to Dave Shellnutt, managing partner with the Biking Lawyer LLP, putting protected bike lanes with concrete barriers drastically reduces the conflict points between motorists and vulnerable road users.
“What didn’t get captured in this piece is the responsibility of govt, police, and certain mayoral candidates in stoking anti cyclist rhetoric that legitimizes this behaviour,” tweeted Shellnutt who also posted a letter on Instagram condemning Toronto Mayoral candidates like Mark Saunders, who are fueling such behaviour with irresponsible comments.
Read the Global News report here and watch a video of the incident below.
