

Chris Fox, CP24.com





A driver is facing multiple charges after a cyclist was struck by a vehicle on the Martin Goodman Trail, a collision that he claims was a deliberate act.

The collision happened at the entrance to the Boulevard Club at around 7:25 p.m. on Monday.

Video captured by the cyclists’ helmet-mounted camera and posted to YouTube shows him travelling along the Martin Goodman Trail when he comes upon a vehicle blocking the bike path as it waited to turn onto Lake Shore Boulevard.

In the video, the cyclist appears to shake his head at the driver of the car as he passes by his front bumper.

The car then turns onto Lake Shore Boulevard and heads westbound.

About one minute later, what appears to be the same vehicle can be seen waiting to pull into the driveway of the Boulevard Club. As the cyclist passes in front of the car, the vehicle suddenly lurches forward and hits him.

The car then pulls ahead further but the cyclist gives chase and confronts the driver, telling him “you just f –king hit and run.’

The driver can then be heard saying ‘no, no’ and offering the cyclist money’ before driving away from the scene about 30 seconds later.

<br />

In a description accompanying the YouTube video, the cyclist said that he was “on edge” when he first saw the driver at the entrance to the Boulevard Club and braced himself at the last second for impact.

He said that he believes the driver hit him “on purpose” in retribution for the earlier interaction he had with him.

“Somehow I managed to stay on my feet instead of eating concrete. I just have a sore back right now,” he said in the description.

Police say that the driver is facing multiple offences under the Highway Traffic Act, though the exact charges are not clear.

They say that the charges were laid on Monday night.

In a news release issued on Tuesday, cycling advocacy organization Cycle Toronto said that it is “galling” that criminal charges, such as aggravated assault or assault with a weapon have not been laid.

”Had that person in the sedan been holding a stick or a club, and had acted aggressively in the same way as they did with their vehicle, the charges would likely be criminal. In this case, because the person was behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, this type of aggressive behaviour is more likely to be excused than weighed against the criminal code,” the release said.