'He just punches me in the face': London cyclist takes a punch for trying to make a point
A London, Ont. cyclist is still recovering after being punched by a driver during his Thursday commute.
Peter Riley was a little bloodied and very bruised, but said the incident won't keep him off his bike.
Social media comments poured in after Riley's wife shared images of her husband with significant swelling and a deep purple bruise around his partially-shut left eye. A small gash was also evident on his cheek.
The events leading up to the punch started on the east side of Adelaide Street, just south of Kipps Lane.
"Where the cycle tracks begin there was a car kind of blocking the cycle lane,” Riley explained, “I had to dismount right in the middle of the road there to get around him."
The location on Adelaide Street North in London, Ont. where Peter Riley confronted a driver for sitting on bike lane, as seen on June 24, 2022. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London0That's when things started to get heated, and Riley told CTV News, "I kind of yell at him, 'You're blocking the bike lane,' something to that effect, and he yells back with a string of profanity."
Riley continued north on the bike lane thinking the episode was over. He came to stop at the traffic lights at Adelaide and Kipps but the man sped past, turned in front of him onto Kipps and escalated the confrontation.
According to Riley, "He proceeds to get out of the car [and] walk towards me. I expected him to yell at me. I had actually pulled out the phone and grabbed a photo of him getting out of the car, but he just punches me in the face."
Riley says his injuries are minor but it will take a while for the swelling to go down. In the meantime, London police have released a photo of the suspect.
Const. Sandasha Bough said they’re looking additional help with the investigation.
"We're asking for any dash-cam video, any additional photographs, or if you happen to recognize the suspect please give us a call,” she said.
The suspect is described as a Caucasian male, 35 to 40 years of age, medium to heavy set and wearing a baseball hat and navy shirt.
London police are requesting the public’s help in identifying a man who allegedly assaulted a cyclist Thursday afternoon in north London. (Source: London Police Service)Riley believes gaps in the cycling infrastructure can lead to confrontations. He's cycled in countries with a more complete cycling network and believes it creates greater acceptance.
"Drivers in the Netherlands are incredibly respectful of cyclists and there's very few conflicts,” he said.
He believes the city is working to improve the cycling experience but there’s a lot of work to be done.
In the location where Thursday's incident started the cycling lanes end briefly, leaving riders to choose the road or the sidewalk. The lanes resume at a driveway to an apartment complex where the confrontation took place.
But Riley doesn't want his incident to keep people away from cycling.
"I don't want people to hear this and say, 'This is too dangerous.' It's not. I've been doing this for 20 years and this is the only time have had anything quite like this happen,” he said.
Police ask anyone with information to call London police at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.