'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
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.