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Group of professional cyclists hit by car in 'road rage' incident

Riders were in a bike lane; driver in custody

A group of professional cyclists out training was attacked in a road rage incident on Friday, when a car swerved and hit them while the driver yelled abuse.

Around a dozen members of the Jamis/Hagnes Berman cycling team were training in Tucson, USA.

"You go on a bike and you expect to be safe... you don't expect something like this to happen," Tyler Wren told KVOA, who was leading the group and was hit by a motorist driving a silver car. He suffered minor injuries and was checked over in hospital.

He said the riders were two abreast, in a bike lane near the junction of Valencia Road and Old Vail Road.

"The driver came, was coming in on the left and was yelling at us and swerved into us.. I think intentionally [and] sped off," Wren said.

A support car with the cyclists managed to photograph the car's numberplate

A Tucson Police Department spokesman told News 4 Tucson that a man has been taken into custody in connection with this incident.

Wren later tweeted: "I was rammed by a car today. Teammates & TucsonPD on it straight away & driver in jail. Hospital now- but thumbs up!"

He followed up by saying: "No broken bones, back on the bike tomorrow. Thanks for all the well wishes. Hope this incident highlights this issue."

 

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10 comments

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md6 | 11 years ago
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a group, becomes singular as there is one group and so is 'was', two groups revert to plural and so its 'were'

I've never riden in the US so can't really comment on this, but swerving into someone, or a group, for no apparent reason just seems mental. It makes you pine for the right to bear arms so you can respond in kind with your own deadly weapon

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ubercurmudgeon | 11 years ago
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Thinking about it, I think what makes the roads in the United States more dangerous than a country with their surfeit of space, wealth, and technology should be, is the sense of entitlement. Average Americans have an even more inflated sense of their own importance than Britons, if you can believe that. And it is no coincidence that they have had mass car ownership the longest. Experienced cyclists know how to ride in such a way as to minimise the risks from careless drivers. But that can make matters worse when you encounter someone who thinks he has the right to teach you a lesson for momentarily impinging on his freedom to drive wherever he wants, whenever he wants, at whatever speed he chooses.

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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So a group was cycling, but two groups were cycling??

I never sat exams at school, but I didn't think my English was that bad  2

I just thought, because it was a GROUP, meaning more than one, that they were cycling  39

I'm going to bed confused  19

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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Hopefully justice will be served.

As I always pick on Simon for his news, I'll leave you one. I'm sure the group of cyclists WERE out cycling......  26

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brakesmadly replied to Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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...except it's 'a' group, singular, so it WAS out cycling.

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Carl | 11 years ago
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In response to Mike's comment, driving a 1 tonne vehicle into a cyclist probably constitutes attempted homicide so any response of self defence should be acceptable.

Under Britain's idiotic laws it wouldn't be regarded as an assault because it involved a car and would therefore be prosecuted under Road Traffic laws (which are there to protect idiot motorists, rather than their victims).

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andyp | 11 years ago
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less to do with the roads, more to do with the gun-toting swivel-eyed loons perhaps...

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ubercurmudgeon | 11 years ago
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I have cycled a fair bit in the US, and never had any problems - mainly, I think, because their roads are almost all much wider than the pokey little ancient lanes in the UK. Yet almost every round-the-world cyclist seems to find the roads of North America more dangerous than all but the world's most active war zone and terrorist hotspots.

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mike_ibcyclist | 11 years ago
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Tucson . . . I reckon you're entitled to carry a Glock in your jersey pocket and fire for protection. Justice the old fashioned way?

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mad_scot_rider | 11 years ago
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I wonder if the 'merkins will sentence this eejit appropriately - I know in the UK he'd get a slap on the wrist and sent home to think about what he's done

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