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Red light jumping cyclist runs over pedestrian – then gets attacked by cab driver

Witness describes Boston taxi driver “pummelling” controversial alleycat film-maker Lucas Brunelle

A Boston taxi driver stands accused of punching a cyclist then driving his cab at the rider, who had sought his help after colliding with a pedestrian as he rode through a red light. The bike rider involved? Film maker Lucas Brunelle, whose videos of alleycat racing have polarised opinion among cyclists.

Some see them as providing an adrenaline-fuelled view of top-notch bike handling skills. But for others, they glamorise law-breaking riding  and undermine the efforts of cycle campaigners.

Brunelle was riding with friends last Friday evening through the intersection of Tremont Street and Avery Street near Boston Common.

The 43-year-old ran a red traffic signal and struck a woman who was crossing the road, reports the Boston Globe.

The cyclist flagged down a cab driven by Sam Chandler to ask him for help. But a witness says the driver punched him in the face, flooring him. The attack continued until onlookers pulled him off Brunelle.

James Kidd, who was jogging nearby, told CBS Boston: “The taxi driver was on the ground on top of the biker just pummelling his face into the ground. There was blood everywhere.”

Once back on his feet, Brunelle positioned himself in front of the cab to prevent Chandler from making off. But instead, said an anonymous witness cited by the Boston Globe, the cabbie drove his vehicle at him.

“It was definitely scary being on the hood of a taxi. I was going down Tremont with a guy trying to kill me,” said Brunelle.

At an arraignment hearing on Monday, Chandler, aged 45, was set bail of $1,000. He had driven away from the scene, with police tracing him later.

Sporting a black eye, after the hearing Brunelle described the amount set by the judge as “a joke” and said he was “disgusted” by it.

But Chandler’s attorney, Kim Giampetro, said the cyclist had been the instigator. She also pointed out that her client, who could face 10 years’ imprisonment, had no criminal record.

She said: “This is a cyclist who had two problems in a short span of time.”

Despite Brunelle's admission he rode through a red light, it appears police will not fine him for that because they did not see him do so.

He told CBS that the woman wasn’t badly hurt. But  the Boston Globe said she was taken to hospital with head injuries, adding that “she is expected to survive.”

Brunelle, who runs an IT business which helps pay for his film-making, described the incident as “a group ride that went bad.” Chandler is due back in court on 10 December.

In December 2012, footage of alleycat racing in London’s West End shot by Brunelle six years earlier featured in the BBC One documentary, The War on Britain’s Roads.

Cycle campaigners who saw a preview said the programme sensationalised the issues and did not explaining the background to the alleycat footage.

Its makers did acknowledge in the final version that it represented “extreme behaviour.” They didn’t make clear that it was shot commercially and featured on the Line of Sight DVD sold through Brunelle’s website.

In a blog post, former bicycle courier ‘Buffalo’ Bill Chidley said Brunelle had put up prize money for the race and influenced the route to get the shots he wanted.

Criticism from other riders or from cycling campaigners is unlikely to bother Brunelle much.

As Chidley points out, in an interview with Bicycling magazine after Line of Sight was released, Brunelle said: “I love cars. Fuck bike advocacy. It's the cars that make shit fun.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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38 comments

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seven | 9 years ago
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Ten to a penny Brunelle loves all this attention more than anything else.

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ped | 9 years ago
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… what you all said, but Line of Sight is still my fave guilty pleasure cycling movie.

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patto583 | 9 years ago
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Why isn't Brunelle being prosecuted? I assume that the admission of jumping the red light is now contained in a sworn statement, so surely his own admission in a sworn statement would be evidence enough to secure a conviction.

The taxi driver should ALSO be prosecuted, a lot of the replies above seem to think it must be one or the other, both parties have broken the law and should be punished accordingly, the only innocent victim here is the woman hit by the bike in the first place.

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Ush | 9 years ago
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Wow. You can be against RLJumping and alleycats that take risks with pedestrians without supporting an alleged criminal assault and battery followed up by the use of a vehicle to further commit that assault.

Both committed on someone who stopped to try and help the person that he injured.

I won't claim to be disgusted or surprised at the 15 or so comments posted previous to this, but it does make me very aware that some of you are very similar to the road-raging nutbags that we see occasionally going to jail for killing or wounding other cyclists. Well done.

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Buffalo_Bill | 9 years ago
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My disagreements with some of Lucas' activities are a matter of record, but I find it extraordinary that he is attracting such vituperation after this incident given that he has not been charged with anything at all, and the taxi-driver has been charged with a number of very serious offences.

As with all such cases, it would be better if people witheld judgement until after the facts have been heard in court.

I agree with those that think that Lucas has, in the past, acted stupidly but I do not agree at all that being physically assaulted represents his just desserts for those actions.

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arfa | 9 years ago
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Brunelle in other interviews appears to take pride at the number of tickets he's picked up (showing complete contempt). Yes he stayed with the victim but would the pedestrian have been hurt but for his contempt ? The man deserves to be brought down a peg or two and I am sure the US litigation system will do the trick.

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Scoob_84 | 9 years ago
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He's a co(k so i can't help having zero sympathy for him.

It really irritates me when i see cyclists breezing through pedestrian crossings when they're on a red. Even if they don't hit a pedestrian, making them worry that they may have to jump to avoid getting hit is bad enough.

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Sub5orange | 9 years ago
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hope all the comments about litigating against the fool who ran into a pedestrian are from American commentators. Giving the culture over there , the cyclist certainly deserves credit for staying and helping his victim. He certainly did not deserve to be assaulted, and the taxi driver deserved proper punishment.

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jacknorell | 9 years ago
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Brunelle is a douche, true enough. But he wasn't looking for sympathy, he was trying to get assistance for helping the person he injured (unintentionally I'd assume).

Anyone on this thread backing the taxi driver needs their heads examined.

I certainly hope I never come across you in a tense situation as you seem to think unprovoked physical attacks are just fine, as is using a vehicle as a weapon when fleeing.

Brilliant.

I take it you also side with drivers doing the same to you then?

No? Hypocrites.

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Must be Mad | 9 years ago
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hmmm, I'm seeing a lot of love here for Brunelle .....
Kind of says something that...

The thing is, both Brunelle and the cabbie were complete dicks, who's actions were totally unacceptable - however only one of those guys are out there giving the rest of us cyclists a bad name.

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to Must be Mad | 9 years ago
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Must be Mad wrote:

hmmm, I'm seeing a lot of love here for Brunelle .....
Kind of says something that...

The thing is, both Brunelle and the cabbie were complete dicks, who's actions were totally unacceptable - however only one of those guys are out there giving the rest of us cyclists a bad name.

Do you have a link to a cab-driver forum where posters are bemoaning the cabbie giving the rest of the cab-drivers a bad name? Or a motorist forum full of agonising about him giving motorists a bad name? I bet you don't! Only cyclists go in for this silliness.

On the other hand...if there's any cyclist about whom that can be said its this guy. Have to admit he does appear to take the 'bad name' thing to a whole new level.

Anyway, its still wrong to assault even the most annoying of knobheads.

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seven replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 9 years ago
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FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

Do you have a link to a cab-driver forum where posters are bemoaning the cabbie giving the rest of the cab-drivers a bad name? Or a motorist forum full of agonising about him giving motorists a bad name? I bet you don't! Only cyclists go in for this silliness.

To be fair, the group I'd rather be in is the one that's aware of its own shortcomings and goes in for a bit of collective self-policing. The reason you won't find those forums you mention is because motorists as a whole are far more apt to blindly accept the "bloody cyclists have it coming/they've only got themselves to blame" bullshit.

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Aussie Col | 9 years ago
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Cyclist get enough crap from vehicle driver we don't need people breaking road rules to make a doco to make money. He went through a red light collided with a innocent, ( good that he stoped to help) pedestrian causing injury. He deservers to be prosecuted. No sympathy here as he will properly seeks monetary compensation.  14
The violence from the taxi driver was uncalled for  19 . A seriously violent assault, well it is the USA.

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Accessibility f... | 9 years ago
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Tossers all around, I feel sorry for the pedestrian.

I have zero sympathy for Brunelle. He thinks cycling like a dick is cool. Fortunately, most cyclists regard him as a dick.

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thx1138 | 9 years ago
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Having skimmed through his film Line of Sight this morning he does come across as an utter dick.

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MarcMyWords | 9 years ago
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I'm really shocked at the amount of people saying the cabbie was in the right or the cyclist deserved it. The cabbie inflicted what sounds like a seriously violent assault and what followed sounds like attempted murder!? I agree the cyclist is clearly a douche but whatever the situation, it's unacceptable to just hand out a beating to someone in the middle of the street!

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arfa | 9 years ago
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Way too much aggression out there and the assault is a criminal act deserving punishment. However, racing amongst cars and red light jumping makes you more than a bit of a tool adding to the aggression out there.
It would serve Brunelle right if was sued by the pedestrian

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mudshark | 9 years ago
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Even if the taxi driver saw the accident surely more appropriate to offer assistance rather than vigilante justice?

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parksey | 9 years ago
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Reading through the article and the comments again, is it known whether the cabbie actually saw what this Brunelle guy actually did?

I admittedly assumed that he did, hence the reaction, but others seem to be reading it to suggest otherwise? Both the road.cc report and the linked local news reports don't seem to say one way or another.

I wouldn't expect to be assaulted for no reason whatsoever, but if I had recklessly knocked someone over in the street then I might expect some retaliation from witnesses.

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severs1966 replied to parksey | 9 years ago
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parksey wrote:

... if I had recklessly knocked someone over in the street then I might expect some retaliation from witnesses.

So you will be perfectly happy if your stupidity hurts a pedestrian, and then a cab driver sentences you to a hard pasting on the spot, and then carries out the punishment, then tries to run you over, then leaves?

Cabbies are not the police. They are not the courts. They are not the sentencing authorities and it is not their job to carry out punishments. This is vigilantism and tolerating it will lead directly to bike riders being killed by drivers "because they had it coming". This is already happening of course, but as yet, nobody has suggested that they would expect it. You seem to expect it?

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mrfree | 9 years ago
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Jesus the boy was asking for help not for sympathy DrDee. It doesn't matter what the situation is, if someone needs help because there's an injured body lying on the street, you damn well help them...not start kicking the s**t into them.

At least Brunnelle stopped and tried to remedy the situation. He could have easily cycled on and got away with the whole thing.

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farrell | 9 years ago
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Brunelle hitting the pedestrian after running a red light is a complete dick move.

However, it has absolutely zero to do with the taxi driver or his response.

All the taxi driver knew about was Brunelle was out flagging the cab down, to which his response was to jump out, attack him and then try to run him over with his car and leave the scene of the crime.

And people seem to think that's ok?

I do hope you all don't happen across a similar minded sociopath after you've suffered a mechanical on a ride and are trying to flag down some assistance.

Let's be clear though, Brunelle is a bit of a dick.

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mudshark | 9 years ago
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I do hope no-one on here decides to beat up then drive into someone they consider to be in the wrong - the police don't like that sort of thing.

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tourdelound | 9 years ago
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K**b head road users are k**b head road users, whether they are pedestrians, cyclists or motor users.
Seems the only innocent party in this case, was the pedestrian.  39

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truffy | 9 years ago
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Yes, the taxi driver's reaction was way OTT, and he deserves to be punished. But so does the cyclist, who sounds like an arrogant, selfish tosspot.

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atlaz | 9 years ago
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Quote:

Who hasn't been on a group ride, and followed the rest of the group through as the lights changed?

I've NEVER been on a group ride where if one person has gone through red, I've felt obliged to follow. Then again, I wouldn't go on group rides where people were so unpleasant that they wouldn't wait for me if I was caught by a red.

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parksey | 9 years ago
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Cabbie's reaction was admittedly extreme and so he should face his own consequences, but I have zero sympathy for Brunelle here. Can't believe that he is now making himself out to be the victim.

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clayfit | 9 years ago
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It's possibly a case of "let he who is without sin...". He was on a group ride. Who hasn't been on a group ride, and followed the rest of the group through as the lights changed?

Not justifying what he did. But there are shades of guilt.

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Matt_S replied to clayfit | 9 years ago
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clayfit wrote:

It's possibly a case of "let he who is without sin...". He was on a group ride. Who hasn't been on a group ride, and followed the rest of the group through as the lights changed?

Me.

People who run lights are wankers. End of.

I was crossing a pelican the other day when a courier came weaving at me through the crowd of people crossing the road (traffic signals red, green man). I, err, had to put my arms out to protect myself in case he clipped me.

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Buffalo_Bill replied to clayfit | 9 years ago
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Lucas says elsewhere that he was riding slowly to the store when he hit the lady.

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