Road rage took on a whole new meaning in Brentwood over the Fourth of July, when a bicycle accident was caused by a motorist, who used his car as a weapon against two cyclists. The bicycle accident has put new focus on the increased conflict between cyclists and motorists in the area, and city authorities have finally begun to admit the problem is serious enough, and something needs to be done.

On the 4th of July, about 300 cyclists set off on a holiday bicycle ride to the top of Mandeville Canyon road in Brentwood. The event is a popular one with cyclists in the area, and takes place at least 5 to 6 times a year, drawing plenty of LA cyclists.

On the descent, one of the cyclists was injured, and had to be taken to the hospital. Two of his buddies, 40-year-old Ron Peterson and 28-year-old Christian Stoher, stayed back and tended to him, while the ambulance arrived. Later, as the two set off back down the hill, a car passed close to them and shouted obscenities. Then, as it moved ahead of the cyclists, the driver of the car pulled in front of the cyclists and slammed on his brakes. Christian was able to dodge in time, but was still injured after losing control of his bicycle, while Ron was thrown through the back window of the car, breaking the windshield. His nose was partially severed, and he received severe facial lacerations.

The driver of the car, Dr. Christopher Thompson, stopped and identified himself as a doctor, but offered the two severely injured cyclists no help or emergency care.

Thankfully for the two cyclists, the ambulance that was transporting the first injured cyclist to the hospital drove up, and they were able to get the help they needed. But it will be awhile before they make a complete recovery from the bicycle accident. Christian works as a photographer, and can’t go back to work unless he is 100 percent fit. Ron is still in the hospital with severe injuries sustained in the bicycle accident.

The police have now said they are treating this as a road rage incident and as a felony criminal assault, and not as a bicycle accident. The doctor has been arrested, and has been released after he posted $30,000 bail. He is due in court next month.

A Los Angeles City Councilman has now called for a meeting soon with cyclists in the area, council members and traffic police to discuss the rising conflicts between cyclists and motorist on the road. More and more people are choosing to cycle, not just for recreation, but as a cost saving measure in these days of rising gas prices. As more cyclists take to the street, there are going to be more such “road rage” incidents that we see.

This harsh treatment that cyclists get on our streets has to be dealt with strictly. There’s no point in asking citizens to reduce their carbon footprint and cycle for a greener world, if we can’t make the streets safe for them to ride. Given a choice between a cleaner world, and being ground to a pulp by a 5000-pound car whose driver suddenly decides you are responsible for all the chaos in the world, most cyclists would prefer to take their car instead. Educating people about the rights of bicyclists so both motorists and bicyclist can use the streets safely, is extremely important.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bicycle accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.