A local cyclist was the victim of a hit and run. On Oct. 27, Tom Bernard was heading south on Fairgrounds Road when, just before he began his descent into town, he was struck by the passenger side rearview mirror of a passing pick-up truck.
He said he was riding solo on the edge of the road when, “Out of nowhere, bang, I feel this thing hit me across the back.”
Bernard said he has no idea how fast the vehicle was going but he was knocked off his bike onto the shoulder.
“Once I finally dusted myself off and figured out what the heck had just happened, I saw the whole mirror assembly was lying on the side of the road,” said Bernard.
The mirror casing shows that the colour of the truck is deep red.
He is hoping someone will notice a truck missing a mirror and report it to the police, who said they could do little to investigate without a licence plate number.
Although he was dazed, he did not sustain any serious injuries, only minor scrapes and bruises.
A local resident saw some of what happened and stopped to see if Bernard was okay before racing off to see if he could catch up with the driver, to no avail.
Bernard did report the incident to police but they said there was little they could do without more information.
“I’m thinking if this particular incident can be publicized maybe a lead will come in from somewhere,” said Bernard. “At the same time I’m pretty concerned about this idiot driving around… These people may not like cyclists but you don’t go mowing people down.”
He said he finds it hard to believe that someone wouldn’t have known that they hit someone, and because they didn’t stop, he does feel that it was an act of aggression.
Bernard said he has been riding for about 20 years and has encountered his share of impatient drivers.
“A lot of insults are hurled but the vast majority [of drivers] are respectful, they keep their distance, they’re not pushy but there are just a few bad apples and they cause injuries,” said Bernard. “I fully acknowledge that there are some cyclists who could behave better but that doesn’t give anyone a reason to run them off the road.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police at 1-888-310- 1122, and quote an inbound call at 4:11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27. Information can also be shared with The Echo, to editor@creemore.com.