WASHINGTON — A D.C. bike commuter who was ticketed after crashing into a truck that cut him off has released a video of the incident to open a conversation on safety and driver behavior.
Evan Wilder, a photojournalist who has taken to wearing a GoPro camera during his commutes, says he was heading home earlier this month on R Street in Northeast when a pickup truck followed closely beside him, then suddenly cut him off. Wilder says he slammed on his brakes, but was unable to avoid a collision.
Wilder says the video shows the irate driver picking up his damaged bike and tossing it into the back of the pickup. The force of the man’s action resulted in the bike bouncing right out of the truck bed and back onto the street. Wilder says he called 911 to report the incident, but after he was taken to the hospital for a checkup, he was the one who was ticketed.
“I get to the ER, and I’m waiting for the doctors there. The police officer shows up,” says Wilder, who adds that police told him he was being cited for an infraction. “I received a $100 ticket for following too closely.”
Wilder also was involved in a bicycle crash with a vehicle in 2011. . Wilder also had the camera rolling when that crash occurred.
Watch the video below: (Editor’s note: Some of the language in the video may be considered offensive.)
Motorist Road Rage on DC Bicycle Route from Evan Wilder on Vimeo.
Wilder says the police ticket doesn’t reflect the driver’s behavior, instead it cites Wilder for failing to avoid the crash by following too closely. But it’s Wilder’s contention that the crash wouldn’t have happened if the truck hadn’t suddenly veered into his path.
Wilder is fighting the ticket — he says the ticket has several errors, including the documentation of the location of the crash — and says he’s been in touch with police, who are reviewing his video.
A spokeswoman with the Metropolitan Police Department, Gwendolyn Crump, says the department is investigating the crash and reviewing the video. When the review is complete, the department will decide whether to change the “classification of this incident.”
Sources tell WTOP the driver of the truck may face charges.
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