By Laura Tomlinson, Fremantle-Cockburn Gazette
A SEMI-professional cyclist assaulted on Beeliar Drive by a driver brandishing a length of timber says Perth is one of the worst places for road-rage against people on bikes.
Beeliar resident Steven Hedley was struck by the wing mirror of a passing red Mazda RX8 at about 6.20am on November 25, about 8km into a planned 120km training ride.
He was due to leave for Japan for a competition two days later.
The driver, who had attempted to “take the racing line” through the roundabout as Mr Hedley travelled through it, swiped the bike as he overtook.
The driver then stopped in the middle of the roundabout, got out of the car and aggressively demanded Mr Hedley’s details, who refused to provide them as there was no damage to the vehicle.
The driver followed Mr Hedley west along Beeliar Drive towards the Stock Road traffic lights, forcing the cyclist off the road onto the bike path.
“It went on until I had nowhere to go,” Mr Hedley said.
Traffic banked up behind the stationary vehicle, as the angry driver got out of the car and allegedly pushed Mr Hedley off his bike, while yelling abuse and threateningly waving a length of timber he removed from his car.
“I just thought, this guy has lost control, he was so close to me. I tried to tell him, ‘look, you hit me’, but all he said was ‘don’t you ever touch my car again’.
“All it would have taken was for me to bite back (and he would have hit me).”
Mr Hedley said the man was unshaven, Caucasian and tanned, of stocky build and around 5ft 9in tall, with dark hair and wearing casual clothes.
Luckily, Mr Hedley only suffered minor injuries, but was worried the offender would lose control again and attack someone vulnerable.
Ironically, in November 2007, Mr Hedley completed a Kalgoorlie to Perth bike ride to raise awareness of the Share the Road initiative.
In August this year, Mr Hedley was riding on the same stretch of road when he was knocked from his bike by a speeding P-plater, who drove on without stopping.
She was chased down by concerned motorists, and admitted she kept driving because she was late for work. The girl lost her driver’s licence.
“(Someones life) is not worth gaining a few seconds,” he said.
Anyone who witnessed the road-rage incident should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.