The scene of a violent case of road rage between a driver and a cyclist in Montreal is making the rounds online after being captured on video.
The cellphone footage taken by bystanders shows a cyclist angrily shouting at a driver of a yellow Mercedes.
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The cyclist can seen berating the driver, Alain Montes, with insults and vulgar curses, even going as far as using racist slurs, according to Montes.
“In my mind I said, ‘This guy is crazy.’ I asked myself what should I do,” Montes said in an interview.
With an escalating temper, the unidentified cyclist then persisted to hit and kick the vehicle — even going as far as stomping off the side mirror and throwing it back at the passenger side window.
The troubling scene unfolded on the corner of Rachel Street and Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
The busy intersection is heavily travelled by motorists and cyclists alike.
According to Montes, the cyclist is the one at fault in this case.
“He tried to cross the street almost on the red light. I pressed the horn, I said, ‘Watch out, I’m going to hit you,’” Montes said.
“I was trying to help the guy.”
He claims the man did not have the right-of-way crossing the street .
Witnesses who saw the event corroborate Montes’s story.
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Cycling advocates, Vélo Québec, say while they do not have any information on this particular incident, they did not condone the cyclists actions.
“Whenever an incident happens where a cyclist feels their security is at risk, their priority should be to get out of harm’s way. If possible, they should collect evidence [plate number, pictures] and report the problem to the police,” said Stéphanie Couillard, spokesperson for Vélo Québec.
Montes says he chose to remain in the car while the tirade of abuse continued.
“Violence begets violence,” Montes said. “Luckily I wasn’t hurt. I just wanted it to end.”
While Montes was not injured in the event, his vehicle took the blunt of the anger. He estimates the damages will cost between $1,000 and $2,000.
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While he has insurance to cover the damages, Montes says he might have to pay the vandalism out of pocket.
Montes says he plans on filing a police report in the coming days with Montreal police.
He hopes the circulation of the video online will help identify the cyclist so possible charges can be laid.
“You never know what goes on in peoples’ heads,” Montes said. “I just want to know what made him do this. I want to talk to him.”