A daredevil cyclist in Toronto has caught the attention of police after a video uploaded online shows him performing pop-a-wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic in the city’s busy downtown.
The unknown man posted a clip of his ride on the Instagram account for a downtown Toronto store, My Little Bike Shop, on June 22.
In the short video, the cyclist rides with his front wheel in the air as he speeds southbound on Yonge Street. At one point, the biker squeezes between two cars and switches to the other side of the road while his front wheel is still raised.
The cyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, then repeatedly travels back and forth between lanes before eventually jumping up onto the sidewalk where he continues the wheelie amongst strolling pedestrians.
Toronto police reposted the video on their Instagram account on Friday morning along with a public appeal for witnesses. In the caption, Const. Clinton Stibbe delivers a message to the thrill-seeking biker.
“Thanks for the video, great riding skill, but dangerous cycling behaviour… YOU now have our attention,” the message reads.
The police post goes on to scold the biker for careless driving, putting pedestrians in harm’s way and violating several other bylaws.
“Road safety is a shared responsibility and this type of disregard for safe riding on city streets does not forward the cycling agenda in the City of Toronto, and puts you at risk of serious injury or death,” the caption said.
Stibbe told CP24 that police are looking for witnesses who can share the time and date of the incident so they can pursue charges against the individual.
“This is essentially a perfect example of poor cyclist behaviour,” he said. “He could have been killed. He went through a red light between oncoming traffic.”
It’s not the first time police have responded to the cyclist’s antics. In a Toronto Sun story about a similar video published in May, Stibbe said there were several charges that could be laid in connection with the behaviour. He also insisted that the bikers’ actions “do not reflect on the cycling community as a whole.”
Police could charge the cyclist with careless driving under the Highway Traffic Act, which could result in a fine of up to $2,000.
Despite the condemnation of police, the biker defended his actions on Instagram, where he called the allegations “heartbreaking.”
In a message uploaded soon after the Toronto Police posted their call for witnesses, the man compares his short clip to the surveillance cameras on nearby buildings that he claims have recorded murders, stabbings, shootings, and other serious crimes.
“I never crashed, I never hit anyone, and didn't commit any sort of hit & run. I never even made / make anyone slow down, hit their brakes or cause them to pull last second maneuvers,” he wrote.
The cyclist did admit, however, that his biking could be considered “a little dangerous,” but that he is an expert and that he has never been in an accident in Toronto.
Police said they believe the incident took place near Yonge and Carleton Streets. They are urging anyone with more information to come forward.
With files from CP24
