Charges could be filed against bicyclist, motorist in road rage incident

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

By DAVE PHILLIPS
Of The Oakland Press

Charges could be filed against both men involved in what police describe as a road rage incident involving a pickup truck and a bicycle in West Bloomfield Township.

Police say the bicyclist may have committed an assault during the incident, which occurred around 7 p.m. Monday at Inkster and Maple roads. A 61-year-old West Bloomfield man had been driving the truck when he passed the bicyclist, a 42-year-old man from Franklin.

The bicyclist believed the truck crowded him on the road, and he approached the truck driver at the light at Maple and Inkster. Police said the bicyclist hit a mirror on the truck with a water bottle. When the bicyclist went to retrieve the bottle, which had rolled in front of the truck, the truck driver drove forward, rammed the bicycle, backed up and rammed it again, according to police.

The bicyclist was pinned under the bike and under a car that was in front of him. He suffered a broken ankle during the incident.

West Bloomfield Police Department Lt. Carl Fuhs said he doesn’t believe the two ever touched each other, but there could have been some type of assault.

The driver of the pickup truck was arrested for felonious assault, and his truck was impounded. He was released pending issuance of a warrant.

Contact staff writer Dave Phillips at 248-745-4631 or dave.phillips@oakpress.com. Follow him on Twitter @dave_phillips1.

http://theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/06/30/news/local_news/doc4c2ba1...