Bolinas Man Arrested For Allegedly Hitting Bicyclist With Car During Road Rage Incident
BOLINAS (CBS SF) -- The California Highway Patrol arrested a Bolinas man for allegedly hitting a bicyclist with his vehicle during a road rage incident in west Marin County on Monday afternoon.
Mark Rafferty, 62, was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, CHP Officer Andrew Barclay said.
The bicyclist, Charles Keane-Zirepolo, 25, of San Francisco, declined medical treatment at the scene and was released by paramedics, Barclay said.
Rafferty was driving a green Saturn sedan east on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road around 1:10 p.m. when Keane-Zirepolo drifted from the east shoulder into the east lane of the roadway, Barclay said.
Rafferty honked his horn at the bicyclist and tried to pass Keane-Zirepolo and another bicyclist by crossing into the west lane. Keane-Zirepolo then allegedly veered left across the lanes of traffic, causing Rafferty to brake hard to avoid a collision, Barclay said.
Rafferty drove further east and got out of his vehicle on the east shoulder to complain about how Keane-Zirepolo was riding, Barclay said.
Zirepolo allegedly gave Rafferty an obscene hand gesture as he passed Rafferty, who yelled at him to pull over, Barclay said.
Keane-Zirepolo then rode back into the east lane to catch up with the other bicyclist. Raffery got back in his car, accelerated toward Keane-Zirepolo on the right shoulder and allegedly rammed his car into the rear of his bicycle, Barclay said.
The collision crushed the rear wheel of the bike and Keane-Zirepolo was ejected onto a dirt hillside, Barclay said.
Rafferty drove east until he could turn around and returned to the collision scene. After interviews with the bicyclists and witnesses, Rafferty was arrested, Barclay said.
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