Naperville Bicyclist Charged After Raging At Motorist Who Cut Him Off
UPDATED 09/15/12 2:08 p.m.
NAPERVILLE, Ill (CBS) -- A Naperville man has a date in court, facing charges in connection with a case of apparent bicycle rage.
As WBBM Newsradio's Nick Young reports, James A. Berg, 55, is free on bond after after police say he chased a motorist who allegedly cut him off in traffic while he was on his bicycle.
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He is charged with disorderly conduct/breach of peace and criminal damage to property totaling less than $300, according to records at DuPage County Circuit Court.
Berg lives on the 900 block of Merrimac Circle in Naperville's Hobson West area. He was arrested just after 5 p.m. Sept. 7 following an incident in the adjacent West Highlands neighborhood.
A written Naperville police report indicated Berg that afternoon was riding his bicycle east on the 400 block of West Gartner Road when he was passed by a motorist who then made a turn into the driveway of her home. Three children were passengers in the car at the time.
Berg "believed he was cut off by the driver's turn and chased her up her driveway to (the) back door, yelling at her while her three children were in the car," the report stated. Berg then allegedly "slammed (his) bike into the side of the vehicle, causing a dent and scratch."
Police Sgt. John Westlove confirmed the contents of the report. He would identify the motorist only as a woman in her early 30s who was driving a newer-model Volkswagen.
The woman told police she heard Berg "screaming at her about being cut off," Westlove said Wednesday via e-mail. He declined to identify the children by gender or age, but said they were "visibly upset by the bicyclist actions."
Documents indicate Berg has no record in DuPage, Kane or Will counties. His arraignment date is pending.
Naperville police say the incident occured on September the seventh in the 400 block of West Gartner Road.
The police report says Berg chased the woman up her driveway, yelling at her while her three children were in the car and slamming his bike into the side of her car, scratching and denting it.
The charges include disorderly conduct/breach of the peace and criminal damage to property totalling less than $300.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
