SUV Driver Harasses Cyclists With Horn For 5 Minutes
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) - It's not the weekend ride some bicyclists expected after a driver in an SUV honked for five minutes without passing. Now the Colorado State Patrol wants to talk to the driver.
The cyclists say they were harassed Sunday near Longmont along County Line Road north of Highway 52, and they caught it on video.
The State Patrol says they know who the driver is and are attempting to get a hold of him. They checked with the district attorney's office to see if what happened could warrant criminal charges, or a citation to the driver.
Cyclist Dirk Friel says the honking from the Ford Explorer went on for five minutes, even after he slowed down to try and get the driver to pass.
"It was just a strange incident. Why would you ride behind us with just your horn on and backing up traffic behind you at the same time?" Friel said.
Friel and his friend were riding right of the white line and in single file. Not knowing what the driver might do, both pulled out cellphones to take video.
The clip called "Insane Driver" is posted on YouTube and that is where a sound off of another kind began.
"Calm down, slow down, is it really worth it?" cyclist Adam Haid said. "Is your day better because you did that? That was ridiculous."
The clip has been watched 73,000 times and counting. Social media connected police to Friel and the investigation began after someone posted on YouTube that they had a run-in with the same driver.
"Now there are multiple reports about the same driver," Friel said. "It's a very beautiful Sunday fall morning and we were out there to enjoy our day. He must have had a stressful one but he doesn't have to take it out on others."
Friel says he plans to take advantage of all the YouTube traffic by raising money from ads. He plans to give the money to Bicycle Colorado, which raises awareness and lobbies for laws that protects cyclists.
LINK: Bicycle Colorado
