Felony assault charges possible in car vs. bike road rage *

Dr. Charles T. Thompson, the man allegedly involved in a car vs. bike road rage incident in Mandeville Canyon on July 4, has been arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon -- his car -- our police reporter, Richard Winton, says.

Cyclists at the scene say Thompson exchanged angry words with two riders, then pulled ahead, blocked the road and slammed on his brakes. The cyclists went flying, one onto the side of the road.

The other cyclist, Ron Peterson, a 40-year-old cameraman, went head-first into Thompson's rear window. Peterson broke his nose, two of his front teeth and has numerous cuts on his face.

Martha Grove and Richard Winton have the full story.

More details and updates at LAist and Bottleneck Blog.

--Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr

* This post was updated with new links

Comments

[Duke]

This should be another indicator for CA to promote Vehicle safety, courtesy, and awareness for Cyclists and pedestrians. Cyclist have every right on the road that auto drivers do. With more cyclists commuting now due to the rape of gas pricing, Autoists need to be more patient, level headed, and smart about sharing the road with cyclists. We can all learn from Portland and Copenhagen. http://bikeportland.org/

[Craig]

Good - I hope he loses his medical license and has to do hard time.

[Sheila]

I agree with previous comments by Duke & Craig. It's bad enough when road rage involves two motorists. My son is an avid cyclist. The majority of these guys are skilled cyclists who ride with proper etiquette and unlikely to intentionally upset a motorist. I'm all for sharing the road. I'm also all for advocating responsible pedestrians and cyclists. Along with motorists exercising patience, it is only fair that pedestrians and cyclists be accountable for their safety and being courteous. Besides seeing pedestrians step off a curb (anywhere) in front of barrelling motorists, I've seen several cyclists (inexperienced?) riding against traffic, sometimes on sidewalks without paying attention to vehicles coming out of driveways - most not wearing helmets. With the growing number of these types of cyclists, maybe citing these riders (to obtain training/permits) might not be a bad idea. It may seem a nuisance for the experienced rider to have to go out of their way for a permit, but I've seen a lot of close calls (no helmets). Let's share the roads responsibly, safely.