On Friday in Liège, an adviser was attacked by a motorist while riding a bike on rue Saint-Léonard. The motorist attempted to run him over and then threatened him to erase the photo of his license plate that was taken. Two witnesses intervened to confirm the incident and allow the adviser to leave safely. However, the motorist pursued him in the neighborhood and he had to escape twice. The adviser then sought help from the closed Saint-Léonard police station, where luckily, police officers were present. The motorist entered the station a second time and was identified and documented by the police. The adviser wants to file a complaint and seek witnesses to testify. He hopes to stop frequent attacks on cyclists by disrespectful motorists.
It all started on Friday in Liège: “This day, around 4:15 p.m., riding a bike (by SUL) in rue Saint-Léonard (at the height of the Liège Atlas athenaeum), I was attacked ( several times) from a motorist who tried (deliberately, I think) to run me over and then began to threaten me to erase the photo of his license plate that I had just taken.
This first moment of interaction would have degenerated without the intervention of two witnesses who stopped, confirmed that I had just been put in danger and then intervened to allow me to leave in safety”, explains the adviser. on his Facebook page.
Pursued in the neighborhood
But, obviously, the motorist had not finished with him: “After this first episode, I was pursued in the neighborhood by the attacker, who was driving around in a car to catch me. I managed to escape him for the first time, a few minutes after the first attack.
I then headed for the Saint-Léonard police station, which is closed but where, fortunately, there were police officers. It was when they opened the door for me that the aggressor came in a second time… and found himself face to face with the police. Which took his identity and wrote an information sheet. »
File a complaint
Fortunately, the Liégeois comes out unscathed, but he still wants to assert his rights: “I thank them very much and I would like to identify them so, if they agree to testify, to file a complaint. Of course, without witnesses, it will be “word against word” and there is not much to hope for. »
His post on the networks has generated many reactions. Other cyclists also say they are victims of inappropriate behavior on the part of disrespectful motorists.
“These attacks are daily. It is vital that we find a way to stop them. Because it’s the same thing each time when faced with these toxic profiles: either you crash after the first (micro) aggression and it (often) stays there (they are the masters of the road and you submit) , either you seek to put an end to the danger (or even simply to document it, already) and then it immediately goes into a spin,” adds François Schreuer.
In conclusion, the incident involving François Schreuer and the aggressive motorist highlights the ongoing issue of disrespectful motorists putting cyclists in danger. While Schreuer was fortunate to escape unharmed, it is crucial that these incidents are reported and addressed before someone is seriously injured or worse. Schreuer’s call for witnesses to come forward and assist him in filing a complaint is a step in the right direction towards holding these individuals accountable for their actions. Let’s hope that this serves as a wake-up call for all road users to respect each other and share the road safely.