Members of the London Cycling Club like to hit the road on Sunday mornings when the weather allows.
At approximately 9 a.m. on August 14, a group of four was riding on White Oak Road near Harry White Drive when a pickup truck swerved into them, injured the two lead riders, and drove away.
"We heard a horn honk behind us," Randy Van Puyenbroek said in an interview with London News Today. "There was plenty of room on the road. I was not really anticipating a car to start passing in the curve because they couldn't see anything anyway, but I could hear someone coming up alongside us," he explained that, especially on country roads, the group rides tight to the right of the road with two riders side by side, as is recommended.
"It happened so fast," Van Puyenbroek said. "Suddenly, this truck is beside me and it swerves right into me." Another cyclist said that the truck swerved in front of them and hit the brakes. "He was blatantly trying to more than intimidate, but to hit us."
He admitted that the next thing he remembers is colliding with the rider next to him and both of them hitting the ground hard.
While the group scrambled to get off the road, one rider tried to take a picture, but the truck was too far away to get a license plate number. The truck is described as a black Dodge Ram, with a chrome bumper, dark tinted windows, white decals on the rear window, and possibly a toolbox in the truck bed. The pickup may also have damage to the rear passenger side panel.
Police and paramedics were called to the scene and two of the cyclists were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Van Puyenbroek suffered a broken collarbone and road rash all up and down his left side, while his friend landed more on his head and shoulder. "It's probably going to keep me from work for a little bit," he said of his injuries. "All in all, I'm pretty thankful that I'm only injured as much as I am, cause I feel like it could have been so much worse."
A couple behind the group also had an experience with the same truck, though they weren't physically hurt.
Van Puyenbroek said he's had incidences before with vehicles being aggressive and getting too close. "It's not unusual," he explained. He knows of many others who have posted similar stories to social media. As much as he loves cycling, he admitted that this event has made him reconsider his hobby.
"Most of the time people are fine," he said, when it comes to cyclists on the road. Van Puyenbroek asked that motorists try to leave a meter of space and display patience and respect.
He also said that he appreciates what the City of London has been trying to do with cycling infrastructure and hopes that they continue to do more.
"It comes down to providing a safe environment for people to cycle."
London police are investigating the hit-and-run and are asking anyone who was travelling in the area at the time of the collision and has dash-cam footage to call them at 519-661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)