Taxi driver appears to cut off cyclist but debate rages over who is to blame
Footage of a cyclist in Melbourne crashing into a turning taxi has divided opinion online as to who is to blame for the collision.
The short clip shows Gavin D’Amico riding along a designated cycle lane on Arden Street in North Melbourne on November 19.
A taxi driving alongside him then tries to turn left across the cycle path into a business.
With little time to react, Mr D’Amico slams into the side of the taxi before crashing to the ground.
The clip was shared to Facebook on Thursday by Cycliq, prompting a heated debate as to who was in the wrong.
Many were quick to point the finger at the taxi driver, with several saying they should have been more vigilant.
“There is absolutely no fault of the cyclist here…all fault lies with the taxi driver,” one user wrote.
“I think drivers who do things like this should have to retake there test,” another suggested.
Several also suggested the taxi driver failed to indicate when turning.
But some users were adamant the cyclist was the cause of the crash.
“The bike rider is an idiot why the hell would you pass a moving vehicle on the lefthand side, you would hang back and wait to see what the driver was doing ,” one comment said in reference to the taxi slowing down.
“Cyclist’s fault all day long, came round the corner and straight up the inside of the taxi,” another said.
Cyclist in collision weighs in on debate
As debate raged on, Mr D’Amico decided to have his say online in a bid to clear up any confusion over the collision.
He admitted that he had briefly taken his eyes off the road as he began to push hard on the pedals, meaning when he looked up he had little time to react.
“[The collision was] pure accident a cyclist could normally avoid,” he said.
“It was bad luck for me his destination was the driveway just past his turn from lights when I thought we were both heading away from each other.”
He also claimed the taxi driver did in fact indicate.
He said he told the driver not to worry about the crash as both were partially blame for the incident.
He also noted the driver would never have known he was there after not having chance to pull alongside him at the previous T-intersection.
While Mr D’Amico damaged his shoes and the driver smashed his mirror, the pair didn’t exchange numbers.
“I did a safety check on my bike, straightened my handle bars, shook his hand and left,” Mr D’Amico said.
“Sometimes things happen, as a cyclist your eyes are always looking different directions, observing different things.
“Just bad timing. No animosity to the driver and I got home to see my family. Stay safe all.”
