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Showing results for tags 'blinded'.
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karma's a bitch. lol
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Cyclist swerves to avoid van turning out from a carpark into his lane He raises hand at driver & shouts at him Driver gets out, presses thumb into cyclist's glasses. He & female passenger punch him Driver stomps on bike & glasses Cyclist kicks driver in the torso IT was a road rage incident with a difference: Motorist and cyclist faced up to each other, then the motorist's female companion joined the fray and allegedly threw punches at the cyclist. Avid cyclist Ong Khe Wat, 42, claimed he was almost knocked down by a van and then nearly blinded in the scuffle that followed last Thursday night. His $4,500 bicycle was also damaged. The kayak instructor said he was cycling home to Yishun from his workplace at Bedok Reservoir, as he does three times a week. On Hougang Avenue 7, he saw a van turning out from a carpark into his path. Mr Ong said the van driver glanced in his direction, so he thought the man had seen him and would wait for him to pass before turning out. Mr Ong was less than a car's length away at that time, but before Mr Ong could pass, the van turned out, causing him to swerve. He said: 'I was too near to stop so I had to jam my brakes and pull away to the right. 'It was reflex action and I had no time to check for other traffic.' Luckily, there were no vehicles behind him. He said the van slowed down and Mr Ong raised his hand at the driver as he passed the van. 'I was so frustrated I raised my hand and shouted, 'Oy!' at him,' here called. He claimed the van started going faster. Mr Ong sped forward and raised his hand again. The driver overtook him, glared at him, then cut into his lane and stopped abruptly in front of him, Mr Ong claimed. As the driver got out, Mr Ong saw a woman and a young boy in thevan. 'I stopped my bicycle behind the van. The driver looked like he was in his 50s. He claimed: 'He got out and rushed towards me. He looked fierce and was shouting Hokkien expletives.' Mr Ong, whose cycling shoes has clips attached to cleats on the pedals, could not get off the bicycle immediately. He alleged that the driver, clad in T-shirt and bermudas, charged at him, grabbed his face and then pressed his right thumb hard into Mr Ong's glasses. Mr Ong, who was in cycling gear consisting of helmet, glasses and tights, said: 'My $400 pair of glasses were pressed really hard but it did not crack. 'The lens were pressing into my left eye. If it had cracked, I think I would have been blinded.' Then, he claimed that he felt punches raining on his head, but his helmet cushioned the blows. He managed to get off his bicycle and tried fending off the blows. By this time, Mr Ong alleged, the woman had come out of the van and she also started punching him. The driver then ran over to Mr Ong's bicycle and allegedly stomped on it. He also allegedly stomped on Mr Ong's glasses, which had fallen off. As the man was about to damage the bicycle's $2,000 frame, Mr Ong wrestled free from the woman, lunged at the man and kicked his torso. As the driver lay writhing in pain, Mr Ong yelled at him: 'What are you trying to do? 'If you're 10 years younger, I could have died in your hands.' Both men then called the police on their handphones. A police spokesman confirmed the men had filed reports. They have been advised to make a magistrate's complaint at the Subordinate Courts if they want to pursue the matter. Mr Ong said his right arm was bruised and his left eye was scratched. But he did not see a doctor as the injuries were slight. He also claimed that his bicycle was damaged, with its $1,000 back wheel needing to be replaced. His glasses were also broken. He does not know if he can take part in next month's Osim Singapore Triathlon. Mr Ong, who has been driving since his bicycle was damaged, said: 'Maybe I'll look for a second-hand wheel as a temporary measure as I need to save money to buy a replacement.' The incident has not put him off from cycling on the roads. The issue of safe cycling has been hotly debated following a year-long trial in Tampines to allow cyclists to use footpaths. By the end of this month, a decision will be made on whether they will be permanently allowed on footpaths. Mr Ong, who has been driving for 20 years, said: 'Most drivers are considerate. But a few drive too close to you or cut in front of your lane abruptly, causing you to brake.' In the first three months of this year, 134 cyclists were involved in accidents. Four died. Of the 551 cyclists involved in accidents last year, 22 were killed and seven seriously injured. Cyclist also Problem