Video shows moment cyclist narrowly avoids being crushed by truck

A newly released video shows the moment a cyclist was clippedby the side of a flatbed truck in Toronto's west end while making what police say was an illegalright-hand turn.

The footage, released by a lawyer representing the cyclist, shows a man on a bike narrowly avoid being crushed by the truck as it makesthe turn. It was taken on July 25 the same day a 24-year-old cyclist was struck andkilled in a collisionon the same roadin Yorkville,whereanillegally placed bin was blocking the bike lane.

A spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service said itresponded to a collisionthat dayaround 10 a.m. in the area ofBloorStreet W. andDufferinStreet.

The flatbed truck was heading east onBloorwhen the driver turned right onDufferin, striking the cyclist, according to police. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries, police said.

A sign at the intersection says no right turns between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. fromMonday to Friday, except forTTC vehicles.

DavidShellnutt, managing partner and lawyer at The Biking LawyerLLP, says more needs to be done to prevent such injuries and deaths from happening.

"It shocked me how dangerous it was and how he wasn't killed frankly,"Shellnutt, who represents the cyclist, said in an interview Thursday.

"Just knowing how close he was to dying, being run over by a truck You don't just get injured when you're hit by a truck [like] that, you get killed."

WATCH | Rise in cyclist fatalities reignites calls for stronger traffic enforcement:

Calls for better safety measures grow after video shows cyclist clipped by truck

24 days ago

Duration 2:20

A video captured the moment a cyclist was dragged and nearly crushed by a truck on the very same day and in the same area where a 24-year-old cyclist was hit and killed by a truck. As CBCs Naama Weingarten reports, the incident is adding fuel to calls for better road safety measures.

Police said the truck driver remained on scene and was charged under the Highway Traffic Act withnot turning safelyand disobeying a sign.

So far this year,five cyclists have been killed inToronto. TheYorkvilledeath reignitedcalls for the city to do more to keep cyclists safe on its roads. The number of deaths makes 2024 the deadliest year for cyclists in the city since at least 2020.

Mayor urges drivers to check blind spots

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow urged drivers taking a wide turn to check their blind spot and for cyclists to take extra caution when vehicles are making right turns.

"I'm glad that in that incident, the cyclist was not seriously hurt, but he could have easily been killed and it wasn't his fault," Chow said at an unrelated news conference Thursday.

Shellnuttsaid bike lanes with protective infrastructure like physical barriers are key to keeping cyclists safe, adding that the bike path is one of the busiest in Toronto.

"Why do we just have paint? Paint is not infrastructure. Paint and even signs don't keep people safe," he said.

"Quite frankly, if they're telling people that you can't turn right here most of the day, it's because they know there's a problem."

'Bold action' needed, says lawyer

The City of Torontolaid bylaw chargesthis week against two companies that left theconstruction bin in the middle of the bike lane nearthe deadlyYorkvillecollision.A city spokesperson previously said each of the bylaw charges could carry a maximum penalty of up to $1,000 if the accused are found guilty in court. If the fines are paid outside of court, the set penalty for each offence is $200.

Meanwhile,Shellnuttsaid he would like to see drivers' operatinglicencesimmediately revoked in similar situations, adding that truck drivers who operate in busy urban settings should be held to "rigorous" safety standards.

"We need bold action,"Shellnuttsaid.

"We've heard a lot of talk since then about mobility squads and about bike lane enforcement, but unfortunately we'll believe it when we see it."