A newly released video shows the moment a cyclist was clipped by the side of a flatbed truck in Toronto’s west end while making what police say was an illegal right-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 makes the turn. It was taken on July 25 — the same day a 24-year-old cyclist was struck and killed in a collision on the same road in Yorkville, where an illegally placed bin was blocking the bike lane.
A spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service said it responded to a collision that day around 10 a.m. in the area of Bloor Street W. and Dufferin Street.
The flatbed truck was heading east on Bloor when the driver turned right on Dufferin, 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. from Monday to Friday, except for TTC vehicles.
David Shellnutt, managing partner and lawyer at The Biking Lawyer LLP, 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.”
Police said the truck driver remained on scene and was charged under the Highway Traffic Act with not turning safely and disobeying a sign.
So far this year, five cyclists have been killed in Toronto. The Yorkville death reignited calls 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.
Shellnutt said 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 Toronto laid bylaw charges this week against two companies that left the construction bin in the middle of the bike lane near the deadly Yorkville collision. 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, Shellnutt said he would like to see drivers’ operating licences immediately 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,” Shellnutt said.
“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.”