Road rage against cyclist caught on camera

DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) - A frightening road rage incident involving a vehicle and a bicycle was captured on the cyclist’s camera.

The man riding the bicycle, who asked not to be identified, is declining to file charges, but the driver may still face legal consequences.

The video shows the tense moments, as a white Jeep Wrangler veers into oncoming traffic to seemingly threaten the cyclist.

“I was like, ‘Whoa!’ There was a moment there where I thought he was going to hit me,” he said in an interview Monday.

The cyclist says he is still shaken from the incident Wednesday.

It happened just after 7 a.m. local time. The cyclist says he has no idea what provoked that driver, but his rear camera caught the first of their two interactions.

It shows the cyclist turn into the far-right lane then the white Jeep speeds up next to him. The driver uses foul language to yell at the biker, and the cyclist responds with a middle finger.

“I wish I wouldn’t have reacted like that, but it’s how I reacted,” he said.

Less than a minute later, that Jeep Wrangler U-turns and veers to nearly sideswipe the bicycle.

“It was definitely a scary situation,” said Lt. Chris Brown with Deer Park police.

Police are investigating, and they tracked down this driver.

“He was initially upset that the bicyclists were on the road, and that’s kind of what set him off,” Brown said. “Something prior to that had probably already ignited, and this was just the tipping point.”

The cyclist said that is his only mode of transportation, and he takes many safety precautions like cameras attached to himself and his bike. He also carries mace.

So far, he has declined to press charges but says he worries this driver is not taking responsibility for his dangerous behavior.

“I feel like I’m kind of doing that wrong thing because what if this happens again?” he said. “You know, I’m going to have to live with a huge burden of knowing I didn’t do anything, and maybe I could have stopped it.”

It’s a burden the district attorney’s office is now taking on, reviewing the video to decide if this driver will face criminal consequences, which could include up to attempted aggravated assault.

The vehicular crimes unit with the Harris County district attorney will have the final say on whether to file charges.