Winnipeg driver says he’s being held responsible after cyclist crashed bike into his car

A Winnipeg driver is expressing his frustration after he’s being blamed for an incident with a cyclist that he says isn’t his fault.

Louis Beales said he was turning right on a red light at Westminster Avenue and Maryland Street on Sept. 28 in the afternoon when his car was hit by a cyclist who had been riding on the sidewalk.

“I was stopped at the stop line, waiting for my clearing to turn right. Everything was clear so I proceeded in turning,” Beales told 680 CJOB.

“Three-quarters of the way through the sidewalk, a woman riding her bike rode her bike into the vehicle, into the passenger side.

“She was screaming at me, saying I was in the wrong.”

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Beales said he told the woman he would pull over – out of traffic – and come back to talk to her. After checking and finding no damage to his car, he said he returned to the site of the crash, but the cyclist was gone.

Since there wasn’t any damage, he figured the incident was over, until he got an unexpected call from Manitoba Public Insurance a few days later.

“I didn’t think I had to make a claim, because there was no damage to my vehicle, and she seemed OK,” he said.

“MPI is saying the burden of proof is on the accused, and MPI will take the cyclist’s word for it.

“I’m not exactly sure how long the claim’s going to take, but it’s sounds like it’s going to ding my insurance and my driver’s licence. I will have to pay a deductible for sure.”

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Beales said the whole incident has left him frustrated, as the fact that the woman was biking on the sidewalk – against the law in Manitoba – doesn’t seem to be factored in to the claim.

“Through the whole process, I’ve been nervous, like I did something wrong. Even just getting in the vehicle now makes you nervous.”

MPI’s Brian Smiley, however, told 680 CJOB that the onus is on the driver to be aware of what’s happening around him in a situation like this.

“The motorist needs to be fully aware of their circumstances,” said Smiley.

“In a situation where a motorist is making a right-hand turn, they need to be fully aware of their surroundings – whether it’s a cyclist, whether it’s a person walking, whether it’s a person pushing a baby carriage, the motorist needs to be fully aware of their surroundings.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "In a situation where a motorist is making a right-hand turn, they need to be fully aware of their surroundings - whether it's a cyclist, whether it's a person walking, whether it's a person pushing a baby carriage, the motorist needs to be fully aware of their surroundings."

1:09 Signals crossed when it comes to cyclists and motorists sharing the road in Winnipeg