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Menlo Park: Driver struck in head with bicycle lock

Original post made on Apr 29, 2015

A man driving along El Camino Real pulled over after a bicyclist threw something at the car, according to Menlo Park police, and was then struck in the head with a bicycle lock.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 9:13 AM

Comments (21)

Posted by Lynn
a resident of Menlo Park: Downtown
on Apr 29, 2015 at 11:40 am

Another out of area person probably.


Posted by Chuck
a resident of Menlo-Atherton High School
on Apr 29, 2015 at 12:54 pm

Description perfectly fits a cyclist that wears that outfit that I've seen riding down Menlo Ave. He rides very fast, with no helmet, hands and flies right through stop signs. I remember him so well because I almost hit him when he ran a stop sign and he never even glanced my way. Definitely had a "strange look" on his face.


Posted by biker
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Apr 29, 2015 at 1:01 pm

another example of cars and bikes dont mix. Keep el camino free of bicyclists and this type of stuff won't happen. the cylists "won" this time--but, that was like winning the lottery. ECR should not be a bike street.


Posted by Lucile
a resident of Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park
on Apr 29, 2015 at 1:45 pm

I was driving by just then and think I saw this attack about to happen. I saw the bicyclist dropping his bike and walking forward toward the car that had just pulled over, with his bike lock in his hand. I wondered why someone would just drop his bike and leave it.


Posted by sherlock
a resident of Menlo Park: The Willows
on Apr 29, 2015 at 2:01 pm

Even when the bike has a flat tire, running with a bike is a horrible way to flee the scene of a crime.


Posted by MenloGal
a resident of Menlo Park: Sharon Heights
on Apr 29, 2015 at 2:15 pm

Sounds like straight up assault, I hope they find and fine the cyclist. Could have been auto user error or cyclist user error, either way, the driver could have suffered serious brain damage or death as a result of a blow to the head with a bike lock.


Posted by sherlock
a resident of Menlo Park: The Willows
on Apr 29, 2015 at 2:21 pm

It sounds like the bike was no longer functional. It is not uncommon for a cyclist to throw their bike and their whole person at a passing truck.


Posted by whatever
a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park
on Apr 29, 2015 at 2:24 pm

Chuck & Lucile
Be good citizens and contact the Menlo Park PD with ur info.


Posted by spanning the spandex
a resident of Atherton: Lindenwood
on Apr 29, 2015 at 3:34 pm

Spandex does not just look stupid, it makes the wearer do stupid things


Posted by Generation ME
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Apr 29, 2015 at 4:27 pm

Time to buy a dash cam


Posted by don't assume
a resident of Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park
on Apr 29, 2015 at 5:23 pm

Are you all sure the driver was totally innocent? I'm not excusing the dangerous bad behavior of the cyclist, but I know some drivers do some dangerous things, too. Some bad driving that affected the cyclist may have triggered the anger of the cyclist.

Today TWICE I was nearly hit downtown while I was walking in two different crosswalks on Santa Cruz Ave. This was in full daylight and after I first checked traffic before I walked into each crosswalk. The second time, two cars zoomed through.


Posted by Peter Carpenter
a resident of Atherton: Lindenwood
on Apr 29, 2015 at 5:33 pm

Peter Carpenter is a registered user.

"may have triggered the anger of the cyclist."

Suggesting that anger justifies this behavior is irresponsible.

Being angry does not make anyone the judge and the jury.


Posted by Spanning the khakis
a resident of Atherton: Lindenwood
on Apr 29, 2015 at 7:27 pm

Spanning the Spandex: your wildly clever generalization is unfortunately no appropropriate since the cyclist was wearing khakis. Nice try though.


Posted by Tricia
a resident of Atherton: West Atherton
on Apr 30, 2015 at 12:26 am

I purchased a color 180 degree dashboard camera because of such incidents as these. It's a marvelous tool and always tells the truth !
I was in an Uber car and the driver had one. I was so impressed I went out and bought one myself on Amazon


Posted by lessons learned
a resident of Menlo Park: Felton Gables
on Apr 30, 2015 at 11:32 am

lessons learned is a registered user.

I second (third) all the recommendations for a dashcam. Mine has already saved me over $1000.

Obviously, the cyclist was wrong to damage the car and attack the driver, but I have a real hard time believing that the driver is totally blameless. The cyclist just ran up and assaulted the man without a single bit of provocation?

Finally, I need someone to translate this poorly written sentence: "Running with his bike down El Camino Real, the suspect was last seen turning left onto Alma Street." We thus infer that the bike was no longer functional, but you cannot turn left onto Alma from El Camino in Menlo Park. And if the cyclist was on foot, he might have crossed El Camino at Alma in Palo Alto, but I doubt he would have dragged a non-functioning bike into the left turn lane, which tends to be pretty backed up by 4:30 anyway.


Posted by Water
a resident of another community
on Apr 30, 2015 at 6:11 pm

Water is a registered user.

Maybe cyclists should stay off of ECR.


Posted by Donald
a resident of another community
on Apr 30, 2015 at 8:21 pm

Another newspaper said that the "cyclist" was a homeless person who was walking on the sidewalk before the driver pulled over. He happened to be pushing a bicycle, but he was a pedestrian.


Posted by pogo
a resident of Woodside: other
on May 1, 2015 at 8:02 am

pogo is a registered user.

Lessons Learned -

I can't translate the sentence, either.

But you can most definitely turn left onto Alma from El Camino Real if you are walking on the east side of El Camino along the frontage of the Stanford Park Hotel.


Posted by more bikes
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on May 1, 2015 at 7:47 pm

Clearly more bikes on ECR would help. People driving new trucks don't care much about homeless people stealing bikes, but cyclists are more likely call the police.


Posted by Water
a resident of another community
on May 2, 2015 at 9:04 pm

More bikes - what makes you think a homeless person stole a bike?


Posted by John
a resident of Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park
on May 7, 2015 at 1:39 pm

Wouldn't the bicycle lock have fingerprints on it? In the case of an assault and injury, surely it should be worthwhile to get fingerprints? Or is that too expensive and time consuming for the police to do?


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