LOGAN SQUARE — A road-raging driver attacked a cyclist at Fullerton and Milwaukee avenues Tuesday morning — and then threw his bike to the curb — before driving off, according to police and witnesses.
The attack happened around 9 a.m. outside Gaslight Coffee Roasters, 2385 N. Milwaukee Ave., according to police.
The cyclist and driver were both stopped at a red light facing northbound in the 2300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue when the driver yelled, "Don't touch my car again, b----!" according to Nora Regis, who was walking on Milwaukee Avenue at the time.
The driver then got out of his car "very obviously irate" and started yelling at the cyclist before shoving him to the ground, according to David Owens, 30, who was working in the coffee shop.
"It was like if you saw a bar fight after someone came on to another person," Owens said.
While yelling, the driver grabbed the cyclist's bike and threw it toward the snow-covered curb before driving off eastbound, according to Owens and police.
Witnesses ran over and helped the cyclist call police. Owens saw the cyclist testing out his bike, which appeared to have damaged wheels.
"It didn't look like it was from the initial incident. It looked like it was from the guy picking it up and throwing it," Owens said.
The cyclist refused medical attention, police said.
It's unclear what led to the attack on the cyclist.
According to Regis, there appeared to be "zero damage" to the car.
Owens said he didn't hear a car screeching or other noises that would indicate a collision had occurred immediately before the attack.
A cyclist himself, Owens said his heart was pounding "pretty hard" while watching the attack unfold.
"Oftentimes when I encounter road rage I'm on my bike and they're in a car and there's a huge power dynamic there that puts you at risk," Owens said.
"They might just be angry, but their capacity to severely harm someone is severely elevated, and that's frightening."