Teenage truck driver ploughs into group of cyclists while allegedly trying to blast them with fumes

A teenager truck driver ran down a group cyclists while allegedly attempting to blast them with fumes from his exhaust.

The incident happened in the Houston area of Texas on Saturday (September 25), when the 16-year-old pick-up driver ploughed into a group of six riders.

According to the Waller County Sheriff, four of the riders were taken to hospital, including two who were airlifted away from the scene - they are all expected to recover. 

One of the cyclists, Chase Ferrell, told Fox 26: “I thought someone was dead. 

“I heard a lot of crunching, I heard brakes, tired screeching, people screaming.” 

Mr Ferrell said the black diesel truck pulled over into the lane in front of him, getting within feet of his bike, and then accelerating to blow smoke at him. 

The driver then reportedly did the same to a group of cyclists in front of Mr Ferrell, which he when he hit the six riders.

The driver stayed at the scene and spoke to police after the crash - as of Sunday night he had not been arrested.  

Mr Ferrell said: “There was no reason for this to happen. 

“He definitely meant to try and scare these people or intimidate them in some way. [Maybe he then] made a mistake and ran them over.” 

Cycling Weekly recently reported on a separate incident in the UK, in which a taxi driver hit a cyclist because he had been using two phones at the wheel, before he later tried to delete the evidence. 

Kashrap Patel ploughed into rider Ian Isted on an A-road in Kent in January 2019, leaving the cyclist with life-changing injuries which may force him to retire early from his job.

The case was brought before a judge after Patel was charged with dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice. Judge Catherine Moore jailed the driver, aged 39 of Theodore Close, Tunbridge Wells, for two years and eight months.