Wheelie-popping Toronto rider charged
The cyclist to face charges of careless driving under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act
A man who raised the ire of Toronto police earlier this summer when he performed tricks on his bike in the middle of busy downtown traffic—stunts that were caught on video, then posted to the individual’s Instagram account—has been charged, reports say.
First shared to social media on June 22, the early-summer incident found the man, Cam Zalewski, charged with careless driving under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
During the video, Zalewski can be seen performing wheelies through an intersection, then riding on one wheel, threading between cars on Yonge Street in Toronto’s bustling downtown core. After Toronto police noticed the video, they, too, shared it to their own Instagram account on June 30, complete with a message for the stunt rider.
“Thanks for the video,” police said. “Great riding skill, but dangerous cycling behaviour… YOU now have our attention. Your video shows evidence of careless driving under the HTA, as well as several by-law offences.”
“You have put several pedestrians in harm’s way as a result of your actions,” the Toronto police Instagram posting continued, noting that “road safety is a shared responsibility.”
Zalewski—@mylittlebikeshop on Instagram—offered his own take on the matter in response.
“I am an expert,” he said, replying to the police posting, “and have NEVER had an accident or caused an accident while on the streets of Toronto, while on my bike (one wheel or two).”
Zalewski has a court date at Toronto’s Old City Hall on Oct.19 to hear the charges against him.
