Watch: Cyclist ends up in canal in row over 'not slowing down' - but who had right of way?

North Wales Live

2 days ago

A row has broken out after a cyclist claimed she was pushed off her bike into a canal by a walker. Klaudia Mitura was cycling next to the canal on her usual morning commute when she came across a couple walking their dog.
Footage from the cyclist's bike camera shows Klaudia braking in front of the couple as one of them appears to shout for her to "slow down". The 34-year-old can be heard protesting that they have a dog, but the man angrily retorts "yeah but you're on a f**king bike".
He then calls her a "f***king idiot" before pushing her in the water. Klaudia, who cannot swim, said her feet were strapped on the bike pedals making it hard for her to get out - leaving her fearing she would "drown".
The mum-of-two said she stepped on a rock and remained in the canal for five minutes until a passer-by spotted her and helped her out. Klaudia said the good Samaritan helped her call the police as her phone was damaged from being underwater and officers attended the scene.
However the man has since spoken to the Manchester Evening News where he insisted he had not pushed her. Instead he told the publication she fell in after clipping him with her handlebar.
Klaudia, a machine operator, told how she thought she could die and claimed the couple did not look back to check if she was okay after pushing her in. Greater Manchester Police confirmed they were investigating the incident but that no arrests have been made.
Klaudia, who is from Poland but lives in Manchester, said: "I was on my way to work, I cycle every day this way. "As you can see in the video I was trying to pass the couple. He did not want to move out of the way.
"When he passed me, he just pushed me in the water. They were gone, and didn't turn their heads to see if I'm alive or not. "I was strapped to the pedals of the bike so it was really hard to get out. I was thinking of how to get out, no one was there so I was in the water for about five minutes before someone took me out.
"A man was walking down the canal and I asked him to help me out and he called the police because my mobile was broken. "I was very scared because I can't swim, I stood on a stone. I thought I would drown.
"I don't know what I would do if no one had walked past me. They didn't look back to see if I'm okay or if I'm drowning. "He refused to move out of the way, I didn't do anything, I just wanted to pass him and go my way."
Klaudia shared the video of the July 19 incident on TikTok where it gathered more than 600,000 views. She said: "It's good I had the camera because the police can find him."
She said she had been put off cycling to work by the incident. she added: "I need help with my mental health. I'm on my own with that, I'm traumatised. It's the first time anything like this has happened.
"Cycling was my main means of transport. I'm physically OK but mentally it's really bad. I need to be strong because I have two kids so I can't show them that something is wrong with me."
However speaking to the MEN the man who claimed to be the person in the video said: "I was out with my girlfriend who's 26 weeks pregnant. We were walking down the canal, as you do.
"A lady came down at a ridiculous speed. I thought she was going to hit my missus and my dog. I thought my family was in danger.
"She's carried on to ride towards me. Then she's clipped me with the handle bars and she's gone into the canal. I didn't push her."
Commenters have given their views on the incident while also claiming cyclists do not have right of way. One commenter said: "The cyclist stopped. There was room for both."
Another added: "Cyclists don't have priority over people walking. Yet then expect everyone to move out their way." A third said: "Shared path with people having right of way."