Dog walker accused of pushing speeding cyclist in canal gives HIS side of the story - but who do you think was in the right?
Footage filmed from Klaudia Mitura's bicycle showed her travelling alongside the Ashton Canal in Greater Manchester as she came across a couple walking their dog.
The 34-year-old machine operator, who lives in Manchester but is originally from Poland, put on her brakes in front of the pair as one shouted at her to 'slow down'.
Mother-of-two Ms Mitura then pointed out the walkers had a dog, but the man responded: 'Yeah but you're on a f**king bike' - before calling her 'a f**king idiot'.
He then appeared to push the cyclist, who cannot swim, into the water – which prompted immediate panic because she was still strapped to her bike pedals.
Now, the dog walker from Dukinfield, who has asked to remain anonymous, has claimed he did not push Ms Mitura and that she clipped him with her handlebar.
The man told the Manchester Evening News he was walking with his girlfriend, who is 26 weeks pregnant, when the cyclist approached them 'at a ridiculous speed'.
He added: '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 handlebars and she's gone into the canal. I didn't push her.'
The incident involving Ms Mitura happened alongside the Ashton Canal in Greater Manchester
Ms Mitura said she thought she would drown as she stuggled to emerge from the cold water
Ms Mitura claimed she thought she would 'drown' as she struggled to emerge from the cold water, but found a rock tall enough to stand on to remain above the surface.
She only made it out of the canal when a passerby saw her struggling and hauled her out, before helping her call the police after her phone became damaged in the water.
Ms Mitura said she thought she might die and claimed that the couple did not look back to check if she was OK after pushing her in.
But the man denied abandoning her and claimed she did not seem to want his help.
He said: 'After it happened, I turned around. I said to her 'are you okay?' She told me to f**k off. She was stood up. She wasn't stood on a rock. The canal was waist high.
'She was totally in the wrong. I'm just a normal working guy like anybody else but at the moment I'm just being slandered.'
Who has right of way on a towpath in the UK?
The Canal and River Trust has been promoting a pedestrian priority on towpaths since 2012.
The organisation states that it is up to anyone who is moving faster, such as those on bicycles or running, to watch out for wildlife, pets, and anyone acting as pedestrian.
This can include anyone who is walking, standing, fishing or handling boats.
The trust states that the Highway Code shares the same principle of pedestrian priority following changes in 2020.
However, this does not apply to towpaths because they are not considered roads.
There are no speed limits on towpaths.
Greater Manchester Police detectives are investigating the incident, and Ms Mitura shared the video on TikTok where it racked up more than 600,000 views.
She said: '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 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. He refused to move out of the way, I didn't do anything, I just wanted to pass him and go my way.'
She added she has been left 'traumatised' by the experience and is scared of cycling again despite it being her main mode of transport.
Ms Mitura said: 'I'm scared of walking or cycling down there, I took two days off from work. It's good I had the camera because the police can find him. I haven't cycled since Tuesday, I don't know when I will do it again.
'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.'
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: 'This is an open investigation, no arrests have been made so far but enquiries are ongoing.'
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