Man Charged With Assault, Dangerous Driving in Nanaimo Cyclist Shoving Case

Mounties in Nanaimo say charges have been laid against a man accused of shoving a cyclist off his bike in an incident captured on a dashcam video that sparked outrage online.

Marcel Trudeau, 48, has been charged with assault and dangerous driving and is expected to appear in court Tuesday, RCMP said in a statement.

The charges stem from a road encounter on Aug. 5, when dashcam footage from a Tesla showed a motorcyclist reaching out toward a 78-year-old cyclist at the intersection of Granite Park Road and Departure Bay Road. The cyclist lost control, swerving across the lane before crashing face-first onto the sidewalk.

“The motorcyclist did not stop,” said Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien with Nanaimo RCMP. The victim was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police say public attention played a key role in identifying the suspect. “The resulting attention from local media and the public after the video was posted was extremely useful,” O’Brien said. “It allowed the investigation to move forward quickly.”

The video circulated widely across social media, drawing calls for stronger protections for cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

Those concerns echo new B.C. road safety rules introduced earlier this year, which require drivers to keep at least one metre away when passing cyclists, pedestrians, and people using mobility devices on roads with speed limits under 50 km/h — and 1.5 metres on faster roads.

Trudeau remains free ahead of his first court appearance. The cyclist, whose name has not been released, is recovering.