A Newport Beach man found out the hard way that getting into a road rage incident on camera is a pretty terrible strategy. Samir Weiss was arrested Thursday after investigators served a search warrant in Corona, following a March 21 confrontation along Pacific Coast Highway that was caught on video and quickly made rounds online.
According to the Newport Beach Police Department, Weiss now faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and obstructing or delaying arrest. His blue BMW was also confiscated as evidence, which means it is now parked somewhere far less glamorous than Pacific Coast Highway.
What Actually Happened on PCH
Two cyclists were riding along Pacific Coast Highway when the driver of the blue BMW allegedly veered into the bike lane, forcing one of the cyclists to jump onto the sidewalk to avoid being struck. If that was not enough, a passenger in the vehicle reportedly threw water at the cyclists before the car sped away.
It is worth noting that throwing water at someone from a moving vehicle while your friend tries to run them off the road is not exactly the refined behavior you would expect from a BMW owner. The brand markets itself around the idea of driving pleasure. Apparently, for some, that pleasure extends to terrorizing people on bikes.
Investigators tracked Weiss down in Corona and made the arrest less than two weeks after the incident. The case is a reminder that road rage on one of California’s most scenic and photographed stretches of highway is the kind of thing that tends not to go unnoticed. PCH has more cameras, witnesses, and cyclists with GoPros than almost anywhere else in the state.
No word yet on whether the water-throwing passenger will face any charges, but the investigation appears to be ongoing. For now, the blue BMW sits in evidence, and two cyclists can breathe a little easier on their next ride.
What Drivers Need to Know About Bike Lane Laws in California
Since apparently not everyone got the memo, here is a quick refresher on what California law actually says about bike lanes. Under California Vehicle Code Section 21209, drivers are prohibited from driving in a designated bike lane except in very specific situations, such as when making a turn, entering or exiting a road, or avoiding an obstruction. Casually drifting into one because you are annoyed at a cyclist does not appear anywhere on that list.
Cyclists in California have the same rights and responsibilities on the road as motor vehicle drivers. That means bike lanes are not optional decoration painted on the asphalt. They are legally protected travel corridors, and crossing into one to intimidate or endanger a rider can very quickly escalate from a traffic violation into criminal assault territory, as this case demonstrates rather vividly.
California also requires drivers to give cyclists at least three feet of clearance when passing. On a road like PCH, where bike lanes run alongside fast-moving traffic and there is not a lot of margin for error, that rule exists for obvious reasons. A two-ton vehicle and a person on a bicycle are not an even matchup, and the law reflects that.
The bottom line is simple: the bike lane belongs to the cyclist. Drivers who treat it otherwise may find themselves not just facing a ticket, but facing a judge.