Greater Manchester Police are investigating after the incident near Manchester city centre
Captured on video, the moment before a cyclist was pushed into the canal by a man(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
A cyclist said she feels too ‘traumatised’ to cycle to work after a man pushed her off her bike into a canal in a row over her not ‘slowing down’.
Klaudia Mitura was cycling next to Ashton Canal just outside Manchester city centre on her usual morning commute two weeks ago [July 19]. It was there she came across a couple walking their dog in the opposite direction.
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 retorted ‘yeah but you’re on a f**king bike’.
He then called 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.
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Klaudia said the good Samaritan helped her call the police as her phone was damaged from being underwater and officers attended the scene.
The machine operator admits she thought she could die and that the couple did not look back to check if she was okay after pushing her in.
Bodycam catches moment man pushes woman into canal as she cycles to work
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.
The man is heard to tell Klaudia to ‘slow down'(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
“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.”
The moment before the man pushes Klaudia into the canal
Klaudia has been left ‘traumatised’ and is scared of cycling again despite that being her main mode of transport.
Klaudia shared the video on TikTok where it gathered more than 600,000 views.
Klaudia 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.
Cycle camera footage shows the moment Klaudia approached the man walking along Ashton Canal
“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.”
Commenters have condemned the assault while also claiming cyclists do not have right of way.
Klaudia Mitura, 34, said she’s now to ‘traumatised’ to cycle to work following the incident
One commenter said: “The cyclist stopped. There was room for both. No need for an assault. And that is what it was. Assault.”
Another said: “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, but that’s assault.”
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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