Last week, while driving on Highway 19 near Campbell River toward Jubilee Parkway, a truck driver witnessed one of the biggest shocks of his career.
A teen riding his bike on the shoulder with a friend turned in to the driver's lane and popped a wheelie, before swerving back to the shoulder, narrowly missing the truck.
The truck driver, who identifies himself as Graham Wafers on Facebook, reacted quickly, steering to the left. He caught the incident on his dash camera and posted the video to the social media platform on Aug. 22.
"Whoever owns this kid is lucky they are not going to a funeral," he wrote, cautioning the teen to stop tempting fate.
"Go practice somewhere safe, get really, really good at what you do and get likes and views for your talent instead of dangerous, stupid sh*t like this," he said.
This behaviour is uncommon but the RCMP have received reports of similar incidents in the Willow Point area this summer, according to Const. Maury Tyre of the Campbell River RCMP. The penalty depends on the outcome of the behaviour, and could be considered a criminal act.
"If an accident had occurred as a result and someone had died, criminal negligence causing death charges could be sought," Tyre said.
"Risking other people’s lives and well-being for a thrill and Tik Tok views is unacceptable," Tyre added. "The behaviour needs to change before an accident happens that does irreparable harm to your life or someone else’s."
Darryl Dickins, a truck driving instructor and owner of 1st Class Driving School in Campbell River, said stunts like these pose a risk to everyone, including other road users who could be collateral damage if the truck had to suddenly swerve.
"The truck driver was clearly looking ahead, checking mirrors and planning his out," Dickins said after viewing the video. "If the cyclists had lost control or encountered a less experienced driver, the consequences could have been deadly."
