‘Get the f*** off the road!:’ Nanaimo man denies shoving elderly cyclist

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

Ishikawa crashing face-first on the sidewalk. (Image Credit: Submitted/Vancouver Island Motorcycle Riders on Facebook.)

rough ride

'Get the f*** off the road!:' Nanaimo man denies shoving elderly cyclist

10m ago

ferry travel

Incoming severe weather cancels some Nanaimo-Vancouver ferries

11h ago

New Opportunity

Clippers' Patterson departs for head coaching role with Surrey Eagles

15h ago

He told court being pushed to the sidewalk caused facial cuts, bruising, neck pain, as well as lingering knee ailments.

The incident was captured on video by an oncoming driver of a Tesla, which was played in court.

At 8:10 p.m. on Aug. 2, Ishikawa was towing a short trailer on his e-bike, heading uphill on Departure Bay Rd.

Trudeau was the lead rider of three motorcycles approaching the complainant from behind, contending Ishikawa cut him off.

His two sons were riding with him, the trial heard.

Editor’s note: One version of the video is below, which may not be suitable for all readers. Discretion is advised.

Ishikawa estimated he was going between 25-30 kilometres an hour when he crashed.

His injuries included scrapes to his face, knees, and other parts of his body. He credits his helmet with preventing more serious injury.

He described feeling a “strong, brief push” on his shoulder coming from behind and the side, enough to move him into oncoming traffic and lose control.

“That was strong enough to tip me over. So it’s not a gentle touch or anything like that, it’s a shoving force, and just like a collision.”

Ishikawa said he had trouble sleeping in the days after the incident due to neck pain, and also had trouble moving his right foot, but said in court his injuries have mostly healed, besides a scar near his cheekbone.

The retiree said he’s ridden his e-bike on the same route during the warmer months for about 20 years.

Three different camera angles from the Tesla were played in court, including from the front, rear, and driver’s side.

Tesla passenger Harlunn Anderson, who testified at trial, said after Ishikawa was pushed, he saw the accused look back and raise the middle finger from his left hand while passing by.

Anderson said the Tesla driver made a hand motion out of his window, saying “what the hell?” in a normal tone of voice as Trudeau passed, as a reaction to what they had seen rather than directed at Trudeau.

Both Tesla occupants got out of the car to check on Ishikawa, along with multiple bystanders.

Dash cam footage was then sent to Ishikawa.

The driver posted the video on a motorcycle group on Facebook, saying the lead bike was unique and should be easy to identify.

In the court of public opinion, the video led to widespread condemnation on social media, which included commenters identifying Trudeau.

Marcel Trudeau, pictured here in 2023, was on trial this week for allegedly shoving a 78-year-old man to the sidewalk. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Testy exchange

During opening statements, Crown prosecutor Gregory Furmaniuk said the road was for all members of the public to use and share, but said Trudeau didn’t feel that way.

“But we say, Mr. Trudeau felt entitled to use the road without sharing. In particular, he felt entitled to use the road without being encumbered by a cyclist, Mr. Ishikawa, who didn’t get out of his way fast enough. So we say, Mr. Trudeau shoved Mr. Ishikawa and continued on his ride.”

Trudeau took the stand on Wednesday, Nov. 4, where he was walked through the Tesla videos by Furmaniuk, leading to extended rapid-fire exchanges between the two.

Trudeau said he made “a scared, reaction motion, not a shove motion,” claiming he was cut off by Ishikawa.

The accused was concerned his motorcycle would hit the e-bike and cause a serious collision.

In Trudeau’s view, making contact with the complainant “felt like nothing.”

“It felt like my hand just touched his shoulder. It didn’t feel like there was a shove, anything like that, it just felt like my hand touched his shoulder…that was it.”

The moment when allegedly pushed Ishikawa, which Trudeau denies. (Image Credit: Submitted/Vancouver Island Motorcycle Riders on Facebook.)

Trudeau said his heart was racing and he was “scared s***less”.

He argued that if his front tire made contact with Ishikawa e-bike, he would have flipped over.

“I would have been on the ground,” he said.

Trudeau said he was confused when the Tesla’s driver “yelled” at him following the incident, and that he never slowed down or stopped to see what happened to Ishikawa.

“It happened in seconds, so I put my arm out because of a reaction kind of thing, as soon as I get all the way past him, the Tesla is yelling at me. And it’s just like, ‘what?’…and all I could think, is I never fell, so I never thought anything of it, just trying to calm down.”

Trudeau told court he continued on with his day, only becoming aware of how serious the incident was the following morning when he saw the video circulating on Facebook.

Trudeau said when he saw the video he phoned Nanaimo RCMP.

The Crown’s Furmaniuk asked Trudeau if the reason he didn’t stop was that he knew he was in trouble, but thought his identity was concealed by his helmet.

“My adrenaline was going,” Trudeau countered.

“I just got cut off, just felt like I had to breathe for a second, I never thought there was anything bad happened, I never knew anybody got hurt.”

The defendant denied giving the finger as he went by the Tesla, saying he was holding his hand up, in a ‘what?’ motion towards the driver.

Judge Colleen Spier will reserve her decision for a later date.

Criminal code charges against Trudeau were approved by the BC Prosecution Service about three months after the incident, following a Nanaimo RCMP investigation.

— with files from Ian Holmes

Subscribe to our daily news wrap. Local news delivered to your email inbox every evening. Stay up-to-date on everything Nanaimo and Oceanside.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook