40 cyclists hit by motorist

A MOTORIST sped through a pack of more than 100 cycling activists in southern Brazil, sending bikes and screaming riders flying through the air and landing on the asphalt in a scene captured on amateur video and posted online.

At least 40 cyclists were injured, with most suffering cuts and broken bones, but nobody was killed, authorities said.

Police said the suspect, whose they did not name, fled the scene in Porto Alegre. He was brought in for questioning after authorities found his abandoned car at the weekend.

The man claimed riders surrounded his vehicle and began beating on it, causing him to panic and fear for his life, police said. But the lead investigator in the case called that version of events “fanciful”.

Inspector Gilberto Montenegro told Globo TV network’s G1 website that the man could face charges of attempted homicide. Under Brazilian law, prosecutors can decide whether to bring charges only after police close their investigation, which may take 30 days. The man is currently free.