Cyclist says he was intentionally hit by a driver, and he caught the whole thing on video

A driver is facing three charges after a cyclist was struck on the waterfront bike trail, a move the cyclist claims was intentional.

The incident, which was caught on video, unfolded Monday evening. The cyclist was riding along the Lakeshore bike trail when he encountered a car coming out of a parking lot. The car was sitting across the bike path, forcing the cyclist to navigate around it.

In the video, which was captured on a helmet-mounted camera, the cyclist shook his head at the driver of the car as he passed. The car then pulls out of the parking lot and began travelling west along Lake Shore Boulevard before pulling into the driveway of the Boulevard Club.

When the cyclist caught up to him, the driver moved the car forward hitting the cyclist.

He got off his bike and rushed to confront the driver, who first said "sorry, sorry "and then asked the cyclist if he wanted money.

When the cyclist said "you just f--king hit and run," the driver said "no no."

Witnesses asked the cyclist if he's okay and urged him to call police.

The car can be seen pulling away onto Lake Shore Boulevard at the end of the video.

In posting the video to YouTube, the cyclist said he was hit "on purpose because I shook my head at him when he was blocking an entire sidewalk with his car."

WARNING: This video contains offensive language

Cyclist claims it was intentional

Mazda Amiryar says he was the cyclist in the video. He told CBC Toronto he thinks the driver hit him on purpose.

"I think he was triggered by the fact that I had the nerve to shake my head at him," he said.

Amiryar said he called the police immediately after the incident.

He said a couple — also seen in the video — witnessed the incident and told police the driver was looking straight at Amiryar when the car hit him.

"I don't know what was going on in his head," he said. "Maybe he wanted to slightly bump me, teach me a lesson."

Toronto police Const. Jennifferjit Sidhu said the driver is facing three charges under the Highway Traffic Act: fail to remain, fail to report incident and fail to yield to traffic.

But Amiryar doesn't think that's enough. Especially because he has what the responding officer called the "perfect storm of evidence":  the video footage showing the driver's plates, the licence plates of the car involved and witnesses corroborating his story.

"I do think he should be charged with something more serious than what is basically a traffic infraction," he said.

"Is it only serious when a death is involved?"

His message for other cyclists is to always wear a helmet and to carry a helmet camera.

"I just want cyclists to protect themselves and be safe out there," he said.