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Taxi Driver Accused Of Beating Bicyclist Who Hit Pedestrian In Boston

BOSTON (CBS) - A Boston bicyclist says a cab driver tried to kill him this weekend.

"It was definitely scary being on the hood of a taxi. I was going down Tremont with a guy trying to kill me," said Lucas Brunelle.

He's a self-described urban racer, who produces films posted on YouTube showing himself and others racing daredevil-style on public roads through lots of traffic.

Friday, he told police he went through a red light and hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk. He said she wasn't badly hurt, but when he hailed down a taxi for help, he said the taxi driver jumped out and beat him in front of a crowd of witnesses.

James Kidd happened to be jogging by. "The taxi driver was on the ground on top of the biker just pummeling his face into the ground. There was blood everywhere," said Kidd.

When Brunelle stood in front of his taxi to prevent him from fleeing, the cyclist says he took off with him on the hood. Police later stopped the driver, Sam Chandler, on the highway.

Chandler's attorney told a judge that Brunelle was the one who instigated the fight. The driver for Bay State Taxicab Company faces two assault and battery charges, and could face up to 10 years behind bars for allegedly leaving the scene of a collision causing injury.

He posted his $1,000 bail, and is now free at home.

Boston Police say they didn't cite Brunelle because they did not see him go through the red light.

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