A Temecula man facing an assault charge for allegedly swerving too close to a group of bicyclists and clipping one on the hand was out on $25,000 bail Thursday, awaiting a November court date.
Carl Albert Robbins, 38, was ordered to appear in court Nov. 28 to answer a charge of assault with a deadly weapon, other than a firearm, according to sheriff's records.
Robbins allegedly swerved his sedan in a threatening manner near two groups of bicycle riders traveling west on Rainbow Canyon Road, according to Riverside County sheriff's Lt. Mike Maddux.
"It was an intentional act to swerve," Maddux told Patch, adding that he could not say whether the driver wanted to hurt the bicyclist.
"He used his car basically as intimidation," Maddux told Patch.
"He was upset," Maddux said of the driver. "He didn't think the bikes belonged on the roadway."
The incident occurred about 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, the lieutenant said, adding that "the guy got a slight cut on his hand."
Following the injury, the suspect stopped but the cyclists had also taken his license plate number, so fleeing the scene would have done him no good, the lieutenant said.
According to Maddux, "there's no indication they (the riders) were doing anything wrong.
"They have a right to the road," the lieutenant said, adding that the cyclists were riding in single file on the right side of the road.
