Shocking moment Sheffield cyclist is splashed with hot chocolate thrown from window of passing van

A Sheffield cyclist has shared the moment a passenger in a van threw a cup of hot chocolate over him before the vehicle sped away.
By Alastair Ulke
Published 1st Oct 2021, 13:45 BST
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Simon Lowe, 61, was cycling home after a 100km round trip on the A619 in the Peak District when he was hit from behind by the large McDonald’s drink.

The cyclist says he was left ‘bewildered and upset’ after realising the grey Transit van had pulled up so the passenger could ‘aim it’.

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"I heard the rev of an engine behind me before I was hit by really quite a weight,” said Simon.

A Sheffield cyclist was splashed with hot chocolate by a van passenger who then threw the cup in the road as the vehicle sped away.A Sheffield cyclist was splashed with hot chocolate by a van passenger who then threw the cup in the road as the vehicle sped away.
A Sheffield cyclist was splashed with hot chocolate by a van passenger who then threw the cup in the road as the vehicle sped away.

“I remember very clearly thinking at first I had been hit by a bag of sand falling from a builder’s van.

"Then I realised I was just soaked in this sticky brown liquid – all over by back and my jersey and my bike. I was absolutely drenched.

"The driver had set me up and pulled up so the passenger could aim and throw, then they pulled away.”

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Footage of the upsetting moment was captured on Simon’s bodyworn camera. He decided to post a clip of the incident on YouTube last week after the owner of the van was only given a littering fine.

Simon Lowe said he was "bewildered and upset" at the attack as he was cycling home along the A619 in the Peak District.Simon Lowe said he was "bewildered and upset" at the attack as he was cycling home along the A619 in the Peak District.
Simon Lowe said he was "bewildered and upset" at the attack as he was cycling home along the A619 in the Peak District.

In the clip from the incident on July 25, Simon can be heard swearing to himself at the moment the large drink splashes him.

As the grey van pulls away, the passenger can be seen throwing the empty cup out of the window onto the roadside.

Simon, an avid cyclist, said he was put off the hobby for a week at the thought of what ‘the next driver’ could throw at him.

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He said: “I don’t know why anyone would do that to someone. It’s just shoddy. Why can’t people just be nice?

The moment the large McDonald's drink was thrown on Simon was captured on the cyclist's bodyworn camera.The moment the large McDonald's drink was thrown on Simon was captured on the cyclist's bodyworn camera.
The moment the large McDonald's drink was thrown on Simon was captured on the cyclist's bodyworn camera.

“The police were unable to find the driver, who was different from the registered keeper, although they know his name.

"Neither the keeper nor the driver can be charged with the assault carried out by the passenger.

"But instead, I filed a complaint for littering with Derbyshire County Council, and the keeper – not the driver – was given a fine.”

The clip on Simon’s YouTube channel has received over 3,000 views, with fellow cyclists sharing their shock.