Philadelphia pianist injured after runner pushes him off bike on Spring Garden
Philly pianist pushed off bike by runner suffers hand injuries, he says
A Philadelphia cyclist was pushed off his bike by a runner, resulting in hand injuries that impact his work as a professional pianist.
PHILADELPHIA - A local bike rider is warning others after he says a runner pushed him off his bike for no reason on Wednesday, July 29, leaving him with hand injuries that could impact his work as a professional pianist.
What we know:
Gabriel Repolla said he was riding his bike in the bike lane on Spring Garden Street on his way to work at 15th Street when he saw a runner coming toward him.
"I was going to work on my bike in the bike lane. I came from Fairmount. I was in the bike lane on my way to 15th St.," said Repolla.
Repolla said the runner made eye contact and then pushed him with his elbow into the middle of the street. "He made eye contact with me and just pushed me with his elbow to the middle of the street," said Repolla.
Repolla fell in front of cars, but traffic was slow and drivers were able to stop in time.
"I fell in the middle of the street there in front of the cars here and they stopped," said Repolla. "If the cars didn’t stop, the car would’ve run me over definitely," said Repolla.
Repolla went to urgent care for bruises, scrapes, and a sprained right wrist and fingers. He works as the piano accompanist for the Ballet School of Philadelphia and is unsure when he will be able to play again.
After pushing Repolla, the runner continued west until another cyclist who witnessed the push confronted him. The two argued, and when the second cyclist yelled for someone to call the police, the runner ran away. "He just ran away as fast as he could," said Repolla.
Repolla said he hopes surveillance cameras on a nearby building captured the assault, so police can find the jogger.
He said he does not understand why it happened. "Probably some mental problems or anger issues," said Repolla.
Repolla said the runner also allegedly tried to push a second person off their bike before fleeing.
Repolla’s injuries are especially difficult because of his work as a professional pianist, and he is concerned about how long it will take to recover.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear if police have identified or located the runner, or if any surveillance video of the assault has been found.
There is no information on the condition of the second cyclist or whether police are investigating the case.
The Source: Information from an interview with Gabriel Repolla.