James and Norine Douglas say they cannot believe they were attacked as they checked for injuries to a cyclist who collided with the rear of their car.

Ironically, Mr. Douglas knew his attacker but could not believe he would react that way.

A dock worker, Mr. Douglas said: "We were driving south on Court Street around 3.45 a.m., headed for the 24 hour gas station for a bite to eat.

"I was in the right hand lane to make a right turn onto Victoria Street,'' he explained. "There was a car in front of me and I admit that I did not have my turn indicators on.

"I could hear a cycle coming from behind at a very high speed. I could not tell if it was coming on the inside or the outside of us.

"There was a collision and my wife said `Oh gosh! He hit us' and so I got out to see if he was okay,'' he added. "The guy came at me saying `you tried to kill me!' and `you didn't have your indicators on'.

"Then he punched me in my face,'' Mr. Douglas said. "I was bent over and then he hit me in the back of the head with the crash helmet and then he kicked me. I saw stars and I started stumbling away from him across the street.'' That was when Mrs. Douglas tried to separate the men but gave up, and went to the car, intending to get her husband in it and to Hamilton Police Station.

But another man pulled Mrs. Douglas from the car by her hair and began punching and kicking her.

"I wanted James to get back in the car,'' she said. "But a guy came and pulled me out by my hair and he just kept firing these blows at me. You don't hit a woman, it's wrong.

"He was trying to say that I was trying to leave the scene, but why would I leave my husband to their mercy or lack of it?'' Mrs. Douglas asked. "They never gave us a chance to see if anybody was hurt. I was shouting that all of this was not necessary.'' Mr. Douglas added: "How were we supposed to know on what side he was going to pass us? I think that he was doing such a speed that he couldn't stop to avoid hitting us from the rear.'' Mrs. Douglas called Police on her cell phone but found that a patrol car was already on the scene and the attack was stopped by a bystander.

The man who attacked Mrs. Douglas was arrested at the scene for using offensive words and later released. The other man has not been arrested.

Police told them that on the face of their statements the men could be summoned to provide an interview but it was "not an arrestable offence''.

Mr. Douglas concluded: "The law just needs to be toughened up. These guys have to be punished -- it's too much of this. It's happening too often. They need more than fines for this type of thing.

"Yes, I'm prepared for being charged for a traffic offence. If I'm in the wrong, then I'm prepared (to be taken to court),'' he added. "But I wasn't (wrong).

"It is a right turn only lane and at my age I've still got a clean driving record. He told me he would kill me. It was crazy. I just think this is so wrong.''