Pedal vs. pedal: Local confrontation highlights road-sharing tensions

A screenshot of Pierce Kempton capturing the altercation with cyclist Gary Peacock from his phone. Photo: Pierce Kempton // TikTok

PARK CITY, Utah — A Park City native plans to appeal a moving violation citation following a confrontation with a local cyclist, which was caught on video, and has garnered significant attention from the local community.

Pierce Kempton, a 22-year-old who grew up in Park City, received the citation two Saturdays ago after he was heading into City Park to go skate with a friend. On his drive up Park Avenue, Kempton claims his dash cam footage shows him safely passing a cyclist, Gary Peacock, before turning into the parking lot. The claim contradicts Peacock’s accusation that Kempton’s vehicle got too close to him on his bike while Kempton was passing.

“The full dash cam video was a minute long, but I only included a small snippet,” Kempton said. “I think it still shows me going around him pretty well.” Kempton shared the full dash cam video in his Nextdoor post comments.

@pezkempton #fyp #viral #fypシ #oldman #karen #roadbike #roadrage #dashcam #fight ♬ original sound – Ak40pezin

The confrontation, captured on video by Kempton, shows a heated exchange between Peacock and Kempton. Peacock can be heard saying, “I’m calling the police and you’re not leaving. You’re not leaving!”

The video shows Peacock forcing the door to Kempton’s car open, and pushing the front of his bike into the car door so it couldn’t be shut. Kempton responds to Peacock saying “I don’t want to be aggressive with you.”

In a statement by the Park City Police Department, they said, “Officers responded to a Disorderly Conduct call on September 28, 2024.  After gathering the evidence and interviewing both involved individuals in the case, the initial officer issued citations to both parties for violation of law. These matters will be handled in the Summit County Justice Court.”

According to Kempton, Peacock acted as his own witness, resulting in the moving citation for him. “Gary was able to sign off as his own witness that I got too close to him,” Kempton explained.

Kempton, who didn’t have immediate access to his dash cam footage at the scene, now plans to use it in his appeal scheduled for November 13.

Peacock also received an infraction. “The police officer gave him a citation for disorderly conduct because of the way he was acting,” Kempton stated.

Kempton’s demeanor during the conflict has drawn praise from local viewers saying he was “calm” and “level-headed.”

While Kempton isn’t pursuing a civil lawsuit, he hopes the video will provide awareness and help deter similar incidents in the future. “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” he said.

The video of the incident, which has been widely shared among Park City residents, is available on Kempton’s social media account, including TikTok and Nextdoor.

Road rage incidents have become increasingly prominent in the news. Just this past month, a fatality near the Jordanelle Reservoir was believed to be the cause of a road rage incident. While in August, a motorist brandished a gun at another motorist in an instance in Heber. A couple weeks ago, a motorist waved a knife at another driver after an accident on Weber Canyon Road.

Utah laws pertaining to cyclists: In Utah, the law requires that motorists maintain a safe distance when passing cyclists on the road. The general rule is that drivers must provide a minimum of 3 feet of clearance between their vehicle and a cyclist while passing.

For their part, cyclists are generally required to ride as close as practicable to the right-hand side of the road, except when taking over other cyclists, when preparing to make a left turn, when avoiding unsafe road conditions or when riding in a lane too narrow for a bicycle and vehicle to travel side by side safely.

Cyclists are allowed to “take the lane” when necessary, meaning they can ride in the center of the traffic lane if the lane is too narrow for a car to safely pass them while maintaining the required 3-foot clearance. This is especially relevant on narrower roads or when there is no bike lane.

For more detailed information, Utah Code 41-6a-1105 addresses the legal specifics of cyclists’ positioning on the roadway.

Gary Peacock did not respond to TownLift’s request for comment.