Alabama was recently named the worst state of bicyclists — and now it’s easy to see why: Piedmont man Keith Maddox was charged with reckless endangerment after his threatening videos went viral.
In a series of videos, which Keith posted online and were later widely circulated among cyclists, the career truck driver talked about running the riders off the road.
“You piece of crap! I oughta run him in the ditch is what I shoulda done! I shoulda put him in the ditch,” he said in one video.
In another clip, he tried to intimidate the cyclists by revving his engine and passing close by them. He yelled, “That scare you boys?!”
A compilation of the videos was posted to YouTube by cyclist Jeff McCord. Jeff also documented all of Keith’s now-deleted Facebook posts in which he continued his rants.
After the clips went viral, Keith apologized directly to Jeff and asked him to take the YouTube video down. He also posted on Facebook that he would “never intentionally hurt anyone” and now realizes the videos were “in bad taste.”
“I am truly sorry for anyone I may have offended,” he posted on Facebook. “Please everyone share the road and be very aware of bicycle riders everywhere.”
He declined to make further comment to The Anniston Star. He only said, “I feel like everyone is just going to take out anything I say and it’s going to just fuel the fire.”
He was arrested later that day for the misdemeanor crime. He was released on $3,000 bond.
