Park City cyclist fined after viral dashcam dispute with driver
A Park City cyclist was fined $160 after a dashcam helped clear a driver, showing how close-pass disputes can hinge on video and witness detail.
A Park City cyclist ended up with a $160 disorderly conduct fine after a roadside clash on Park Avenue.
The Sept. 28, 2024, encounter near Old Town Park City involved Gary Peacock, 73, and Pierce Kempton, 22. Peacock said the Subaru came too close as he rode uphill from his home in the Snyderville Basin, while Kempton denied violating Utah’s three-foot passing rule. Park City police responded to a disorderly conduct call that day.
Kempton’s dashboard camera footage led Park City’s Attorney’s Office to move to dismiss the passing-too-close citation, and a judge threw out Kempton’s $130 ticket on Oct. 11, 2024. The video showed Kempton steering left, but it did not establish the exact distance between the car and the bicycle. Peacock later admitted, “I lost my temper,” and said he regretted the confrontation.
The footage spread more than a week later on TikTok and in local social media groups. Park City police handled another near-miss call at Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive just two days before the Peacock-Kempton incident.
Utah law gives bicyclists the same rights and traffic duties as other vehicle operators, and state code bars motorists from knowingly, intentionally or recklessly driving within three feet of a moving bicycle unless a reasonable and safe distance is maintained. Bicyclists must obey traffic laws and traffic-control devices, and inconsistent education and enforcement can create confusion and safety problems.
Summit County has made cycling, pedestrian and driver safety part of its broader goal of zero fatalities or serious injuries.
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