March 14, 2014 – An Ontario Judge has ordered a Dundas businessman to pay $75,000 in restitution for beating and injuring a cyclist during a 2012 road rage incident reports The Hamilton Spectator. Michael Mizener, 51, who is president of M&L Testing Equipment, was ordered by Ontario Court Justice Frederic Campling this week to pay restitution to John Erik Rasmussen, a triathlete. Mizener received a criminal record, but will serve no jail time.

The incident goes back to Sept. 6, 2012 when Rasmussen and a fellow cyclist were on a 30km training ride on Old Brock Rd in Flamborough, according to police reports. Mizener, driving a pickup truck, felt the two cyclists were taking up too much of the road, started to tell them off. He grazed one of the riders with the mirror of his truck, and then they all pulled into a parking lot where Mizener got out of his vehicle and punched Rasmussen, 21 at the time.

Rasmussen suffered a broken wrist and facial injuries, and was subsequently unable to compete in two top level international triathlons which each carried a $90,000 prize purse and sponsorship opportunities. According to his victim impact statement, Rasmussen was left bruised and swollen, unable to chew solid food for a week, and with a broken wrist. He then lost his place on McMaster University’s swimming and cross-country varsity teams. In 2011, Rasmussen received Quest for the Gold government funding for Olympic hopefuls, but expected to lose that following his injuries.

Judge Campling commented that, “Mr. Rasmussen has suffered a substantial loss.”

The Spectator wrote that Rasmussen was training in Tucson, Arizona and unavailable for comment. But Pedal reached Rasmussen who responded, “I think it was a fair sentencing, and I’m glad that this process has come to a close for myself, my friends, and family.”

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