Vicious assault Met Éireann's Joanna Donnelly reveals she was the victim of a horror road rage attack

RTÉ weather forecaster, Joanna Donnelly, has revealed how a motorist strangled her during a shocking road rage attack.

The broadcaster took to Twitter to reveal how she was left bloody and bruised after she rebuked a motorist who beeped at a child who was cycling with her.

She wrote: "This summer a woman beeped at a child I was cycling with.

"When I stopped and suggested this was unacceptable she put her hand around my throat, throttled me, then pulled her nails across my neck drawing blood.

"This is not appropriate behaviour on our roads."

The brave presenter revealed she had reported the incident to the Gardai and shared a picture of her neck and shoulders covered in bruises and angry red scrape marks.

The meteorologist revealed that she was spurred on to post about the incident which occurred in May in a bid to highlight the need for safer conditions for cyclists.

“I’m well over this incident, I didn’t post about it at the time. It was in May. Unfortunately, the ongoing beeping at children (my own child on his way to school included) is what brought on this tweet.”

The veteran broadcaster was inundated with support from her followers including the cycling lobby group Dublin Cycling Campaign.

They wrote: ‘8-year-olds shouldn’t have to worry about motor traffic on their cycles to and from school.

‘The solution is straightforward: Create networks of safe, segregated cycle routes across our urban areas which enable people of all ages & abilities to cycle. That’s it’.

Shocked followers also responded: “This is not appropriate behaviour anywhere. It wouldn’t be tolerated in boxing or wrestling, but she thought it was ok to do on the street in front of children. I know this year has pushed people’s buttons, but that’s still assault! Did you get the reg?

Online Editors