cyclezealot

Local cycling advocates claim the woman had a history of reckless driving and was very non-chalant about her killing a cyclist...
. I always find it interesting to read, the readers comments...


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A bicyclist familiar for riding around 18 Mile and Van **** in Sterling Heights was killed Wednesday, hit by a distracted driver as he pedaled along 18 Mile Road.

54-year-old James Anthony Sawicki – typically seen wearing a knit cap with his bicycle basket filled and shopping bags hanging from the handlebars – was hit at 12:15 p.m. between Mound and Ryan roads, said Sterling Heights Police Lt. Dale Dwojakowski.

“He’s been around there forever and a day,” Dwojakowski said today, indicating people in the area immediately recognized the man, but officers do not know where he is from or whether he is homeless. “When they saw the accident, they all knew who he was.”

The driver of the car, a 20-year-old woman from Rochester Hills, told investigators the crash happened as she was trying to retrieve something as she drove east on 18 Mile. She took her eyes off the road, veered onto the gravel berm and hit the man, who was also traveling eastbound, Dwojakowski said. The victim died an hour later at Troy Beaumont Hospital.
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Read more: Driver looks away, kills Sterling Hgts. bicyclist | freep.com | Detroit Free Press https://www.freep.com/article/2010120...#ixzz17EtmehLn



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Readers Comments.
. 'From Whazupbilly...This guy was not in or on the road, some posters here are trying to "Make a Case" that its OK to run a law abiding citizen down as if he was a squirrel.
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NFL Fa.....
..I don't see why bicyclists insist on riding in the roads when there is a sidewalk present. Bicyclists do nothing but cause accidents. Drivers have to put on their brakes and slow down, well below the speed limit, until the oncoming traffic

chuben

Being struck from behind is one of my greatest fears, even when I rode a motorcycle.

10 Wheels

More details:
https://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...-20101201-wpms

vol

There is just no way, no matter what a careful cyclist you are, to prevent yourself from being hit by a driver who chooses to look away to retrieve something (recall another accident in which a driver was retrieving a dropped cell phone). These drivers are not drunk, they just think it's more important to retrieve that "something" than not to cause a serious accident, potentially death to someone. What can you do? Nothing except praying the driver behind you doesn't have such mindset.

bmclaughlin807

Score another for lax traffic enforcement, crappy drivers, and lack of real consequences.

But this disgusts me most of all:

Don't worry, Julia. It was JUST a cyclist, after all.

mikeybikes

"Oh but there was a sidewalk over there that he should've been riding on."

crhilton

Aye, she should be facing at least manslaughter charges.

10 Wheels

Did you notice that she was still driving after the the accident?

Wake

Shouldn't that be: "Did you notice that she was still driving after the the homicide?"

RunningPirate

Her non-chalantness just makes it that much worse...

...perhaps she needs a message delivered to her, a la Yehuda Moon:

https://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-11-22

zeppinger

Here is my favorite from the comments:

"You're not very bright, are you?

Valid license or not, how can anyone be prevented from driving? Half the population of Detroit drives without a license at any given moment. Should we lock every single one of them up just so none of them can drive? Of course not. It just isn't feasible."

Chris516

Here is what I said on that website:

A cycling fatality always seems like the opportunity the authorities take to marginalize life by weak sentences, when the authorities are much tougher in motorist-on-motorist fatalities. Even before the authorities are involved, the general population marginalizes the life of a cyclist because, cycling is almost treated as a sub-human form of transportation.

The bike(1885) has existed longer than the plane(1903). Yet, Even after 125yrs., cyclists are treated with disdain, malice aforethought and, downright hostility. No wonder the Critical Mass bike rides exist.

Not every jurisdiction allows cycling on the sidewalk. Regardless riding on the sidewalk is actually more dangerous than riding in the road.

Motorists want cyclists off the road and, pedestrians want cyclists off the sidewalk. Motorists and pedestrians need to realize that cycling is not only a form of cardiovascular exercise. It's also a form of transportation that doesn't add to the problems surrounding the ozone layer

Chris516

What happened to this cyclist, reminded me of something that happened the day before yesterday. I was riding in the dark(it was dark even though it was only 5pm) on one of the main two-lane blacktops going through middle of a local town. As I was on my way home, the car behind me seemed to get intentionally closer. I have increased my visibility. I already wear a reflective full-sleeve jacket and, reflective vest. I have added a stronger headlight. Also, In addition to the taillight on my bike, I have taillights to my back and, to the back of my helmet. But idiots come in all shapes n' sizes.

Dean7

Wow. I can't dig in to this too deep or I'll go berserk on a hapless driver tomorrow on my ride in to work.

Here's the thing: my parents did a horrible job of teaching me that driving is a privilege and not a right. Every time you drive your heel is on the face of every third world citizen in the world. I've done things for which I am embarrassed and I'm not sure why. I never hit anybody but I can see how a less fortunate person with lesser reflexes (and/or who wasn't paying as much attention) could.

What a tragedy. I hope at the least this girl's license is taken away for life. I mean seriously... she killed somebody!

bassjones

motorcyclists aren't treated much better by our justice system. Far too often I've seen cases in which a motorcyclist (or bicyclist) is killed by an inattentive, intoxicated, or just plain careless driver and the driver of the other vehicle gets off with a very light sentence, if they do any jail time at all. Time to quit imprisoning recreational drug users and put those guilty of vehicular manslaughter in their cells instead.

ctyler

Take away their car. Easy solution. They can't drive without a car, but they do drive without a license.

DavidW56

This is a solution already in use by the Wayne County Sheriff Department, which routinely impounds vehicles as a result of arrests made for possession or attempting to purchase illegal drugs. How hard would it be to extend this practice to motorists who kill people with their vehicles?

chrisb71

Just about a month ago here it happened: a motorcyclist wiped out and a car ran over him, killing him. The police did not even cite him for following too closely.

If you aren't in a metal box your life does not count.

Seattle Forrest

Driving is a right, not a privilege. This is as true as fiat money.

unterhausen

To be fair, in general the punishment is very light for any incident involving a collision with a car. Sure, there are exceptions when the attitude of the offending driver is particularly cavalier or the victim is particularly sympathetic. But in general, if you want to kill someone the best way to do it is with your car.