SUV, Cell Phone and a 64-year-old woman cyclist

[palmertires]

How could this have been anything other than inattentive driving, if she struck a cyclist on the shoulder from behind?

[marmot]

Single-minded bunch on these bike forums. You can conclude from a 10-sentence news story that someone is guilty of manslaughter, criminal negligence or homicide? Well, why bother having a court system then? Just run a partial list of facts past the bikeforums jury, and warm up Ol' Sparky.
Whose brilliant idea was it to publish the address and phone number of the driver, who has not been convicted, tried or even charged? Good God, people...

[scarry]

Just remember, calling and hanging up or making such comments repeatedly may land the caller in court for phone harasment.

But killing someone with your motor car will only result in a citation and points on your record.

Now that's %$@!-ed up.

[Bikepacker67]

Single-minded bunch on these bike forums. You can conclude from a 10-sentence news story that someone is guilty of manslaughter, criminal negligence or homicide? Well, why bother having a court system then? Just run a partial list of facts past the bikeforums jury, and warm up Ol' Sparky.
Whose brilliant idea was it to publish the address and phone number of the driver, who has not been convicted, tried or even charged? Good God, people...

Here's a picture from the accident report, maybe you'll do better with that...

http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/7566/negligenthomicide8me.jpg

[scarry]

Single-minded bunch on these bike forums. You can conclude from a 10-sentence news story that someone is guilty of manslaughter, criminal negligence or homicide? Well, why bother having a court system then? Just run a partial list of facts past the bikeforums jury, and warm up Ol' Sparky.
Whose brilliant idea was it to publish the address and phone number of the driver, who has not been convicted, tried or even charged? Good God, people...


And then there is the single mindedness of the automobile apologist. Not able to accept the guilt of the motor mayhem.

When you get behind the wheel of a motor car, YOU are responsible.

Thugarchy, the rule of the road
Stand at a busy streetcorner in midtown any weekday morning and just watch what happens. You'll see a dozen dangerous crimes a minute: drivers "squeezing" the light or just plain ignoring it, drivers bullying pedestrians out of the crosswalk in a very lopsided game of "chicken," drivers stomping on their accelerators and peeling out of a stalled lane into another that offers an irresistible ten feet of Open Road, only to shudder to a squealing stop half a second later.

Enforcement is essentially nonexistent: when was the last time you saw, or heard of, a driver being ticketed for not yielding the right-of-way to a pedestrian? Or for reckless driving after forcing a cyclist off the road? It just doesn't happen.

Speed limits, of course, are a standing joke; most drivers in New York couldn't even tell you what the speed limit is. Whenever there's an opportunity for drivers to open it up and make time, God help the carless. And quite apart from the nominal limit, the concept of "reckless driving" simply has no meaning at all to drivers and police alike: cars roar down narrow side streets at thirty miles an hour, desperate to make a light; they may, by chance, be under the limit, but they're way above what is safe and prudent.

[genec]

And then there is the single mindedness of the automobile apologist. Not able to accept the guilt of the motor mayhem.

When you get behind the wheel of a motor car, YOU are responsible.

Thugarchy, the rule of the road
Stand at a busy streetcorner in midtown any weekday morning and just watch what happens. You'll see a dozen dangerous crimes a minute: drivers "squeezing" the light or just plain ignoring it, drivers bullying pedestrians out of the crosswalk in a very lopsided game of "chicken," drivers stomping on their accelerators and peeling out of a stalled lane into another that offers an irresistible ten feet of Open Road, only to shudder to a squealing stop half a second later.

Enforcement is essentially nonexistent: when was the last time you saw, or heard of, a driver being ticketed for not yielding the right-of-way to a pedestrian? Or for reckless driving after forcing a cyclist off the road? It just doesn't happen.

Speed limits, of course, are a standing joke; most drivers in New York couldn't even tell you what the speed limit is. Whenever there's an opportunity for drivers to open it up and make time, God help the carless. And quite apart from the nominal limit, the concept of "reckless driving" simply has no meaning at all to drivers and police alike: cars roar down narrow side streets at thirty miles an hour, desperate to make a light; they may, by chance, be under the limit, but they're way above what is safe and prudent.


EXACTLY! Then to this behaviour add distractions of cellphones and quite frankly it is a wonder any of us dare to cycle on the same roads... Sigh.

[sentinel]

scarry, another wrong doesn't make a right.

[scarry]

scarry, another wrong doesn't make a right.

It's not clear what wrong you are talking about. If you mean my suggestion to make harassing phone calls, you are right. But I was just being inflammatory, like Bill O'Rielly suggesting that it's A-OK for Al-Qaeda to take out Coit Tower in retaliation for SF's voting against campus recruiting.

[sentinel]

I have no idea what you are talking about reference O'Reilly. I was talking about the fact making harassing phone calles is still illegal. Obviously not the same classification of crime, but still illegal.

[huhenio]

I got the joke



(quick, call your lawyer now!!!!)

[JASON R. TOMSIC]

DON"T GIVE HER JAIL TIME!!!! Give her a fighting chance at least. Make her join the military.

[bandjhughes]

DON"T GIVE HER JAIL TIME!!!! Give her a fighting chance at least. Make her join the military.Please, as a recently retired member who served over 20 years, I don't want someone of her caliber ruining the military. The US military needs responsible and honorable people--not the type of person who at one point claims she didn't see the victim and then in another point claims the [slow moving] victim hit her [fast moving] SUV and lost control of the bicycle. Please, I don't want someone like that in my military.

[LittleBigMan]

If a driver is drunk when he kills someone with his vehicle, he'll wind up in a world of crap. But if you're talking on the phone, your reaction time/attention might be much worse than a drunk.

[Gusboh]

If a driver is drunk when he kills someone with his vehicle, he'll wind up in a world of crap. But if you're talking on the phone, your reaction time/attention will be much worse than a drunk.

Fixed it for ya :)

[MaxBender]

Consult the Solicitor's office??

Felonies like murder are handle by the District attorney's office.

[msheron]

You know we have had problems with mentioning race in suspect descriptions.........yes, that is what I said! Some advocates say it is unfair to list a suspect's ethnicity!!! What the freaking HE!! planet are they on..........a black man, a white man, or a asian man robs a 7-11 and yes, you have to know who your looking for nimrodomous advocatuous'.........

I guess they think saying a man robbed the store is good enough! These people who are race sensitive must calm their jets. If a white man, and yes I am white, robs a store and is violent, I want the media to say that crazy white man with the sawed off 10 gauge who just splattered the clerks guts on the pork skins is yadda yadda yadda, and wearing a Dale Earnhardt shirt........sorry, had to throw that in.

My point, don't use racial slurs to demean a person. But for God sakes if you take our ability to describe them then I am sorry when the maniac goes down the street undetected and then blows your children's head off while riding their big wheel! Get over race, and race so it will be over! :D

[HelloE]

This thing is getting big.

check this out:

http://www.bikingbis.com/blog/_archives/2005/12/6/1437816.html

http://www2.islandpacket.com/driver_charged_in_bicycle_accident?from=50&comments_per_page=50

Or look up Carol Zampino at Yahoo.com

and:
Solisitor: Duffy Stone (843) 470 - 3725
Police supervisor: Tomy Collin (843) 607-3229

[jhota]

today's news update:

http://www.islandpacket.com/breaking_news/story/5423696p-4899330c.html

[slagjumper]

You know we have had problems with mentioning race in suspect descriptions.........yes, that is what I said! Some advocates say it is unfair to list a suspect's ethnicity!!! What the freaking HE!! planet are they on..........a black man, a white man, or a asian man robs a 7-11 and yes, you have to know who your looking for nimrodomous advocatuous'.........

I guess they think saying a man robbed the store is good enough! These people who are race sensitive must calm their jets. If a white man, and yes I am white, robs a store and is violent, I want the media to say that crazy white man with the sawed off 10 gauge who just splattered the clerks guts on the pork skins is yadda yadda yadda, and wearing a Dale Earnhardt shirt........sorry, had to throw that in.

My point, don't use racial slurs to demean a person. But for God sakes if you take our ability to describe them then I am sorry when the maniac goes down the street undetected and then blows your children's head off while riding their big wheel! Get over race, and race so it will be over! :D

3 problems. First articles in the newspaper are so far after the event, only a picture is of use. Second, the descriptions often only include a racial tag, if the person is non-white. As in the original story for example, only mentioned one person's race. Third, descriptions on the news in general are lame and can fit many people. "Black man wearing t-shirt" fits many people. Its like saying "Man with green eyes and t-shirt".


today's news update:

http://www.islandpacket.com/breaking_news/story/5423696p-4899330c.html

I am glad that the victom's family is involved and that this continues to make news. Any news about a ghost bike there?

[swifferman]

You know we have had problems with mentioning race in suspect descriptions.........yes, that is what I said! Some advocates say it is unfair to list a suspect's ethnicity!!! What the freaking HE!! planet are they on..........a black man, a white man, or a asian man robs a 7-11 and yes, you have to know who your looking for nimrodomous advocatuous'.........

I guess they think saying a man robbed the store is good enough! These people who are race sensitive must calm their jets. If a white man, and yes I am white, robs a store and is violent, I want the media to say that crazy white man with the sawed off 10 gauge who just splattered the clerks guts on the pork skins is yadda yadda yadda, and wearing a Dale Earnhardt shirt........sorry, had to throw that in.

My point, don't use racial slurs to demean a person. But for God sakes if you take our ability to describe them then I am sorry when the maniac goes down the street undetected and then blows your children's head off while riding their big wheel! Get over race, and race so it will be over! :D

What exactly is the point of putting a victim's race in a report?

This thread made me a tad angry :( I hope lady justice does her thing. :mad: