Advocacy & Safety - Cyclists Protest Outside Courthouse

Cyclist activism reared its head here in Canada's motor city today. A group of cyclists protested outside the provincial court building, demanding safe accomodations on the roadway.

Inside the courthouse, a Windsor, Ontario man was facing a judge for hitting a teenage cyclist and fleeing the scene. The incident occured in August 2006. The teenaged cyclst was returning home from work in the early morning hours when he was struck from behind by an SUV, suffering a broken pelvis and facial injuries. Witnesses and the victim reported that the driver of the SUV drove a short distance down the road, u-turned and returned to the scene. The driver of the SUV then leaned out the window and screamed at the injured cyclist to "Get the fu*k off the road!" The driver then fled the scene.

Only one solution for this guy that can't seem to share the road. Take him off the road.

yeah, break his ****ing kneecaps

What is this about "safe accommodations"? The accommodations weren't the issue. Are people going to sue the city government, saying that it was at fault for the kid's injuries?

It really irks me when posters don't link to the story.

What is this about "safe accommodations"? The accommodations weren't the issue. Given that pedal-vehicles are legally defined as "devices" in some jurisdictions, perhaps the law which applies in that provincial court defines people who attack others with a motor-vehicle as "accommodations"?:rolleyes:

...he was struck from behind by an SUV, suffering a broken pelvis and facial injuries. Witnesses and the victim reported that the driver of the SUV drove a short distance down the road, u-turned and returned to the scene. The driver of the SUV then leaned out the window and screamed at the injured cyclist to "Get the fu*k off the road!" The driver then fled the scene.
If this is proven in court, he's toast. May be a cause for an expensive lawsuit, to boot.

It really irks me when posters don't link to the story.

No story to link to. I work near the courthouse and saw the protest. Later talked to court services constables when they picked up a prisoner at my facility.

No story to link to. I work near the courthouse and saw the protest. Later talked to court services constables when they picked up a prisoner at my facility.

No wonder I can't find diddly on Google.

BTW, what threw me, was that your description of the incident sounded exactly like it was cut-n-pasted from a news article.

Do you work as a reporter?

What is this about "safe accommodations"? The accommodations weren't the issue. Are people going to sue the city government, saying that it was at fault for the kid's injuries?

Doubt it. Protest purpose appears to be twofold. One, a public presence of cyclists while this a$$clown was in court. "Safe accomodations" was just a convenient way to describe their demands and signs. Second, there is ongoing debate in this city about installation of bicycle lanes on Riverside Drive, a scenic route that follows the course of the Detroit River. The road is populated by the some of the most affluent people with the most expensive homes in this region, who bitterly oppose losing part of "their" yards to bicycle lanes. Without starting a debate about the pro and cons of bike lanes, the protesters were using this hit and run as an example of why bike lanes are needed.

No wonder I can't find diddly on Google.

BTW, what threw me, was that your description of the incident sounded exactly like it was cut-n-pasted from a news article.

Do you work as a reporter?

The protest was small, 10 people or so. It didn't make the local paper. There was brief coverage on the evening news Tuesday, but Google wouldn't have that.

Not a reporter. I work in a youth detention facility.

Not a reporter. I work in a youth detention facility.

I suppose that's even more demanding of the "ability to communicate clearly" skillset.

Anybody know the name of the perp?
That should be googleable.

Here's a link to the original story. Unfortunately you need to be a subscriber.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=0375547d-a647-4e1a-95e3-dbc823a65ba8

Anybody know the name of the perp?
That should be googleable.

Check the bottom of the article.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=32c25609-ac5f-4e55-ae6a-6ff70bf66097

1. I don't see a lack of a bike lane as the problem in this case.

2. Why protest outside the courthouse. It would be far more effective to be observers in the courtroom.

If this is proven in court, he's toast. May be a cause for an expensive lawsuit, to boot. Let's hope so.

sorry if this was asked above, but what lighting were bicyclists using at 3am? were these bikers "lit-up" with lights? riding with traffic?
when i toured Nova Scotia (1985), there was an evident set rule that bike/peds had the right of way. what's going on up there 2 decades later?
again, sorry for potential repeat questions (if given)!
tomg ( s nj - usa)

glad the cyclist didn't die from this blatant attempt at murder.

was there a small group of VC counterprotesting how the rider simply needed to be further in the lane to get this bad drivers to just disappear?

sounds like a case of angry asshat of what they thought was a 'privledged' class of people. wealthier drivers seem to be the more manevolent out on the roads.

i think there could always be renegade justice if this loser walks with a light sentence. ride by his house or work and pop all his tires once a month with a screwdriver.

glad the cyclist didn't die from this blatant attempt at murder.

was there a small group of VC counterprotesting how the rider simply needed to be further in the lane to get this bad drivers to just disappear?

sounds like a case of angry asshat of what they thought was a 'privledged' class of people. wealthier drivers seem to be the more manevolent out on the roads.

i think there could always be renegade justice if this loser walks with a light sentence. ride by his house or work and pop all his tires once a month with a screwdriver.


why would you advocate that...you don't know the whole story...........

why would you advocate that...you don't know the whole story...........

i think running a bicyclist over, driving back, screaming 'get out of the effin' road' and then leaving the scene, is about all the story I need, personally, to advocate a little renegade justice if local bicyclists feel it necessary in their community.

i mention the screwdriver and the tires because it is simple, quick and effective. use a phillips head.

Given that pedal-vehicles are legally defined as "devices" in some jurisdictions, perhaps the law which applies in that provincial court defines people who attack others with a motor-vehicle as "accommodations"?:rolleyes:

In Ontario, Canada a bicycle is defined as a vehicle, according to the Highway Traffic Act.

sorry if this was asked above, but what lighting were bicyclists using at 3am? were these bikers "lit-up" with lights? riding with traffic?
when i toured Nova Scotia (1985), there was an evident set rule that bike/peds had the right of way. what's going on up there 2 decades later?
again, sorry for potential repeat questions (if given)!
tomg ( s nj - usa)

I don't know what lighting the cyclists were using.

Note here that the motorist hit only one of the cyclists, the front most one, from behind. The second cyclist says he was only a few feet behind the lead bike. I'm very familiar with the interesection where the accident occurred. It is on my daily commute. Tecumseh Road is a 4 lane arterial with a speed limit of 50-60km/h It is one of the busiest roads in Windsor, Ontario. It is extremely well lighted, Especially at the intersection in question as there is a car dealership on one corner, a large Italian club on the opposite and a funeral home on a third corner. Lots of bright overhead lighting here from the streetlights and the lighting from these business parking lots. In the eastbound lanes the road here does go from a standard width lane to a WOL. There should have been a great deal of room for overtaking traffic to pass safely. Also note the time of the incident - 3:30am. Alcohol involvement is possible but we'll never know as the driver fled the scene, a common occurrence here when alcohol is involved.

Here's another source of information about this incident:

http://voiceofwindsor.org/?cat=4

If this is proven in court, he's toast. May be a cause for an expensive lawsuit, to boot.

All he's charged with is leaving the scene of an accident causing bodily harm. At worst, he'll be fined, maybe get community service.

In Canada, you can kill someone while driving drunk and get nothing but community service, house arrest for a few months and a license suspension. The juvenile justice sytem is even worse but I better not get started with that.

It DOES NOT MATTER what the circumstances of the accident were. Even if the guy was riding a black bike with black rims wearing black clothing and blacked out his face, the fact is that the car driver HIT him, KNEW he hit him, KNEW that he injured the guy seriously, then drove away.

Had he stopped to render assistance, depending on the circumstances he should probably have gotten anything between nothing (if proven that the guy was essentially invisible and completely in the wrong) to a reckless endangerment sentence (probably suspended or light time seeing that the guy didn't die) and I'd have very little problem with that.

Once he decided to drive away, it's felony hit-and-run and I hope he gets sent up for a couple of years. The fact that he took the time to go back and yell at a guy he just hit makes me hope for something unfortunate to happen to him while he's in jail.

I run the Voice of Windsor website and there's a few posts there from the night it happened. Should show up this page with the recent bike deaths and accidents

http://voiceofwindsor.org/?cat=4

I was listening to my scanner that night, and the there were suspicious things going on when that happened. Other people seemed to of followed the SUV but I'm not sure about this. The driver left the scene though and the cyclist was seriously injured. Wish the news said that instead of saying he didn't sustain life threatening injuries. The driver didn't turn himself in till a long time after too. I wish I knew about the protest so I could of been there too. Been trying to contact Jason Turpin but can't find a email for him anywhere.

So what is worse, getting busted for dui and hitting someone, or fleeing the scene until sober, then turn yourself in?

"Grant Webster was riding a bicycle in the curb lane on Tecumseh Road near Parent Avenue around 3 a.m. on Tuesday when he was struck by a dark-coloured SUV."

and

"Staff Sgt. Ed McNorton, Windsor police spokesman, said the man came to the police headquarters around 9 p.m"

Bump

Well, it sounds as if someone seduced the pooch on this one. The driver in this incident was sentenced yesterday for leaving the scene of an accident. A $1000 fine and a 6 month driving prohibition. From the article, it sounds as if the Justice who sentenced the accused was unhappy. Reading between the lines it seems like Justice Dean would have liked to been able to mete out a more severe sentence but had his hands tied by the sole charge the accused faced.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=dd35fd50-7cf2-4ed5-93b1-0299da8f16df&k=28616

Cyclist suffered broken pelvis, busted nose and had teeth knocked out
By Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star
Published: Monday, March 19, 2007

A judge handed a $1,000 fine Monday to a Windsor driver who hit a teenaged cyclist last summer then fled, leaving the kid at the scene with his front teeth knocked out, a broken pelvis and busted nose.

Raymond Deschaine, 26, is also prohibited from driving for six months for the leaving the scene Aug. 29, after Grant Webster was hit by a SUV while riding his bike home from a part-time job at Taco Bell.

Before handing down his decision, Justice Lloyd Dean said it was difficult because Deschaine wasn’t charged with a driving offence for injuring Webster. He was only charged with failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

“The court has to take that into account,” said Dean. “It is regrettable he suffered the injuries he has. But the injuries were no fault of Mr. Deschaine ... It is a difficult matter to deal with because there are injuries. But it appears those injuries are not the fault of Mr. Deschaine.”

Webster, now 17, also suffered a concussion, a two-inch bump on his forehead and bruised knees and feet. In addition, he must undergo plastic surgery for facial scarring and reconstructive surgery on his nose and jaw.

Assistant Crown attorney Tom Meehan said in court that Webster was also on crutches for a month and he still can’t sit or stand for long periods. He has been afraid to get on a bicycle since the hit and run.

Meehan said police were called to Tecumseh Road East in front of the Caboto Club around 3:30 a.m. after a dark-coloured SUV struck a cyclist.

Friends of Webster, who were there at the time, said the driver turned around after hitting him and yelled at him for riding on the road.

Meehan said Deschaine then drove away, jumping a curb in the process. He turned himself into police later that day.

Dean pointed out before sentencing that Deschaine has no prior record, he pleaded guilty and he turned himself in when it was possible witnesses might never have been able to identify him.

Deschaine’s lawyer John Sitter also mentioned that.

“If not for him leaving the scene, it was simply an accident,” said Sitter. “He did not handle it well. He got excited and left…. His remorse is great.”

Sitter said his client hadn’t been drinking and just “went out for a hamburger.”

Meehan said it’s unknown for sure if Deschaine was drinking because he didn’t turn himself in until hours later, and the fact he left the scene is suspicious.

“The circumstances give rise to suspicion of what he was doing,” he said.

Chas Griffiths, chairman of the Windsor bicycling committee, said the punishment should have been much harsher.
“I don’t think it is enough,” said Griffiths, who suffered a broken neck and ribs in a 2002 hit-and-run. “They think it will hit him in the pocket. Will he remember it? Well, he might think twice next time. But if he did it once, he could do it again.”

Well, well, well... the SOB basically got off.

If I lived in the area, I'd be tempted to pay Mr. Deschaine an anonymous visit.

The victim should start a civil case against the guy for damages.


when i toured Nova Scotia (1985), there was an evident set rule that bike/peds had the right of way. what's going on up there 2 decades later?

I wish it were like that now. Peds still have the right away, they are always stepping right into traffic and cars always stop for them. Although some drivers are still too nice and don't realize when they have the right of way; I usually have at least one small incident a day on my commute. Too many hicks and young students around here.

I guess Mr. Deschaine was not at fault and could not be held responsible for the cyclist injuries, BECAUSE it was the SUV that drove into the cyclist. WTF BS

That was total BS

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Okay, I suppose it's against the rules to advocate violence around here, so I'll shut up before I say something stupid. That motorist is a total...no I can't say that either.

I guess Mr. Deschaine was not at fault and could not be held responsible for the cyclist injuries, BECAUSE it was the SUV that drove into the cyclist. WTF BS

And I shouldn't be responsible for shooting someone, because the bullet hit them, not me.

I think what the Justice in this case was saying was that the accused was not charged with a criminal driving offence that resulted in injuries, just failing to remain. I think the Justice was angry that there were not other charges so he could deal more severely with Deschaine.