[East Hill]

From today's Seattle Times:

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=willows09e&date=20061209&query=bicycle

The quote from her husband:

"The real tragedy is that deaths such as Alef's have become commonplace, said her former husband, Allan Alef.

"This is happening all over the place and there's no outrage about it," he said."

I think this article may show that the judge was paying attention to the letters she received about this case...she sentenced him to the longest sentence she could, which wasn't very much.

He'll be out just in time for the holidays. She won't.

East Hill

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[N_C]

Why did he take off his pants?

[Bekologist]

jacked up on street drugs.

Yeah, a friend of my was left hooked and killed here this fall, no one knows if the driver is even going to be charged with a crime

bicyclists and the LAB should team up with ABATE to bring the correct weight to the punishment for these tragedies.

[East Hill]

I am sorry to hear that, Bekologist. Which friend was it? I think I would remember the case as I pay close attention to both pedestrians and cyclists getting killed here in the greater Seattle area.

East Hill

[atbman]

Donald Bleepwit, who was taking medication and smoking marijuana to cope with everyday stress, was, today, tried on a charge of misdemeanour reckless endangerment and samuraiicular homicide.

Bleepwit, who expressed great remorse, had been proceeding down the sidewalk, swinging a samurai sword and accidentally cut off the head of his victim.

The judge said that he was distressed that he could only sentence him to life imprisonment, rather than life plus 99 years

[Bekologist]

I worked with Suzanne at Marmot Mountain Works a couple of years ago. She was a stellar individual. She was the bicyclist fatally left hooked in West Seattle this October.

This dismissal of bicyclists lives thru weak punishments is despicable. There appears to be cases in other states clearly outlining a drivers' negligence and culpability when causing the death of bicyclists, the lack of 'established negligence' in Washington state is what gets so many drivers accused of causing deaths by their cars off the hook with little or no criminal punishment.

I think the death of a bicyclist by a driver left hooking a biker clearly shows negligence. in the case of my friend Suzanne, it seems like the DA may never charge the driver. and he killed someone, he violated Suzanne's right of way, and directly caused her death. He is GUILTY even if he isn't charged. and that is the sad letdown - our courts light treatment of drivers that kill bicyclists.

Bicyclists need advocacy along the lines of motorcyclists' ABATE. screw bicyclist education, go after the REAL bad apples that endanger bicyclists -educate and punish the flipping drivers!

[East Hill]

Yes, I remember the story about the memorial held at the Westlake Center. It does seem that there has been no followup story on whether the driver was charged, or will be charged. Interestingly, I cannot find the name of the driver anywhere, indicating that he has not been charged with anything.

I know there were days when I would come home after going for a walk, and telling my husband about the scary things that happened in crosswalks. It always made me so mad, because although I am healthy and able to look for danger, I realised that children certainly wouldn't be looking out for themselves the way I can. I also knew that if I were blind, in a wheelchair, or otherwise disabled, drivers wouldn't 'see' me. Either way, it would always be the fault of the 'pedestrian' or the fault of the 'cyclist', never the fault of the driver.

I do think we will eventually reach that critical 'tipping point', though. The Seattle Bicycle Master Plan is a step in the right direction. Not enough, but a start.

East Hill