Advocacy & Safety - Cops: Enraged motorist swerves into bicyclists, injures one

Wow. I knew Utah has the craziest people of any state.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10115861

Sorry if this has been posted already.

Wow. Sometimes the good guys do win, however. Here (http://www.westlinntidings.com/news/story.php?story_id=121813992339237700)'s a recent story from my neck of the woods...

Update: This idiot has now been charged with third-degree aggravated assault, and misdemeanor charges of improper pass and improper registration. He goes to court Monday morning.

Wow. Sometimes the good guys do win, however. Here (http://www.westlinntidings.com/news/story.php?story_id=121813992339237700)'s a recent story from my neck of the woods...

Yeah but it only happened because they were cops... if a citizen cyclist or ped called 911, I doubt the result would have been the same.

Update: This idiot has now been charged with third-degree aggravated assault, and misdemeanor charges of improper pass and improper registration. He goes to court Monday morning.

That is good news. But, he looks like a "Nobody tells ME what to do!" type. In other words, he'll probably head out this weekend, and harass bicyclists.

We've got a good concentration of them around MA as well.

I would be very surprised if we've heard the last of him. He'll probably get a $500.00 fine and probation, maybe a temporary driver license suspension, which he'll ignore, and be back to harassing bikes in a few days. His insurance company will be paying for a bicycle, probably for a fraction of its value, and then dropping him, which means he'll be driving without insurance.
Too bad the other cyclists stopped hitting him. Should have beaten him to a pulp. That would be much more effective than the slap on the wrist he'll get from the courts. Oh well, we wouldn't want to see them charged with assault.
Let's hope he gets the maximum sentence of $5000.00 fine and 5 years in prison. Not likely, as overcrowded as our jails are. Gotta lock up those dangerous pot smokers, you know!

Update us on the court results, and hopefully he puts a shirt on this appearance.

I would be very surprised if we've heard the last of him. He'll probably get a $500.00 fine and probation, maybe a temporary driver license suspension, which he'll ignore, and be back to harassing bikes in a few days. His insurance company will be paying for a bicycle, probably for a fraction of its value, and then dropping him, which means he'll be driving without insurance.


And you really believe he has insurance?

His insurance won't cover this. Why would it?

His insurance won't cover this. Why would it?

IF he has insurance, it would cover the loss. He was at fault. The insurance may not want to pay or may hedge on replacing what looked to be a high value bike, but it appears to be a rightful claim. But, if the vehicle wasn't registered properly, I, for one, have a low expectation that he follows other laws such as meeting insurance requirements. However, he may as he does not appear to have been ticketed for no insurance. More than a few will get insurance when its necessary to renew license tags, or to renew driver license, but drop it afterwards. This lout appears to fall in that category just from the description of the incident and charges.

If he is, indeed, a scofflaw when it comes to registration, he's more than a few bricks short of a load. A brighter type would maintain a low profile when not driving with proper papers and avoid incidents.

IF he has insurance, it would cover the loss. He was at fault. The insurance may not want to pay or may hedge on replacing what looked to be a high value bike, but it appears to be a rightful claim. But, if the vehicle wasn't registered properly, I, for one, have a low expectation that he follows other laws such as meeting insurance requirements. However, he may as he does not appear to have been ticketed for no insurance. More than a few will get insurance when its necessary to renew license tags, or to renew driver license, but drop it afterwards. This lout appears to fall in that category just from the description of the incident and charges.

If he is, indeed, a scofflaw when it comes to registration, he's more than a few bricks short of a load. A brighter type would maintain a low profile when not driving with proper papers and avoid incidents.

There is no insurance that covers intentional acts. If the cyclist has auto insurance, he may have coverage under that policy, or even his homeowner's policy, leaving the insurance company to subrogate against the motorist direct. But the angry motorist does not have any coverage for this, since it was not an accident.

And you really believe he has insurance?

That is an excellent point. In MA, it has been compulsory for drivers to have insurance for decades. But, MA drivers are very resourceful when it comes to "beating the system". Often, low IQ nitwits like the one pictured will make the first monthly payment to get a plate, then ignore any further bills. By law, the insurance companies are supposed to notify the state's RMV (Registry of motor vehicles) that they are have canceled the insurance. The RMV then notifies the errant motorist that he is in default, and is required to turn in his plates and registration immediately, or get his insurance re-instated. You already know where I'm headed here. They don't, and drive anyway. Oh, they sometimes get caught, but then it's "plate swapping time". They borrow a set of plates from a bar buddy, or take some other action. I'm a scanner nerd, and I hear these stops all the time.

And they write letters to the editor, complaining about us not having insurance? Gosh Wally....

Sorry, a little off-topic ranting there.

Insurance = moot point. Get over it.

Im guessing a 'The Roadie Effect' thread might be inappropriate right now ?

Wow, did you see all of the comments in the Salt Lake Tribune? It initially looks like there are only three, but if click on one of them where it says "more" it will take you to 15 pages worth.

Why isn't this attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon? Only the cyclist's ability to get away from the wheel of the truck prevented serious injury or possible death if he was run over...until the law gets serious with these homocidal maniacs and threatens years in prison instead of a fine and a slap on the wrist, these situations are bound to continue...

In Utah, this qualifies as a hate crime. Hopefully the D.A. will realize that, and act accordingly.

http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_11880609

"He could serve anywhere from a long probationary term to a long jail or prison term," Greg Skordas, Barto's attorney, said in a telephone interview.

Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, Skordas explained.

Wow. I knew Utah has the craziest people of any state.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10115861

Sorry if this has been posted already.

Link is dead already!
Thank you for visiting Salt Lake Tribune. We are sorry the article that you requested is no longer available. Please search for this article in our archive search.

Of course in searching, I found the below article and wondered if there was any connection. I post it here in full due to the apparent policy of the Salt Lake Tribune to archive articles quickly, and then charge $2.50 for searches.


Bike-riding robber hits South Salt Lake business
Police » Suspect may be same man who robbed businesses in November and December

The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/10/2009 06:52:41 PM MDT

South Salt Lake police are investigating the robbery of a dollar store at gunpoint Tuesday and say the incident is similar to other recent robberies where the suspect escaped on a bicycle.

Police say a man walked into The Dollar Store and More at 389 E. 3300 South around 1:40 p.m. , pulled a ski mask over his face, brandished a black semi-automatic handgun at the clerk and demanded money, according to a news release.

The clerk gave an undisclosed amount of money to the man, who fled the scene on a BMX bicycle into a nearby residential area, the release states.

No one was injured in the incident.

The suspect is described as a thin white male, 6 feet 2 inches tall, who was wearing a orange hooded sweatshirt under a black jacket with blue jeans.

South Salt Lake police Lt. Gary Keller said police are investigating whether Tuesday's robbery may be connected to other recent South Salt Lake robberies carried out in a similar manner.

In December, police responded to an armed robbery at Gevorg's International Market, 2715 S. State St. A store clerk told police a man entered the market and pointed a black handgun at him, then ordered him to the floor.

The robber than left on foot after stealing cash from a register. The description of the suspect in the Gervorg's robbery matched that of a person accused of robbing the Jang Soo Jang Korean Restaurant, 2701 S. State St., the same week, Keller said.

In that case, a man entered the restaurant, brandished a gun and left with cash. The man escaped on a bicycle.

In yet other incident, Salt Lake City police in November were searching for a man who robbed a Panda Buffet at gunpoint and then escaped riding a BMX bike. A man entered the restaurant at 1025 W. North Temple then pulled out a handgun, ordered the cashier to the floor and demanded cash from a register, police said. The man left with an undisclosed amount of money and rode away on a BMX bike.

Keller said police are not sure whether the incidents are related.

Anyone with information relating to the robberies can contact South Salt Lake police at 801-840-4000.

--Melinda Rogers

Edit... OK, I see, this article and thread are over a year old... none the less... the bike robber story is interesting.

http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_11880609

"He could serve anywhere from a long probationary term to a long jail or prison term," Greg Skordas, Barto's attorney, said in a telephone interview.

Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, Skordas explained.

Thanks for the follow up link... Interesting quote from the defendant...


Barto acknowledged in court he swerved at the bicyclists to "make a statement" that they should ride in a single-file line. He said he "obviously got too close" to the riders.

Makes me wonder how many "the cyclist swerved" cyclist death incidents are really "I was trying to make a statement" incidents by motorists... who of course were the only witnesses.

http://www.parkrecord.com/newsupdates/ci_12237915

Thanks for the follow up link... Interesting quote from the defendant...



Makes me wonder how many "the cyclist swerved" cyclist death incidents are really "I was trying to make a statement" incidents by motorists... who of course were the only witnesses.Wouldn't surprise me if it was most of them.

30 days for all the BS this driver did?

And then he heaps more BS in his sentencing statement.

The courts need to start treating these assaults the same as if they were committed with a hand gun.

Narrow the odds for becoming a victim:

1. Use a rear-view mirror. Like a professional truck driver, look in it every 15 seconds. This helps eliminate surprises and give the cyclist an opportunity to be polite to passing vehicles if possible and appropriate. You might also notice that kid in the back of a pick-up swinging the baseball bat BEFORE he hits a triple with your pointy helmet.

2. Limit the number of cars overtaking you. Ride fast, stay in the traffic gaps if possible. Running stop signs and red lights may help in certain situations.

3. Let it go. Do not curse or flip of an already enraged motorist (unless you are POSITIVE you can get away clean). Just smile and wave (all five fingers please!) and be on your way.

Earlier this week a motorist snuck up behind me on a 4-lane, low volume road. I was in the center of the right lane. The left lane was perfectly clear. I broke rule #1 (I suppose) and didn't see his approach in my mirror. Maybe he was parallel parked or came off a side street? Anyway, he sneaks up behind me with the passenger side corner of his bumper at my ankle and lays on the horn (thanks to a headwind, I could not hear his approach). The horn actually made me jump! Then he passes me slowly as he eyeballs me. I follow rule #3 and smile and wave. He proceeds to pass me and two blocks further turns into a driveway. I follow rule #3 again and let it go - don't even look at him. Rule #2 did not apply in this situation.

Technically, blowing your horn in an attempt to cause injury to a cyclist is considered assault in some places, same as throwing something at them. Good luck in NOLA with that. But what kind of moron does that, then shows me where he LIVES!

No matter how I try, someone finds a way to beat my system. And it always seems to be when I am minding my own business and obeying all the rules.

I don't know what all the fuss is about. It's not like he deliberately attacked them with something dangerous like an axe or a hammer, is it?

Narrow the odds for becoming a victim:

1. Use a rear-view mirror. Like a professional truck driver, look in it every 15 seconds. This helps eliminate surprises and give the cyclist an opportunity to be polite to passing vehicles if possible and appropriate. You might also notice that kid in the back of a pick-up swinging the baseball bat BEFORE he hits a triple with your pointy helmet.

2. Limit the number of cars overtaking you. Ride fast, stay in the traffic gaps if possible. Running stop signs and red lights may help in certain situations.

3. Let it go. Do not curse or flip of an already enraged motorist (unless you are POSITIVE you can get away clean). Just smile and wave (all five fingers please!) and be on your way.

Earlier this week a motorist snuck up behind me on a 4-lane, low volume road. I was in the center of the right lane. The left lane was perfectly clear. I broke rule #1 (I suppose) and didn't see his approach in my mirror. Maybe he was parallel parked or came off a side street? Anyway, he sneaks up behind me with the passenger side corner of his bumper at my ankle and lays on the horn (thanks to a headwind, I could not hear his approach). The horn actually made me jump! Then he passes me slowly as he eyeballs me. I follow rule #3 and smile and wave. He proceeds to pass me and two blocks further turns into a driveway. I follow rule #3 again and let it go - don't even look at him. Rule #2 did not apply in this situation.

Technically, blowing your horn in an attempt to cause injury to a cyclist is considered assault in some places, same as throwing something at them. Good luck in NOLA with that. But what kind of moron does that, then shows me where he LIVES!

No matter how I try, someone finds a way to beat my system. And it always seems to be when I am minding my own business and obeying all the rules.


I am aware of situations where something almost exactly the same happened to some people and the truck somehow ended up with all tires slashed... strange.

I don't know what all the fuss is about. It's not like he deliberately attacked them with something dangerous like an axe or a hammer, is it?

A truck isn't dangerous?

What is the law in Utah? In many states, including Michigan, it's legal to ride two abreast.

I wonder if the guy smashes into other cars "to remind them" when they are breaking laws (or he thinks they are).

My original: I don't know what all the fuss is about. It's not like he deliberately attacked them with something dangerous like an axe or a hammer, is it?


A truck isn't dangerous?

Please see edited version below:

I don't know what all the fuss is about. It's not like he deliberately attacked them with something dangerous like an axe or a hammer, is it?:rolleyes:

. . . Alexander Jason Barto. . . has acknowledged he swerved at the bicyclists Aug. 2 to remind them they should ride single file instead of two abreast on the highway. .

41-6a-1105 - State of Utah
Operation of bicycle or moped on and use of roadway. . .
. . . 3) (a) A person riding a bicycle or moped on a roadway may not ride more than two abreast with another person except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.


Oh boy.
All the truck driver had to do was ignore the bikers, come home, and login to bikeforums.net. After a flaming post about needing to ride single file, he would have been corrected and all it would have ended there. And this guy might have been on the city council! I hope you learn to manage your emotions during your stay behind bars, Alex.:troll:

41-6a-1105 - State of Utah
Operation of bicycle or moped on and use of roadway. . .
. . . 3) (a) A person riding a bicycle or moped on a roadway may not ride more than two abreast with another person except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

Thanks for looking that up. That's the same as the law in Michigan; two abreast is allowed.

So not only is the guy unable to control himself with a deadly weapon and an idiot, he's also wrong.

Reminds me of the new dipstick campaign. Perhaps if you wiped motorists across the face with a chain everytime they 'broke traffic codes' they'd learn too?

Or perhaps not. But it would be pretty ****ing funny the first time someone didn't blink, came to a red light and someone popped out of the bush and flogged them screaming "Signal lane changes MOTHER****ER!"

of course, that person would go to prison, the guy who steers a 2-ton pickup at a cyclist gets the judicial equivalent of a 'attaboy - but we don't want you killed - so sit for 30 days and relax.'

Narrow the odds for becoming a victim:

1. Use a rear-view mirror. Like a professional truck driver, look in it every 15 seconds. This helps eliminate surprises and give the cyclist an opportunity to be polite to passing vehicles if possible and appropriate. You might also notice that kid in the back of a pick-up swinging the baseball bat BEFORE he hits a triple with your pointy helmet.

Yeah, but, the only time I got into the worst trouble, with the cops anyway, I was wearing a mirror at night watching a car bear down on me hard on my often travel long, straight, stretch of my commute home. Come to find out it was a pair of deputies scaring the piss out of me by hitting their lights as I'm about to jump off the road.

Part of the reason cited for stopping me was that I was swerving in and out of the road causing passing cars to swerve to avoid me. They were the only car to come up behind me and I watched them for maybe a mile as their speed worried me. It is natural that I would have drifted from my line when looking to the left into my mirror, that is the way we are wired.

Now I just look around at nearly every sound and "zen like" feeling. Be one, be free from the cage.:thumb:

Reminds me of the new dipstick campaign. Perhaps if you wiped motorists across the face with a chain everytime they 'broke traffic codes' they'd learn too?

Or perhaps not. But it would be pretty ****ing funny the first time someone didn't blink, came to a red light and someone popped out of the bush and flogged them screaming "Signal lane changes MOTHER****ER!"of course, that person would go to prison, the guy who steers a 2-ton pickup at a cyclist gets the judicial equivalent of a 'attaboy - but we don't want you killed - so sit for 30 days and relax.'

:roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2:

Barto is perhaps best known for campaigning unsuccessfully for a seat on the Kamas City Council in 2007.


Ah, a would be politician...this explains a few things...what a tool...:notamused: