Advocacy & Safety - I wish the sentence could have been more.

At least there is one guy off the road.

By Larry Hertz • Poughkeepsie Journal • January 8, 2009


A Putnam County motorist accused of fatally injuring a bicyclist in June in East Fishkill told town police he left the scene of the crash after the accident, according to court documents.
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William Mancusi, 32, of Carmel, made a brief appearance in Dutchess County Court Tuesday morning before his case was adjourned until Jan. 13.

According to court papers filed Tuesday morning, Mancusi told East Fishkill police Chief Brian Nichols and Officer Mark Didato he struck the cyclist, 48-year-old Alfred Poggiogalle of Hopewell Junction, with his van while he was driving on Route 52 June 12. He reportedly told police he left the scene of the crash to make a phone call at a nearby delicatessen, then returned.

Police later determined Mancusi had marijuana, morphine and traces of codeine in his bloodstream at the time of the accident. He was subsequently charged with vehicular manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, both felonies.

The victim's widow, Cindy Poggiogalle, attended Tuesday's brief proceeding before County Court Judge Thomas J. Dolan.

Following the court session, she issued a statement on behalf of the family that read, in part, "Our family is appreciative of the hard work that the East Fishkill police department and the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office have done. ... The only acceptable outcome will be the maximum sentence allowed under the law."

Mancusi faces up to 21/3 to seven years in prison if he is convicted of the crime.

WOW! He received 21/3 years behind bars! I guess you have to be super high on drugs to get the max for killing a cyclist. Otherwise, he probably would have received a $50.00 traffic ticket.

WOW! He received 21/3 years behind bars! I guess you have to be super high on drugs to get the max for killing a cyclist. Otherwise, he probably would have received a $50.00 traffic ticket.

2 and 1/3 yrs to 7 yrs. At this point he has confessed only and not been convicted nor sentenced. This is the max he can receive.

usually you get off with no charges even if you ran the stop sign. A $50 traffic ticket would be an insult to the deceased so the cops don't write the ticket.

I got hit and the the driver took off in June ! He turned hisself in and my bike got paid for .BUT here is the kicker he never even got a ticket for anything not even for leaving the scene of an accident .I showed the report to a judge friend a mine and he was shocked .

in putnam it's a miracle he was charged with anything.

The deceased's family should file a Wrongful Death suit. They may not collect for a long time, if ever, but the judgment will be hanging over his head for the rest of his life.

The deceased's family should file a Wrongful Death suit. They may not collect for a long time, if ever, but the judgment will be hanging over his head for the rest of his life.

It would also seriously mess up Mancusi's life for years to come, with all the attorney fees he'll have to shell out just to defend himself. Probably a worse punishment for him then jail in the long run.

Before the trial, they'll plead it down to a drunk in public charge, probably a low level misdemeanor with credit for time served. He'll get no fine, no probation and be back on the streets by the 4th of July.

i ride like everyone else they build bike ways for these reassons. its not safe to ride on the roads as everyone knows. as a driver i dont think bikers would be happy if i drove my car on there paths. so bikes shouldnt be on roads. where he had gotten killed is the worst place to right around a corner..

i ride like everyone else they build bike ways for these reasons. its not safe to ride on the roads as everyone knows. as a driver i dont think bikers would be happy if i drove my car on there paths. so bikes shouldn't be on roads. where he had gotten killed is the worst place to right around a corner..

Sorry, but pretty much every state in the Union a bicycle is recognized as being a legitimate and legal road user. And as such cyclists have every right to be on just about any (limited access roads aside) road they desire to travel. Yes, because of the speed involved some roads are more dangerous then others to travel. But even those roads with "high rates of speed" can be safely shared IF they are properly designed. Several times a year I travel on roads with speeds into the 50's.

The road that I travel on a daily basis the speed in about a 2 1/2 mile stretch goes from 30/35MPH to 40/45MPH. Yes, occasionally I have to deal with ignorant drivers who do not know what the laws are. Or that I have every legal right to be on the road, but because I travel the same route 6 days out of 7 at about the same time I think that most people are by now used to seeing me on the road. Not only on the road but riding in the right tire track of the right lane.

Also most states have it written into their statutes pertaining to bicycles that if a road/lane is of a substandard width (defined as being any lane in which a bicycle and another vehicle traveling in the same direction cannot safely pass each other. That the bicycle is allowed to take the lane for his/her safety.

Which means that here in Florida in most residential areas where most two lane residential roads are just barely 20' wide that we are legally allowed to take and control the lane on said roads. And according to a video posted in another thread at the http://www.commuteorlando.com/ web site that on such roads we cyclists are not required to ride single file and that we can ride two abreast legally.

i ride like everyone else they build bike ways for these reassons. its not safe to ride on the roads as everyone knows. as a driver i dont think bikers would be happy if i drove my car on there paths. so bikes shouldnt be on roads. where he had gotten killed is the worst place to right around a corner..Stupid, anti-cyclist TROLLS. Take it to your car forum.:troll:

Two things come to mind. First of all the family needs to file a wrongful death suit. Ive seen too many times the police and especially the courts do very little to support a cyclist.

Second, here is another case where the supporters of pot are completely wrong. They would have you believe there is no harm in pot smoking at all!!!!!

layed back, this is a long dead thread that was revived by a troll for the sake of trolling.

i ride like everyone else they build bike ways for these reassons. its not safe to ride on the roads as everyone knows. as a driver i dont think bikers would be happy if i drove my car on there paths. so bikes shouldnt be on roads. where he had gotten killed is the worst place to right around a corner..

Before you can use the roads, you are usually expected to KNOW THE RULES. The appalling lack of enforcement isn't an indicator, but the rules are there for a reason.

LEARN THEM.

Then come talk to us.

At least he confessed.
Seriously.

He should still do some heavy time, but acknowledging his guilt is a big step in the right direction.

Here's hoping he cleans up his act.

134815
:)

sorry to get everyone upset. i didnt mean it to be wrong i was just saying my opinion. i am not a troll? you cant say someones opinion is wrong. no one knows what really happened. the only person is mr.mancusi.