Originally Posted by
adablduya
so, i can be parallel parked, decide to whip into the lane of traffic without first looking, and while NOT INTENDING to hit another car, i plow into someone anyway. since i didn't intend to do it, then you would call that an accident ? oh well, sh_t happens, i made a mistake, no problem. no accountability for me.
now, let's enter the real world. it is reasonable to foresee that if i whip into traffic without looking first, i may well hit another car already in the lane. Since that outcome is reasonably foreseeable, then i can modify my behavior (look first to see if the lane is clear), and thus, prevent the result of hitting another car.
or, if i stick my hand into a pile of wood where rattlesnakes are quite likely to be present, it's no accident if i get bitten. foreseeable ? yes. preventable ? yes.
the key here is the concept of "reasonably foreseeable". with any measure at all of analytical, proactive awareness, one can predict a possible undesirable outcome, and behave accordingly in order to prevent it.
in my opinion, the term"accident", even as applied in a dictionary reference, is a (convenient) generalization to describe the undesirable outcome of an incident, whether preventable or not.
Do I need to define the word "unintentional" for you as well?
Did the cop INTEND to hit the biker? No. Therefore it was unintentional. It literally fits the definition of accident to a T. An unfortunate unintentional incident which caused damage or harm.
Let's make a list of other things that are accidents which are completely avoidable.
Car crashes (Don't drive.)
Slips and falls. (Never stand up.)
Crashing on your bike. (Don't bike.)
Having an allergic reaction to a new medicine. (Don't get sick enough to need medicine.)
Death due to extreme sports (skydiving, base jumping) (Don't do those things.)
A child swallowing something they weren't supposed to. (Don't have children.)
I mean, if you NEVER left your house or bed you could avoid ALL of those nasty things we like to call "accidents," they're all perfectly avoidable. Fortunately, most people live their lives with an acceptable amount of risk. Life would be extremely boring otherwise.
The driver made a MISTAKE and caused an ACCIDENT. It was a stupid mistake, yes, but a mistake nonetheless. The cop is accountable for his mistake, obviously. There's nothing else to this story. No conspiracy theory, no crazy tin foil hats. People are unpredictable. Mistakes are made, accidents happen. End of story.