Mother of Dead Maryland Cyclist Campaigns for Stricter Vehicular Manslaughter Laws
11-29-10, 03:34 PM
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Mother of Dead Maryland Cyclist Campaigns for Stricter Vehicular Manslaughter Laws
When Natasha Pettigrew, a Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate, was killed while riding her bicycle two months ago, her mother, Kenniss Henry, filled in, campaigning throughout Maryland.
Her new focus is advocating in Annapolis and on Capitol Hill for bicycle safety laws and tougher penalties for drivers who strike and kill bicyclists.
Pettigrew, 30, was bicycling about 5:30 a.m. Sept. 19 near Campus Way and Route 202 when she was struck by a sport-utility vehicle driven by Christy Littleford, 41, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland State Police said. Littleford said she thought she had hit a deer and found Pettigrew's bicycle beneath her vehicle when she arrived home, police said.
Pettigrew, who had been training for a half-triathlon, died Sept. 20 from injuries she received in the accident. No charges have been filed against Littleford; police said the investigation is ongoing. Littleford could not be reached for comment.
Her new focus is advocating in Annapolis and on Capitol Hill for bicycle safety laws and tougher penalties for drivers who strike and kill bicyclists.
Pettigrew, 30, was bicycling about 5:30 a.m. Sept. 19 near Campus Way and Route 202 when she was struck by a sport-utility vehicle driven by Christy Littleford, 41, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland State Police said. Littleford said she thought she had hit a deer and found Pettigrew's bicycle beneath her vehicle when she arrived home, police said.
Pettigrew, who had been training for a half-triathlon, died Sept. 20 from injuries she received in the accident. No charges have been filed against Littleford; police said the investigation is ongoing. Littleford could not be reached for comment.
And a similar story from Minnesota:
https://www.twincities.com/ci_1666304...nclick_check=1
11-29-10, 03:39 PM
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The beginnings of a "MADD" like movement???
11-29-10, 05:41 PM
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11-29-10, 06:22 PM
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Too bad MADD doesn't seem to be involved in prevention. They seem to be focused mainly on helping victims.
11-29-10, 06:45 PM
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No charges have been filed against Littleford; police said the investigation is ongoing. Littleford could not be reached for comment.
I rather see an effort placed on public awareness and a bicycling visibility campaign.
MADD by the way pays it's leadership huge salaries.... https://www.getmadd.com/MADDsalaries.htm and this was back in 2004
11-30-10, 07:12 AM
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Forget changing the wording of the law; require everyone behind the wheel to STOP whenever they hit anything bigger than a squirrel. (Not dissin' squirrels, but stopping for a bumblebee on the windshield would be a bit extreme... there have to be reasonable limits.)
NOBODY I know would hit a deer and just keep going. I hit one in Germany in the 80's, and I stopped (for the record, deer in Germany are about the size of a Rottweiler); there was significant damage to the front sheetmetal. So I'm not buyin' the plausibility of that excuse.
Someone else, the other day, put up a post on another thread, comparing the judicial attitudes between here & Europe; something to the effect of, "in the USA, you say, 'I didn't see the cyclist!' The judge says, 'Ok, not guilty.' In Europe, you say, 'I didn't see the cyclist!' The judge says, 'You SHOULD HAVE! Guilty!' " We need more of that, and less of the excuses mattering.
My sergeants all used to say, "What's the maximum effective range of an excuse? ZERO!"
NOBODY I know would hit a deer and just keep going. I hit one in Germany in the 80's, and I stopped (for the record, deer in Germany are about the size of a Rottweiler); there was significant damage to the front sheetmetal. So I'm not buyin' the plausibility of that excuse.
Someone else, the other day, put up a post on another thread, comparing the judicial attitudes between here & Europe; something to the effect of, "in the USA, you say, 'I didn't see the cyclist!' The judge says, 'Ok, not guilty.' In Europe, you say, 'I didn't see the cyclist!' The judge says, 'You SHOULD HAVE! Guilty!' " We need more of that, and less of the excuses mattering.
My sergeants all used to say, "What's the maximum effective range of an excuse? ZERO!"
11-30-10, 07:18 AM
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11-30-10, 08:21 AM
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Yeah, I thought that was a little weird, too. MADD is mainly concerned with making lots of money (seriously, they make a ton from their court-ordered "victim impact panels"), and secondarily with demonizing alcohol in general rather than the criminal actions of drunk drivers more narrowly. They've moved on from their original mission to general lobbying to further restrict alcohol use, especially for young people. Meanwhile, we still have drunk drivers keeping their licenses after getting caught many times, or not being prosecuted. I'd support MADD a lot more if they would stop trying to blame the alcohol companies and start pushing for more effective enforcement and prosecution of all traffic safety laws. The biggest problem we have is basically the failure of police and courts to actually punish people for irresponsibly killing others on the road, not inadequate laws or the "demon rum".
11-30-10, 03:19 PM
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Yeah right "I thought it was a deer on a bicycle, wearing pink shorts" - what a crock!
11-30-10, 10:48 PM
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I just watched a commercial from an insurance company that said 25% of all wrecks involve distracted driving. Maybe it is time to add an attention span component to the test for a license to drive.
11-30-10, 11:55 PM
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The Cycling Community doesn't need MADD to do it. Do it yourself. Marylanders, give Kenniss Henry a call and offer to help change the law.
The local cycling community needs to take a page from the MADD playbook and hound the police, prosecutor, and courts with all the publicity they can generate. The "authorities” are public figures some of whom are elected. They FEAR bad publicity and notoriety. They can be identified and they can run but they can't hide.
The media WILL cover any demonstration with 30 or more participants. Use the internet, picket the police department and the prosecutor's office space. Pack the courtroom.
Talk to the press, the radio people, and the TV folks. Use political ACTION and EMOTION (show the family, distribute photos, humanize the deceased cyclist). It works.
If MADD could do it, cyclists can.
This should be done in every location, every time a cyclist is killed. Stop whinning on the internet and put a stop to leniency for these KILLERS. Call them what they are -- KILLER, not murderers but ordinary, garden variety careless, negligent, reckless KILLERS. And demand appropriate punishment for their HOMICIDE. This was not an "accident."
The local cycling community needs to take a page from the MADD playbook and hound the police, prosecutor, and courts with all the publicity they can generate. The "authorities” are public figures some of whom are elected. They FEAR bad publicity and notoriety. They can be identified and they can run but they can't hide.
The media WILL cover any demonstration with 30 or more participants. Use the internet, picket the police department and the prosecutor's office space. Pack the courtroom.
Talk to the press, the radio people, and the TV folks. Use political ACTION and EMOTION (show the family, distribute photos, humanize the deceased cyclist). It works.
If MADD could do it, cyclists can.
This should be done in every location, every time a cyclist is killed. Stop whinning on the internet and put a stop to leniency for these KILLERS. Call them what they are -- KILLER, not murderers but ordinary, garden variety careless, negligent, reckless KILLERS. And demand appropriate punishment for their HOMICIDE. This was not an "accident."
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