For my friends on the Fifty Plus forum the aftermath of the killing in Kalamazoo.
 

I thought I would share these thoughts after the horrible tragedy in Kalamazoo, Mi.

Marc

What a senseless tragedy that was. :( I get a sense that as cars get more advanced, they'll come up with a way to lock out drunk drivers, before they do any harm. At least I sure hope so.

Was going to call you, but some how knew you were going to be busy. Sorry for your community.

I certainly appreciate your concern.

Marc

Breath-controlled ignition interlocks do exsit, and MADD, an organization I have long supported, is trying to make these mandatory for those with a DUI history. It won't prevent someone from borrowing another car, but it's a start. Self-driving cars may be the ultimate solution.

There was a recent thought-provoking article in the San Diego Union-Tribune, which included the observation that most drunk driving killers were otherwise law-abiding citizens.
Column: Few 'monsters' in DUI fatality cases | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com

Be that as it may, I still favor harsh penalties and zero tolerance for drunk drivers.

Perhaps Thailand has a good idea: Thai drunken drivers get gory lesson at the morgue | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com

Resulting from the unusual nature of the case, the NTSB is analyzing this event to determine what, if any, safety measures could have protected the cyclists. The driver has been described as "impaired," but the substance he was using has not been disclosed. After the preliminary meeting with the Judge, charges have been changed from 2nd degree murder to driving impaired resulting in death.

Marc

I would expect in the near future that road cyclists will have newly instituted laws, regulations, mandated educational courses and training seminars to attend.

Yup. Society won't blame the perpetrator, so it will go after the victims.

That's what almost always happens in DUI/impaired cases. As a society, we lack the political will to hold motorists accountable for their decisions and their actions.

That's not my understanding. According to this article, he is still charged with five counts of second degree murder. The other charges are in addition to those.

Fatal Kalamazoo bike crash suspect accused of drugged driving | MLive.com

Suspect in fatal bike crash charged with OWI | WOODTV.com

"During a news conference, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said lab results show Pickett was driving under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the crash.

The operating while intoxicated charges don’t mean Pickett was drunk, but rather he was under the influence of drugs. The prosecutor would not talk about what drugs were found in his system — whether they were legal or illegal drugs, or how much he had in his system.

“Specifically, we have alleged that he operated while under the influence of a controlled substance, that’s something different than alcohol,” Getting said. “I can’t tell you exactly what the substances are.”
The new charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

He was previously arraigned on five counts of second-degree murder and four counts of reckless driving causing serious impairment. The reckless driving charges have been amended to four counts of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury. A judge denied bond citing the possibility that he could be a flight risk and a danger to the community.

A judge has ordered Pickett to undergo a competency exam at the request of his attorney. His preliminary hearing has been postponed as as result.

The test does not determine if Pickett was legally responsible at the time of the crash and it does not affect whether he would pursue an insanity defense."

There's more in that article.

Cheers

You are correct. I misunderstood. His reckless driving charges were upgraded to OWI, he still faces the the five M2 charges.

Marc

Pickett's Facebook page indicated some seriously anti-social attitudes toward just about everyone. He made the social media equivalent to ticking time bomb noises. I don't know whether psychiatric evaluations can determine he's incompetent to stand trial, but he sure seems incompetent to be a constructive member of civilization.

Thank you for posting this. That was a touching blog post that finally stopped me from grinding my teeth every time I think about these murders (which was pretty darned often).

Leaving the sad stuff behind, I absolutely love the introductory words on your blog. You've made my day.

I hope that he is able to turn his life around. Everyone is redeemable and everyone is worth redeeming.

Not saying that he doesn't have to be held accountable for his actions. Sometimes people have to reach bottom before they can get up, that's all, and I hope he turns around his life someday.


-Tim-

You have an uncommonly generous spirit. I hope you're right.

Well at least they courts are calling this what it is murder, not an accident. If he get the max for each count 25 years each, he will have plenty of time to get his act together. If he has any remorse he should plead guilty and not put the families through the stress of a trial.

I believe in redemption, and that no one is beyond it. In less egregious cases, I'd be apt to sentence the perpetrator to many many hours of public service, telling others what they had done, the damage that it caused, and how they came to repent. That would likely save lives instead of ruining even more.

I kinda doubt it would work in this case, tho.

Unfortunately there are those who can not be redeemed. They are either too self centered and figure they can do no wrong or thy're just plain evil.

Cheers

True. There is no redemption without repentance. I think that's beyond the Kalamazoo murderer's ability, but I've been surprised before.

If anybody here is interested in doing something to help the affected families:

Kalamazoo Strong inspired KBC jerseys are now available to order from Voler! It's the club's most recent jersey design with a red bicycle chain heart where Kalamazoo is located on the Michigan map. Cost is $70 plus shipping (or order with a bike buddy and save shipping costs, orders over $75 ship for free).
20% of the cost of each jersey will be donated to Kalamazoo Stron
g to benefit families of the June 7, 2016 cycling tragedy.
Jerseys are custom made and ship about 7 days after your order is placed and payment is verified.
Here's a link to the online store where you can order the jersey:
http://www.voler.com/…/collecti…/det...lamazooStrong/
Inline image 3Inline image 2

Marc

More information about the crash has hit the news this morning.

Marc

A statement by the defendant's lawyer has been released.

Marc

After seeing Pickett's endless stream of anti-social, hostile Facebook posts, it's difficult to imagine him ever fitting into society. Those posts probably won't be admissible in court, but it probably indicates a lifetime pattern of similarly anti-social behavior.

And I've seen among family and friends who struggle with addiction how difficult it is to overcome. Out of a dozen or so folks I know personally who struggle with addiction I can think of only one who successfully kicked it without a single relapse for more than 30 years. The rest all slipped back into drinking or drugging over and over, despite repeated jailings, mandatory counseling, etc. Yet none of them was anti-social, hostile or aggressive toward others. They were just a pain in the neck.

Add Pickett's overall hostility (including his body language in court photos that indicates indifference and absence of remorse) and it's difficult to imagine him ever being trustworthy outside of prison.