Not Ferguson, But Still Important

[dc.]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/north-baltimore/bs-md-ci-roland-park-fatal-bicycle-accident-20141227-story.html

 

Cyclist fatalities - too common, no penalties.

 

The woman has now been identified as the #2 in command in the Maryland Episcopal Church. She returned to the scene after 20 minutes. No arrest yet.

 

First, she should have been arrested for leaving the scene. Maybe stopping with assistance and a 911 call would have saved the poor guy's life.

 

Second, even if she did stay at the scene, I'm unsure why she shouldn't at least be arrested and processed - just in case. People are never held accountable for their actions. As the article below says, with most drivers, if you weren't drunk, simply saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean it" is good enough to avoid any charge. How is that possible? I might not get arrested, but if I cause an accident in a major highway that results in fatalities, you can be sure the police (and insurance) will investigate and assign blame to me as needed. And charges could certainly follow if I was in serious error. But with bikes, we just shrug.

 

I don't bike on roads much anymore mainly because I'm scared of this - not that I did frequently in the past. But I have many friends who are active in commuting circles or just bike for fun. At the least, people need to face fines, license suspensions, etc. Yes, it was an accident. But that's not a good enough excuse all the time.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/opinion/sunday/is-it-ok-to-kill-cyclists.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[dc.]

As an add-on - reports that she "returned to the scene" are being somewhat disputed. Some local papers are reporting that she was tracked down by other cyclists in the area who identified the broken windshield on the car and then got her to return to the scene. Not yet confirmed.

[Spen]

I think bikes are invisible to most drivers. I am uncomfortable riding on roads with traffic.

 

Absolutely she should be charged with leaving the scene.

[GrubberRaven]

He was a friend of a friend and according to her, a really great guy. Should you want to contribute...

 

http://www.youcaring.com/tuition-fundraiser/children-of-tom-palermo/283939#.VKPwBeuSdhp.facebook

[papasmurfbell]

I think bikes are invisible to most drivers. I am uncomfortable riding on roads with traffic.

 

Absolutely she should be charged with leaving the scene.

Add in motorcycles and pedestrians.

[dc.]

Charges filed today. She had a .22 bac, admitted to texting while driving, and was gone from the scene for nearly an hour...

 

Manslaughter, DUI, texting while driving, fleeing the scene.

[papasmurfbell]

It is good to see. She is done.