Re-posted from Thom @ Bike San Diego
One year ago, Arthur Newman drove his BMW into (and killed) Walter Joller, who was riding in a bike lane with lights and reflective vest on Sabre Springs Parkway. Newman was apparently not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, just inattentive to the blinking, reflective presence to his right. For this act of gross negligence, Newman today received just three years probation, 100 hours of volunteer work, 20 days of public service, and a fine of $700. That’s the cost of a law-abiding human life, apparently, in San Diego
San Diego News Network originally reported this incident here.
Bic Control analysis:
This incident is horrific and the legal ruling is a huge step backwards. The judge handling this case has normalized negligent and lethal driving. This ruling reaffirms the popular misconception that cyclists are nothing more than “guests” on “motorists’ roads.” Furthermore, this ruling makes evident that in America, we as cyclists need a firm, well-educated, pro-active legal team out defending cyclists in the court of law to make sure that we are not treated as second-class citizens and sub-humans in this auto-centric establishment.
No comments:
Post a Comment