Bicyclist Fatally Collides With Pedestrian, Charged With Manslaughter

=v= Tragic situation in Corvallis, Oregon:

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles...nity/mon02.txt

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...a092158D49.DTL

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles...y/tueloc02.txt

A bicyclist ran into an elderly pedestrian, killing her, and has
been charged with criminally-negligent manslaughter. This is,
of course, an exceedingly rare situation, which makes it of the
"man bites dog" variety of news. The second link above is an AP
newswire story, which has spread all over the continent. I have
no doubt that we'll be hearing about this anomaly for years.

=v= If events are indeed as reported, criminal negligence is not
inappropriate, but I must take strong exception to this claim by
Corvallis Police Captain Ron Noble, spread everywhere by the AP
newswire story: "A car and a bicycle are both vehicles and if
they are operated in a way that could be criminal, then charges
are filed equally in both situations."

=v= Can Captain Noble provide proof to back up this claim? Even
in his own precinct? If so, let's see it. If not, the AP has a
responsibility to send out a retraction.

=v= There are approximately 120 people killed by cars each day
in the U.S. A Google News search for the day of this incident
turns up no national AP newswire story, or any news at all,
indicating that a single one of them were charged with criminal
negligence or manslaughter. Ditto for the approximately 120
people killed by cars the day before, the day before that, etc.
etc. etc. None yet today, either.

=v= The truth of the matter is that motorists kill pedestrians,
bicyclists, and others in much higher numbers and generally
don't get charged for it at all. Yet this is so staggeringly
common that it's not "news."
_Jym_

"There are approximately 120 people killed by cars each day
in the U.S. A Google News search for the day of this incident
turns up no national AP newswire story, or any news at all,
indicating that a single one of them were charged with criminal
negligence or manslaughter."

Of course none of the people killed by cars were charged. They are
dead.

In the event you miswrote, :) -- a very quick search turned up the
following story in a nearby jurisdiction....

http://katu.com/stories/77451.html

"Ken [NY]" wrote:

Do you have any proof to say that the Captain said something
wrong? Cars and bicycles are certainly both vehicles.


I thinks JYM was disputing this claim:
"if they are operated in a way that could be criminal, then charges
are filed equally in both situations."

There is always the presumption around here that motorists are never
criminally prosecuted for traffic violations or crashes unless drunk.

I do find it both interesting and very telling how bicyclists want all the
rights and privileges of cars, but none of the responsibility. And before
anyone gets all upset, with the "I never... " etc. We have all seen it,
weaving through traffic, blowing off stop signs and lights, etc. Please
don't claim your different.


"Jym Dyer" wrote in message
oups.com...
=v= Tragic situation in Corvallis, Oregon:

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles...nity/mon02.txt

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...a092158D49.DTL

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles...y/tueloc02.txt

A bicyclist ran into an elderly pedestrian, killing her, and has
been charged with criminally-negligent manslaughter. This is,
of course, an exceedingly rare situation, which makes it of the
"man bites dog" variety of news. The second link above is an AP
newswire story, which has spread all over the continent. I have
no doubt that we'll be hearing about this anomaly for years.

=v= If events are indeed as reported, criminal negligence is not
inappropriate, but I must take strong exception to this claim by
Corvallis Police Captain Ron Noble, spread everywhere by the AP
newswire story: "A car and a bicycle are both vehicles and if
they are operated in a way that could be criminal, then charges
are filed equally in both situations."

=v= Can Captain Noble provide proof to back up this claim? Even
in his own precinct? If so, let's see it. If not, the AP has a
responsibility to send out a retraction.

=v= There are approximately 120 people killed by cars each day
in the U.S. A Google News search for the day of this incident
turns up no national AP newswire story, or any news at all,
indicating that a single one of them were charged with criminal
negligence or manslaughter. Ditto for the approximately 120
people killed by cars the day before, the day before that, etc.
etc. etc. None yet today, either.

=v= The truth of the matter is that motorists kill pedestrians,
bicyclists, and others in much higher numbers and generally
don't get charged for it at all. Yet this is so staggeringly
common that it's not "news."
_Jym_

"greg" writes:

I do find it both interesting and very telling how bicyclists want all the
rights and privileges of cars, but none of the responsibility. And before
anyone gets all upset, with the "I never... " etc. We have all seen it,
weaving through traffic, blowing off stop signs and lights, etc. Please
don't claim your different.

In spite of being compulsive about obeying traffic laws, I once had
a driver make three attempts to run me off the road, getting in
front of me and slamming on his brakes. I reported it to the police
and he admitted. The #(*$#$& in the DA's office refused to
prosecute, claiming that the driver's statement that he couldn't
outrun me (on a straight, perfectly flat road) was "plausible".

The same #(*$#$& decided to let another driver off the hook for
unsafely passing a bicyclist and killing the guy. The driver was
ultimately convicted after lots of political pressure forced the DA to
do something.

People are simply asking for equal justice.


"Jym Dyer" wrote in message
oups.com...
=v= Tragic situation in Corvallis, Oregon:

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles...nity/mon02.txt

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...a092158D49.DTL

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles...y/tueloc02.txt

A bicyclist ran into an elderly pedestrian, killing her, and has
been charged with criminally-negligent manslaughter. This is,
of course, an exceedingly rare situation, which makes it of the
"man bites dog" variety of news. The second link above is an AP
newswire story, which has spread all over the continent. I have
no doubt that we'll be hearing about this anomaly for years.

=v= If events are indeed as reported, criminal negligence is not
inappropriate, but I must take strong exception to this claim by
Corvallis Police Captain Ron Noble, spread everywhere by the AP
newswire story: "A car and a bicycle are both vehicles and if
they are operated in a way that could be criminal, then charges
are filed equally in both situations."

=v= Can Captain Noble provide proof to back up this claim? Even
in his own precinct? If so, let's see it. If not, the AP has a
responsibility to send out a retraction.

=v= There are approximately 120 people killed by cars each day
in the U.S. A Google News search for the day of this incident
turns up no national AP newswire story, or any news at all,
indicating that a single one of them were charged with criminal
negligence or manslaughter. Ditto for the approximately 120
people killed by cars the day before, the day before that, etc.
etc. etc. None yet today, either.

=v= The truth of the matter is that motorists kill pedestrians,
bicyclists, and others in much higher numbers and generally
don't get charged for it at all. Yet this is so staggeringly
common that it's not "news."
_Jym_


Jym is right.

--
My real name backwards: nemuaZ lliB

greg wrote:

I do find it both interesting and very telling how bicyclists want all the
rights and privileges of cars, but none of the responsibility. And before
anyone gets all upset, with the "I never... " etc. We have all seen it,
weaving through traffic, blowing off stop signs and lights, etc. Please
don't claim your different.


I find it interesting how everybody named Greg beats his wife.
Please don't claim you're different.

"Ken [NY]" wrote:
Oh, one more thing - in and around Massachusetts, US Senators
who drown interns in their cars get their license suspended. :-)

Are you sure? I don't remember any prosecution for Mary Jo's homicide.
It seems there really wasn't much they could do to somebody for driving
into a pond, swimming to shore, and walking home with the laws that were
on the books in MA at the time. DWI wasn't an option, because he was plenty
sober by the time they found his car and eventually found him. BTW, she wasn't
the first woman to be maimed or killed for riding in a vehicle piloted by a
Kennedy man, and she wasn't the last either.

Actually I beat my bitch boyfriend, Are you ok after last nights beating
Mitch? Hope I did not leave any marks.


"Mitch Haley" wrote in message
...
greg wrote:

I do find it both interesting and very telling how bicyclists want all
the
rights and privileges of cars, but none of the responsibility. And before
anyone gets all upset, with the "I never... " etc. We have all seen it,
weaving through traffic, blowing off stop signs and lights, etc. Please
don't claim your different.


I find it interesting how everybody named Greg beats his wife.
Please don't claim you're different.

... but none of the responsibility.

=v= I wrote, "If events are indeed as reported,
criminal negligence is not inappropriate." This
asserts responsibility. Work harder on your
reading comprehension.
_Jym_

Ken [NY] the Ex-Kop writes:

I and fellow officers made numerous
arrests of motorists for both V&T
crimes during my years on the job ...

=v= You're clearly not paying attention.
Neither of the two crimes you list (there
are in fact more crimes in the V&T that
you somehow missed) are the charge
under discussion, nor is that charge part
of Oregon' s equivalent to the V&T.
_Jym_