Hit by a truck today!

[machiasmort]

Today in Buffalo a Mother and kid were crossing the street. A speeding car came by at over 70mph (eye witness). The mother was thrown as her kid was torn from her hand. The kid looked on and screammed Mommy. Eyewitness accounts said the Mother flipped the kid out of the way at the last second as the kid only suffered a broken arm. She was pronounced dead on the spot.

When will people learn??? Very sad....

 

[Large Filipino]

I'm literally fuming after reading this.

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20081205/UPDATES01/81205028

Charges filed against driver who killed 9-year-old girl
Michelle Smith charged with misdemeanor in death of Erica Forney
BY NATE TAYLOR- NATETAYLOR@COLORADOAN.COM- DECEMBER 5, 2008
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Michelle Smith, the driver of an SUV that collided with a 9-year-old cyclist in south Fort Collins last month, has been charged with a misdemeanor traffic offense that carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and/or a $1,000 fine.



Police issued a summons today to Smith, 36, for careless driving resulting in the death of another, a Class 1 misdemeanor Fort Collins police announced this afternoon. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance Jan. 7.

Nine-year-old Erica Forney died from her injuries on Thanksgiving, two days after the Nov. 25 collision.

Fort Collins police met with the Larimer County District Attorney prosecutors on Thursday afternoon to discuss the possible charges.

Police believe Smith was talking on her cell phone prior to the collision and was not paying attention to the road when she collided with Forney, who was riding her bike home from nearby Coyote Ridge Elementary School.

Smith's 2003 Ford Expedition drifted into the bicycle lane near Avondale Road and Ramah Drive, colliding with Forney, who was traveling against the flow of traffic.

Can someone please tell me why this is not Vehicular Manslaughter?

This just shows that when you are on your bike on the street you are DIRT to everyone else.

 

[srdavo]

I wonder.....ya think Ms. Smith might know somebody.....?

 

[KilroyCD]

It's sad to think that the courts consider taking another person's life by distracting and/or irresponsible actions while driving are only worth a year in jail and /or a $1K fine. Sheez...

 

[machiasmort]

They made me wait 1 1/2 yrs. for my pistol permit up here in NY. When it comes to driving a car, anybody and their brother, ain't even gotta speak or read English.

Some peolpe ask whats wrong with this Country.

By the way that girl I mentioned in my previous post. She turnned out to be a distant relative of mine. Didn't know it till a day or two ago. People have no respect for life.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Well, it would seem that our laws do not take negligently killing someone as seriously as we do. That'll vary from location to location, of course. But it looks like, on average, talking on a cell phone and drifting into a nine year old girl is not considered a very serious crime.

I'd say that it's time to start lobbying our state legislators for tougher laws. I suppose I'll write to mine shortly. Also, it would seem likely that there must be bicycle lobbys out there. I wonder how we can find them and join up? Maybe I'll try a yahoo search under "pedestrian laws" or something like that. It might lead somewhere. If it does, I'll report back.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

I searched yahoo under "pedestrian advocacy" and found a number of interesting sites. One in Missouri had a link to report motorists who hassle bikes or peds. With a license number, they'll send the jerk a letter that says, in effect, "you're being watched" and they'll keep an eye out for repeat complaints.

Also found the "bicycles belong" coalition. Only looked for a minute or so then came back here to report. Now I'm gonna go back and study it a bit.

If all of us got involved with groups like this, then we might help to get something done.

 

[BeachBum]

You're all missing an important point. The driver was *FEMALE*

This means she gets a lesser charge. Male teacher sleeps with minor female student, multiple years in jail. Just read about a 31 year old female sleeping with a 13 year old male student. She got 30 days.

THAT is what's wrong in the USA. Women want equality? Give it to them, right down to jail time and criminal penalties.

 

[Large Filipino]

There might be some truth to that even though I won't be the first to admit that for that's a dangerous place but yea. Things that were probably considered were things like first offense and previous okay driving record I would assume and how much she cried and she stopped to help.
Then when a pro football player shoots HIMSELF in the leg he gets a 3 year sentence and his career destroyed because his gun was not registered.
It's all wrong.
Now Fort Collins are THINKING of having cell phone laws.
It should be a no brainer.

 

[srdavo]

Then when a pro football player shoots HIMSELF in the leg he gets a 3 year sentence and his career destroyed because his gun was not registered.
It's all wrong.

huh?