Posted on 04/14/2007 7:30:05 AM PDT by devane617
WAYCROSS, Ga. A cyclist has been charged with second-degree vehicular homicide after a woman was killed in a collision with a tractor-trailer when she swerved to avoid the bicycle.
Waycross police Chief Tony Tanner says 18-year-old Ronald Dale of Waycross also was charged with failure to obey a stop sign in the Wednesday evening accident that killed Sarah Elaine Cribb Poss.
If convicted, Dale could face up to a year in jail.
Dale is accused of running a stop sign and pedaling his bicycle in front of the 33-year-old woman's 2001 Ford Taurus.
Tanner says when the woman swerved, she lost control of her car, which slid into a tractor-trailer.
Neither Dale nor the truck driver was injured.
In Georgia, second-degree vehicular homicide is a misdemeanor that occurs when a death results from various traffic offenses, including running a stop sign, the law states.
good.
i see bicyclists all the time run red lights and swerve through traffic.
you know what is an accident waiting to happen? California’s Pedestrian law on pedestrian crossings. traffic has to stop and give way as soon as a pedestrian puts a foot inside the crossing lane. I have seen pedestrians just step out into those lanes without regard for safety, not looking sideways as if the world is supposed to stop
I hate arrogant packs of spandex wearing cyclists who think that they own the road. I agree that I’ll share the road, but these packs ride 4 abreast and block the entire lane of a two lane road. Then they give YOU the dirty look when you pass them.
...me too. This time though, it cost an innocent life.
Around here the road cyclists do several races every year. On State highway 283, a curvy, hilly road, I frequently see them riding 4-5 abreast, daring anyone and everyone to hit them. Quite often they do not move over when you come up on them and as such motorists are forced to stay behind them at their snail's pace until you get to a part of the road where you can pass. I'm amazed that that there aren't more fatalities, too.
I have no problem with them being on the road, but they should pick their roads more carefully. It seems to me that lightly used county roads would be preferable to a high traffic state highway.....
cyclists should obey the rules of the road....there are gorups of enviro-cyclists that thumb their noses at tyhese rules.....and there are irresponsible cyclists that ignore the laws. There is a price to be paid...and the police should start enforcing the laws.
The freaking yuppies on their thousand dollar bicycles think they own the road and ignore all traffic laws.
I bet these jerks cause thousands of accidents each year and they go merrily peddling away after the crash.
A year’s punishment is hardly enough, however. Sounds more like “depraved indifference” (a term I hear on Law and Order all the time).
Anyway, the cyclist deserves some serious time for the causing this woman’s death.
Life is tough, the choices one makes determines their survival. Hit the road with 2000-90000 lb. vehicles on it and you take your chances.
For all you whiney cyclists out there, no....I'd not hit a child to avoid the alternative. Even I have limits.
I’m mainly a mountain biker, but I also own a road bike. I am extremely careful on the road. There are certain people, especially bike messengers in NYC, that break all kinds of traffic rules.
Check out Youtube, search “NYC bike ride” and these idiots were running through the city during rush hour without stopping for red lights!
I prefer the woods — trees & rocks don’t put makeup on or talk on their cell phones. If you crash, its your own damn fault.
As a (former) cyclist (who stops for stop signs -- guess I'm stronger than the rest), I am sick and tired of this behavior.
Throw the book at him, then throw away the key.
Illegal, at least in Tennessee
Slow traffic, impeding normal flow
must make a reasonable attempt to
yield way
There may be an exception for local farm traffic
wow...You said exactly what I had been thinking for so long!!
There is a woman here in Atlanta who deliberately steps out in front of traffic. She is a self proclaimed “safety activist.” The idiot has been on the news. I hope and pray that whoever kills her sooner or later is not charged with anything.
Yeah, they are ALL like that...just run ‘em down with your 2 ton metal machine. That’ll show those arrogant bastards!
The bike messengers in NYC are scary. Years ago my mom saw one cause an accident in which a pedestrian was killed.
The pedestrian was only about 3 feet behind her. A bike messenger caused a taxi to swerve, and the taxi hit and killed the guy immediately. My mom wasn’t the same for weeks. Watching someone get smashed just a foot or two away from you is horrible.
I know. Here it’s like the new law puts a shield around them when crossing. you still have to be safety-minded at all times and not expect a government law to take care of it.
Did I say run them down? No. I said they take up more road than they are legally allowed, then act as if I’m the one intruding on their personal bike path.
You want to ride on the road? Watch your line!
Here in my area of north Dallas, bicyclist has no regard for the rules of the road, traffic signs, etc. I am amazed that more are not killed.
We have a lot of competitive cyclists that use our country roads to train on because of the hills. They have always been courteous and ride as far to the side as they can. Even on the highways they ride on the shoulder if possible and always single file.
I ride a mountain bike and occasionally ride the country roads around my house. I’ve never had big problems with vehicles trying to run me over but dogs are another matter. You take your life in your hands riding past farms, etc. in the country. Most don’t bite but they like to chase. They occasionally follow me home. I arrived home with a whole pack one day. LOL I suppose they all figured out where they lived because they left when I came inside. :-) I think the scariest incident I had was the time I was attacked by a gaggle of geese. Now those critters can be mean!
I get that too. One time I got into an argument with one demanding, “Share the road!”
I yelled back, “Share the cost, then!”
He complained that bicycles don’t do the damage to roads that cars do. I shot back with the fact that when there’s three semis, twelve cars and a motorcycle doing five miles an hour over a two-lane road because a bicyclist is in the lane and they can’t pass, the road is being damaged more. And if one is outside the building at my job, you see this all the time.
I only argue with the arrogant jackasses, though. They’re the funniest when they get mad.
Riding bikes in tight spandex makes you sterile...and looks gay. Remember, if the sport if popular in France, you don’t want to do it.. Think about it, Soccer, Cycling, Surrender— all very bad sports to play...
Given the location down near the Okeefenokee Swamp I believe this is a DUI type of incident not the spandex crowd. Once you loose your license, the “liquor sickle” (sp for phonetics) is the only option. Waycross is not a hotbed of wealth or enviro types.
I see this in Ga. as well. Cyclists here OFTEN ride in the middle of the lane and don’t even try to get over.
We also have a problem, particularly in smaller towns, with pedestrians walking in the middle of the road and making NO EFFORT to get out of the way when they see a vehicle approaching.
Sure, run ‘em down...you own the road and they ALL ride in YOUR way.
Dogs are a big problem on motorcycles also
Additionally, I once hit a deer, at ~50mph
jumped out of nowhere and I broadsided it
Broke my forearm, thumb, and had “various” road-rash.
Beat the heck out of my, now very used, helmet...
I once got a ticket in CA for a “CA stop” on my bike, I had even put my foot down but not a complete stop.
Interestingly, he had testicular cancer, and so did Lance Armstrong. Coincidence? Probably.
Speaking of Lance, anytime an American can stick it to the French at their own sport, I'm all for it!
Are you one of those guys that rides 4-5 abreast in a road club?
Why are bike messengers even USED?
Is it quicker to use a bike messenger than a motorized courier service?
In some jurisdictions cyclists are not permitted to occupy a full travel lane unless they are moving fast enough to keep up with vehicular traffic.
Have you ever been to NYC and seen the traffic?
If you're gay, being sterile really wouldn't be a concern, would it?
I can't stand these arrogant cyclists either. But I've read that a great many of them have serious accidents every year. I do not wish that on anybody, but I sure wish they'd use their brains and stop playing in the traffic.
No just a cycle commuter who has seen the arrogance displayed by (a few) cyclists AND motorists.
My problem was a move to a rural locale where the only routes in are narrow high-speed roads; the slower of which had some huge hills. I rode spring until fall the first year, but quit with winter darkness. I miss it.
I’m with you. You said exactly what I was going to say.
” the police should start enforcing the laws.”
At one time they did.
In 1947 I was going downhill folding papers and stuffing them in the bags and a bike cop, red lights, and siren on, got me and wrote me a ticket for speeding 45 in a 25 and reckless driving.
No parking issues in city where parking space is precious
Can basically ride up to door of building
Bicycle can travel almost same speed as center city traffic
A 50cc moped would have similar advantages
A whole Year!!!! Golly Jeepers! A whole year!!!! Let’s see, according to my Human Physiology class she’ll still be dead six feet under while cycle boy rides again!!!! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
That is related to the Critical Mass phenom. Even the Mayor of SF has threatened to outlaw Critical Mass rallies.
she shoulda hit him...
“here in my area of north Dallas”
I live in the metro Atlanta area and it is no different here. They have no regard for any traffic crossing laws, weave around stopped traffic or go up the middle and ride two or more abreast on two lane roads. It’s nice ot see one of them being charged for once.
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