This has got me hot.
Many of you may remember that last year, during the Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV), that Dr. William Crowley was killed by motorist Sara Bender when she ran into him from behind during the annual bike race. Crowley suffered head wounds that killed him instantly while Bender left the scene of the crime.
Well, a jury found that Bender was guilty of leaving the scene of an accident. Not guilty of a fatal accident, which is a felony punishable by 1 to 5 years of jail time. She got only a misdemeanor, up to 6 months in jail and up to $1000 fine.
The jury reduced the charge. We'll never know why, because no one but those jurors was in that jury room to discuss this case. But it's an absolute mystery to me how this motorist got off with a lesser charge. She had an accident, her lack of attention to the road killed a man. And then she left the scene of the crime.
And the callous disregard for a man's life? Reducing the charge to remove the "fatal" from the description of the accident? How do you justify that? She killed him!
Until juries figure out that killing people is wrong, and that drivers bear the responsibility for their actions on the road, cyclists are never going to get justice, much less equal treatment.
People, not speed.
People, not speed.
Agreed, I just can't see how anyone can get away will killing someone. Why wasn't she charged with vehicular homicide?
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