Cyclist killed in Oklahoma

[Jake January]

This story upset me considerably.
http://m.newson6.com/story.aspx?story=29673795&catId=112042

Seems the sad idiot who killed the lad back in July hasn't been prosecuted yet for whatever reasons.

Then it occurred to me this poor lady is also the victim. A victim on the personal automobile addiction and the silly cell phone.

What the judge should offer her is either jail time for manslaughter, or take up cycling and continue the cause of the young man she thoughtlessly ran over and killed. Additionally she should forever give up driving a motor vehicle and promote cycling and cycling awareness in motorists.

Anyone live in Oklahoma who can contact the prosecutor?

[wolfstone636]

Terrible Tragedy. We take for granted how risky it is to ride with traffic. Here in New Jersey the roads get more crowded and the drivers get more impatient. I just bought a Cycliq Fly6 so if someone hits from behind I will have proof and a license plate number

[rwsaunders]

Waste of a life...thoughts to his family and friends.

[smontanaro]

A daughter of one of the guys I ride with on occasion was in another Bike & Build group crossing at the same time. They continued their ride, but this death obviously had a huge impact on them.

[weisan]

My heart bleeds ...

[Jake January]

I suppose what really upsets me about the incredibly tragic loss of this young man's life is how nothing is being said about the "sacred cow" culture of the motor vehicle.
More than 30,000 people die in motor vehicle accidents each year in the USA alone. 1.2 million people around the world, and virtually no one is saying anything!
Seems like humanity has no regard for life with this "sacred cow".

I think to respect this young man's life and what he was attempting to achieve in his cycling journey perhaps we could or should at least ask when will sufficient blood be spilled for this great sacred cow?
(It's probably wrong to use the term sacred cow seeing in India the sacred cow doesn't kill indiscriminately. I'm not sure a.proper word exists in human language, disease maybe, plague perhaps. )
Perhaps it is time for humans to say enough is enough.
Personally I would like to give this young man's life some meaning. That enough is enough of the absolutely senseless carnage we so blindly accept. 1.2 million people every year worldwide. Just how is this acceptable? It won't stop unless we have had enough.
I've had enough, that's one of the very reasons I ride a bicycle. I hope others will also speak up and give this young man's life meaning.

[echappist]

I suppose what really upsets me about the incredibly tragic loss of this young man's life is how nothing is being said about the "sacred cow" culture of the motor vehicle.
More than 30,000 people die in motor vehicle accidents each year in the USA alone. 1.2 million people around the world, and virtually no one is saying anything!
Seems like humanity has no regard for life with this "sacred cow".

I think to respect this young man's life and what he was attempting to achieve in his cycling journey perhaps we could or should at least ask when will sufficient blood be spilled for this great sacred cow?
(It's probably wrong to use the term sacred cow seeing in India the sacred cow doesn't kill indiscriminately. I'm not sure a.proper word exists in human language, disease maybe, plague perhaps. )
Perhaps it is time for humans to say enough is enough.
Personally I would like to give this young man's life some meaning. That enough is enough of the absolutely senseless carnage we so blindly accept. 1.2 million people every year worldwide. Just how is this acceptable? It won't stop unless we have had enough.
I've had enough, that's one of the very reasons I ride a bicycle. I hope others will also speak up and give this young man's life meaning.
this, really. Well that and the particularly American brand of self-reliance taken to the extreme, where driving is conflated with personal freedom.

[fiamme red]

Also posted here: http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=1799784.

What a tragic, senseless death.

[Jake January]

Also posted here: http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=1799784.

What a tragic, senseless death.
Indeed, and thanks for the link.
There was a worthy blog entry from his affordable housing blog.
https://cornsbikeandbuild.wordpress.com/2015/08/03/the-hardest-post-ill-ever-write/

From what I can tell the lady who killed the young cyclist is getting a pass on charges being filed against her.
So in Oklahoma it is OK to kill a cyclist with your car.
But get caught with cannabis in Oklahoma you are sent to prison for life. Something is indeed very wrong there.

[merlinmurph]

I find this amazing:

She told troopers she was distracted by looking at her phone when she hit the bicyclists, according to the OHP report.

She actually admits to not paying attention while driving and doesn't get charged. Wow.

[Jake January]

I find this amazing:



She actually admits to not paying attention while driving and doesn't get charged. Wow.

Indeed and seems few are able to see the incredible outrage occurring here; this young man lost his life due to the gross negligence of someone driving a car, his life is over, yet somehow the lady who killed him is still out there driving an texting. It's beyond belief!
This woman at the very least should forfeit her driving privilege for life.
She took a life out of negligence behind the wheel. She should never drive; ever again, at the very least!

I'm seriously thinking about visiting Elk City, Oklahoma just to find out, what the feck is going on!

[Jake January]

Here's an update;
so after nearly 6 months the woman is charged with manslaughter 1.

http://www.newson6.com/story/30969764/manslaughter-charge-for-oklahoma-driver-in-death-of-bike-build-bicyclist


Here's another very sad one in Mississippi, the truck driver hasn't been charged and lied to police at the scene. There were witnesses too!

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/01/18/a-haphazard-investigation-of-iain-gerrads-death-in-americas-deep-south.html

These stories don't seem to get much media play in the USA where driving a motor vehicle is very often mistakenly viewed as a personal liberty.

Me thinks there should a bit more media talk of the life and liberty of the cyclist.

More media talk should be about it is indeed the cyclist who is helping to protect the environment, and promote health and happiness for humankind.:hello:

Rant over....for now...:beer:

[BobO]

Driving a car is very much a personal liberty and a right. A right that ends when it runs up against the cyclists right to live. The right to drive isn't at issue here, its the failure to hold individuals accountable for not exercising the responsibility that always accompanies a right. When one takes a life either through error, incompetence or negligence, that person bears responsibility.