dead cyclist

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
on WABC radio news just now.

There is video of the crash site on ktvu.com
Appears to be a wide road with wide bike lanes on both sides.

sally said:

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote innews:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
on WABC radio news just now.

There is video of the crash site on ktvu.com
Appears to be a wide road with wide bike lanes on both sides.

cellular drift?

Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
on WABC radio news just now.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

landotter said:

Quoted message said:

There is video of the crash site on ktvu.com
Appears to be a wide road with wide bike lanes on both sides.

cellular drift?

or maybe playing with the installed laptop computer or another gadget,
or just another cop driving too fast and cutting corners because
that's OK for them.

I know several cops well. I don't like riding with any of them,
especially in their patrol cars. They're accidents waiting to happen,
playing with dashboard goodies all the time they drive and watching
other drivers and scenery instead of the road (part of their job but
very dangerous). It's even better when they are watching another car
and typing in a license # on the laptop to check out a driver all
while piloting their car. Not to mention, they are relatively
unconcerned with obeying traffic laws...

sally said:

A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline
only on WABC radio news just now.

There is video of the crash site on ktvu.com
Appears to be a wide road with wide bike lanes on both sides.

Criminally tragic. Please keep us informed re. developments.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjjGshIElwk981SlYs1Fc0P_o8aQD8V8QNRO0

datakoll aka gene daniels said:

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjjGshIElwk981SlYs1Fc0P_o8aQD8V8QNRO0

Boere makes the worst LBS customers tolerable by comparison.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Andrew Muzi said:

Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
on WABC radio news just now.

To Protect and Serve?

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

"Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
| Andrew Muzi wrote:
| > Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
| > centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
| > on WABC radio news just now.
|
| To Protect and Serve?

Thankfully, it's very rare that we hear of incidents involving patrol cars
causing accidents, outside of hot pursuits. And even rarer an accident
involving a patrol car and a cyclist.

It's an odd thing when you hear about a fatal bicycle accident on the radio,
just before you head out on a ride. And the issue of whether riding a bike
is "safe" is going to come up frequently over the next few weeks... many
customers are going to be bringing it up, and we've already had a newspaper
come by for information and quotes.

But I don't suspect this accident will "prove" anything. It's not going to
support anyone's contention that roads are improperly built for cyclists, or
that better education for motorists would have prevented it. One of the news
reports says the deputy told someone that he may have fallen asleep at the
wheel. If it's as simple as that, how do you prevent it? In this particular
incident, had it been a car in the other direction, it's entirely possible
the results could have been similarly-tragic. And equally inescapable, in a
cruelly random sort of way.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

A Muzi said:

Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
on WABC radio news just now.
--
Andrew Muziwww.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Same road where Jeffrey Steinwedel was killed in 1996. I know his
widow in Cupertino, and live across town from her, not far from
Stevens Canyon Road.

We have no police department in Cupertino, nor does the neighboring
city of Saratoga. Both contract with the Santa Clara county sheriff's
office for police services. The problem is that the deputies are very
inexperienced in law enforcement, and are typically those that can't
get a job in a city police force where the pay is much better. They
don't know the vehicle code very well either. I have a colleague who's
husband is a Palo Alto police officer, and don't get him started on
the sheriff's deputies! However I've never witnessed them engaged in
reckless driving such as what happened today, only the usual practice
of not using turn signals, running red lights, etc.

landotter said:

A Muzi said:

Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
on WABC radio news just now.
--
Andrew Muziwww.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/09/BAKSVGTJ1...

How can someone "accidentally cross the centerline?" It wasn't an
accident, it was inattention and there should be criminal charges
filed against the deputy. Any driver of a motor vehicle must realize
they are piloting a potentially dangerous weapon and MUST take due
care. This should be especially so for a police officer ... one of our
so called "protectors." But all a motorist has to say when an
"accident" happens involving a cyclist is, "I didn't see him." That BS
has got to stop.

On Sun, 9 Mar 2008 22:58:57 -0700, "Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Tom Sherman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
| Andrew Muzi wrote:
| > Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
| > centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
| > on WABC radio news just now.
|
| To Protect and Serve?

Thankfully, it's very rare that we hear of incidents involving patrol cars
causing accidents, outside of hot pursuits. And even rarer an accident
involving a patrol car and a cyclist.

It's an odd thing when you hear about a fatal bicycle accident on the radio,
just before you head out on a ride. And the issue of whether riding a bike
is "safe" is going to come up frequently over the next few weeks... many
customers are going to be bringing it up, and we've already had a newspaper
come by for information and quotes.

But I don't suspect this accident will "prove" anything. It's not going to
support anyone's contention that roads are improperly built for cyclists, or
that better education for motorists would have prevented it. One of the news
reports says the deputy told someone that he may have fallen asleep at the
wheel. If it's as simple as that, how do you prevent it? In this particular
incident, had it been a car in the other direction, it's entirely possible
the results could have been similarly-tragic. And equally inescapable, in a
cruelly random sort of way.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

I am usually cheering the cops pulling over the crazy cagers who think the roads
in Harriman State Park are their private Grand Prix Track.

Ben

Per Dave:

Quoted message said:

How can someone "accidentally cross the centerline?" It wasn't an
accident, it was inattention and there should be criminal charges
filed against the deputy. Any driver of a motor vehicle must realize
they are piloting a potentially dangerous weapon and MUST take due
care. This should be especially so for a police officer ...

At a neighborhood civic association meeting one of the local cops
gave a little spiel on something-or-other.

I took the chance to put it to him about even cops not using
their turn signals around here.

His response involved the observation that for today's cop in
today's patrol car, the number of attention-demanding devices is
kind of overwhelming - I think "Bizarre" was his choice of words.

Doesn't make it right... but might explain part of it.
--
PeteCresswell

On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:42:21 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I took the chance to put it to him about even cops not using
their turn signals around here.

His response involved the observation that for today's cop in
today's patrol car, the number of attention-demanding devices is
kind of overwhelming - I think "Bizarre" was his choice of words.

Doesn't make it right... but might explain part of it.
--

So the fact that they have a car full of devices they should not be
looking at while driving prevents them from hitting the turn signal?
Very logical, I can see how his explanation works.

Per still just me:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Doesn't make it right... but might explain part of it.
--

So the fact that they have a car full of devices they should not be
looking at while driving prevents them from hitting the turn signal?
Very logical, I can see how his explanation works.

Actually, his explanation involved the use of a term "Tunneling"
that they use to describe somebody's attention getting sucked
into one of those devices to the detriment of their driving
ability.

Back in the heyday of CB radio, that phenomenon seemed tb widely
known - albeit not given that particular name.

Among some people, I think it's alive and well in the form of
cell phone conversations, text messaging, and inappropriate
attention to nav screens.

For my money, cell phone towers could have their software tweaked
so that no longer hand off calls from moving phones - or maybe
don't even accept them in the first place - with no dimunation
(is that even a word??) whatsoever in my own quality of life.
--
PeteCresswell

In article <d757ded3-f84d-4d73-abbe-
[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

landotter said:

A Muzi said:

Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
on WABC radio news just now.
--
Andrew Muziwww.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?

f=/c/a/2008/03/09/BAKSVGTJ1...

Quoted message said:

How can someone "accidentally cross the centerline?" It wasn't an
accident, it was inattention and there should be criminal charges
filed against the deputy. Any driver of a motor vehicle must realize
they are piloting a potentially dangerous weapon and MUST take due
care. This should be especially so for a police officer ... one of our
so called "protectors." But all a motorist has to say when an
"accident" happens involving a cyclist is, "I didn't see him." That BS
has got to stop.

Police agencies close ranks. It will be very dificult to get the DA to file
charges against an officer unless its a 100% slam dunk case.

RS said:

In article <d757ded3-f84d-4d73-abbe-
[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

landotter said:

On Mar 9, 9:06 pm, A Muzi <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Santa Clara county sheriff's deputy 'accidentally' crossed the
> centerline in his cruiser hitting 3 cyclists, 1 fatally. Headline only
> on WABC radio news just now.
> --
> Andrew Muziwww.yellowjersey.org
> Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?

f=/c/a/2008/03/09/BAKSVGTJ1...

Quoted message said:

How can someone "accidentally cross the centerline?" It wasn't an
accident, it was inattention and there should be criminal charges
filed against the deputy. Any driver of a motor vehicle must realize
they are piloting a potentially dangerous weapon and MUST take due
care. This should be especially so for a police officer ... one of our
so called "protectors." But all a motorist has to say when an
"accident" happens involving a cyclist is, "I didn't see him." That BS
has got to stop.

Police agencies close ranks.  It will be very dificult to get the DA to file
charges against an officer unless its a 100% slam dunk case.

I don't think there is a chargeable offense -- unless the officer was
drunk. Most negligent homicide/vehicular homicide statutes require
something more than falling asleep at the wheel, like being under the
influence of drugs or alcohol. I am not an apologist for the cop, but
its a terrible lose-lose situation for everyone. That cop is going to
be FU for the rest of his life -- if he has any heart at all. The
next six months to two years of his life will be endless depositions
and floggings by IAB, lawyers, unions, etc., etc.-- Jay Beattie.

Jay Beattie said:

I don't think there is a chargeable offense -- unless the officer was
drunk. Most negligent homicide/vehicular homicide statutes require
something more than falling asleep at the wheel, like being under the
influence of drugs or alcohol. I am not an apologist for the cop, but
its a terrible lose-lose situation for everyone. That cop is going to
be FU for the rest of his life -- if he has any heart at all. The
next six months to two years of his life will be endless depositions
and floggings by IAB, lawyers, unions, etc., etc.-- Jay Beattie.

Tonight's news stated that the officer claimed that he fell asleep.
Unlikely, but probably it was the best defense to claim since
inattentiveness or distraction would be harder to defend against.

On Mar 10, 8:22 am, [email hidden] wrote:
The problem is that the deputies are
very

Quoted message said:

inexperienced in law enforcement, and are typically those that can't
get a job in a city police force where the pay is much better.

Over here patrol cars are always manned by two officers.
More costly but a lot safer given the complicated equipment to
operate.

Sergio
Pisa