Exhibit A
The story:
Firefighter charged with shooting at bicyclist
Josh Boatwright • July 27, 2009 12:33 PM
ASHEVILLE — An Asheville firefighter charged with attempted first-degree murder after witnesses said he shot at a bicyclist, made his first appearance today in Buncombe County District Court.
Charles Alexander Diez, 42, apparently fired at the Asheville man after arguing with him about riding his bike on the busy road with his 3-year-old child in a bike seat behind him, Asheville Police Capt. Tim Splain said.
“He decided he needed to tell them he thought it was unsafe that they would do that and have their child out there in an area where they had a lot of traffic,” Splain said.
Diez stopped his car and confronted Simons near 1360 Tunnel Road. When Simons began to walk away, Diez shot at him, Splain said.
The bullet blew a hole through the outer lining of Simons’ helmet and went straight through both sides of it, but he was not hit.
“A matter of an inch or less in either direction would have meant that bullet could have easily killed Mr. Simons,” Splain said.
And now for the comments . . .
Cyclists need to start with their own ranks before trying to lay blame on motorists. The number of cyclists I see blowing stop signs, passing illegally, racing, running in packs, intentionally blocking traffic, etc is far higher than the number of motorists I see being unsafe around them.
I can’t count the number of times I have had some cyclist play self appointed traffic cop and stop an intersection so all his buddies in the pack could pass- totally illegal. Or the number of times a cyclist has blown through a stop sign or light without stopping. Or passed a lane of stopped traffic on the right in the same lane. Or seen them in packs racing for time- street racing is illegal. I could list many more frequently observed violations.
Thanks to reader Nate for the link.
–Erik Ryberg
July 27th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
“I can’t count the number of times a cyclist has shot at a motorist with his child in the backseat.”
Oh wait I can
0.
Comparing running a stop sign to attempted murder is like comparing jaywalking to rape.
August 17th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
[...] Remember that firefighter from Asheville, NC who stopped to tell a bicyclist that bicycling was too dangerous and he shouldn’t do it? And when the bicyclist left he pulled out a gun and shot him? Yeah that guy. [...]
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 am
[...] It is unfathomable to me what can happen to some people’s minds when they get behind a wheel. It’s as if they have taken some kind of awful drug — they literally start to do things that would shame a meth-addict. (I’m also thinking here of the fireman who shot a bicyclist for riding with a child in a bike seat). [...]