Comments on: Tempe prosecutors and police department practice even-handed approach to cyclists and motorists

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:48:17 +0000

This is close to what the Marana Police Dept said to us when an intoxicated woman hit and killed our friend Megan. The woman was drunk and also stoned–she had several DUI arrests, and arrests for drug possession. Her licsense had also been suspended. The case was “dropped” because the Marana Police said they had “lost” the evidence of her alcohol test, which meant that it could not be proved she was intoxicated. The judge said, and I quote, “What did you people think you were doing riding your bikes out there anyway?” implying we were at fault somehow? The drunk driver did about 30 hours of community service for the ticket she got drving (drunk)thru a construction zone on Silverbell and into the bike lane. Witnesses and even the policeman who showed up at the scene commented on how she was staggering drunk. Family eventually were told that the woman was an informant for the Police Dept and the case would go nowhere. In other words, she got off scott free.

She is free to kill again, as it the man in the Tempe story…

By: kyle

kyle — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:34:46 +0000

Alison – me too, sick indeed. And that bit about the lesson here – that we should be driving giant cars to prevent death…sicker still.

By: Streetsblog » Stimululus Outrage Throughout the Network

Streetsblog » Stimululus Outrage Throughout the Network — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:38:56 +0000

[...] more outrage out there as well, not all of it stimulus-related. Tucson Bike Lawyer writes about a shocking case of flagrant red-light running that resulted in a fatal crash — and [...]

By: Streetsblog » Stimulus and Outrage Around the Network

Streetsblog » Stimulus and Outrage Around the Network — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:51:19 +0000

[...] more outrage out there as well, not all of it stimulus-related. Tucson Bike Lawyer writes about a shocking case of flagrant red-light running that resulted in a fatal crash — and [...]

By: alison Jones

alison Jones — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:41:51 +0000

I feel sick to my stomach reading that story.

By: Kerem

Kerem — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:14:26 +0000

I agree with Scott, things would also have been a lot different if the victim was a Dorothy O’Reiley in a Rolls Royce instead of a Irma Quintana in a Honda Civic.

By: bb

bb — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:55:11 +0000

I can sum America up. If a majority or someone who has authority does something it will be considered ok cost of doing business please move on, If a minority does something we will throw you in jail for life.
Pathetic.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:31:21 +0000

“Doesn’t matter who you hit, or how many, just as long as nobody can prove there was prior animosity…”

It does kind of matter who you hit – anybody remember that cop who got killed in the Phoenix area awhile back when some guy yakking on the phone veered over the center lane? As I recall they didn’t let *him* off with a little wrist-slap.

By: Opus the Poet

Opus the Poet — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:20:57 +0000

Eric, you have uncovered the perfect weapon to kill someone in the state of AZ. Just hit then with your car, you will never get prosecuted, even if you’re slightly tipsy. Doesn’t matter who you hit, or how many, just as long as nobody can prove there was prior animosity… I swear you guys are almost as bad as TX used to be, at least your LEO will catch the guy. When I got hit (in TX) they destroyed the evidence so they (couldn’t) wouldn’t have to investigate.

Opus