http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/bicyclist-pleads-guilty-vehicular-manslaughter-article-1.1408495 said:
Warning to all bicyclists: The rules of the road apply to you, too.
A groundbreaking guilty plea in San Francisco saw a cyclist take accountability for plowing into and killing a pedestrian crossing the street.
Chris Bucchere, 37, will perform 1,000 hours of community service and serve three years of probation for committing felony vehicular manslaughter in the March, 29, 2012 crash, ABC News reported.
Proscecutor George Gascon said 'Our goal is to send a message to cyclists about safety,' further noting 'Just because you are riding a bicycle doesn't mean all bets are off. All of the rules of the road that apply to everyone else apply to you, too.'
It is believed to be the first time a bicyclist was convicted of the charge. Motorized vehicle drivers frequently face the charge if they kill someone while driving.
Sutchi Hui died four days after being struck by Chris Bucchere, who was riding a bicycle but failed to adhere to two stop signs.
"Cyclists need to understand that they're held accountable to the same standards anybody else operating any other type of vehicle and I believe we have achieved that in this case," prosecutor George Gascon said at a press conference Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses and surveillance video showed Bucchere skipping two stop signs and racing to get through a red light when he plowed into Sutchi Hui, who was walking in a crosswalk with his wife. Witnesses said Bucchere was traveling about 32 miles per hour more than the 25 mph speed limit for the road when he directly hit the man walking in the busy intersection. The 71-year-old died four days later. His wife, who walked at his side, was unhurt.
Chris Bucchere allegedly ran two stop signs before pedaling through the busy San Francisco intersection and striking 71-year-old Sutchi Hui.
"Our goal is to send a message to cyclists about safety," Gascon said. "Just because you are riding a bicycle doesn't mean all bets are off. All of the rules of the road that apply to everyone else apply to you, too."
Hui's niece, Anna Chao, said 'A person who did something wrong should also pay for it' in regards to Bucchere's punishment for running into her uncle.
Prosecutors contended Bucchere showed little remorse for the serious accident. Days after the crash, Bucchere posted on a bike blog, writing "I was already way too committed to stop."
"I couldn't see a line through the crowd and I couldn't stop so I laid down and just plowed through the crowded crosswalk in the least-populated place I could find," his post continued. "I hope he (Hui) ends up OK."
The family plans to sue Bucchere but did not press for jail time. In an interview shortly after the crash, Hui's niece did want some sense of justice. Prosecutors on Tuesday said the plea did exactly that by holding Bucchere accountable.
"A person who did something wrong should also pay for it," said Anna Chao, who has taken over running her late uncle's travel agency.
