Biker convicted of Vehicular Manslaughter for running over pedestrian in crosswalk

[aczlan]

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.

See also: Was the cyclist who killed a pedestrian reckless? | SF Politics

Aaron Z

 

[beeforty]

He was trying to best his record across town if I remember correctly riding a single speed no brake racer bike!

 

[aczlan]

He was trying to best his record across town if I remember correctly riding a single speed no brake racer bike!

At 32mph on crowded streets in a 25mph zone.

Aaron Z

 

[TCJatko]

This is one of my pet peeves. These bicyclists insist that they have all the rights of vehicles on the road, and then go around running stop signs and riding on every available surface. The guy should have done some jail time to reinforce the point.

 

[creekbend]

I'm npt sure about other States, but in Florida, One can be ticketed for running a Stop Sign, or Traffic light. One can even be charged with DUI.

 

[yelbike]

I'm npt sure about other States, but in Florida, One can be ticketed for running a Stop Sign, or Traffic light. One can even be charged with DUI.

My cousin is an avid cyclist. A few winters ago he got a ticket for running a stop sign in -30C. The cop took nearly 30 minutes to right the ticket in the comfort of his warm car. The funny part was when he went to pay for the ticket the clerk through out the ticket, he never even tried to get out of it.

 

[yelbike]

I'm npt sure about other States, but in Florida, One can be ticketed for running a Stop Sign, or Traffic light. One can even be charged with DUI.

My cousin is an avid cyclist. A few winters ago he got a ticket for running a stop sign in -30C. The cop took nearly 30 minutes to right the ticket in the comfort of his warm car. The funny part was when he went to pay for the ticket the clerk through out the ticket, he never even tried to get out of it.

 

[Tollster]

There needs to be more enforcement, many times they ride 3 abreast and will not yield to traffic in a 45MPH, its worse when the tour de France is on TV, because all the wannabes come off their recliners.

I believe sharing the road is a two way street! LOL

 

[murphy1244]

just open your door and knock their butts off the road.:laughing:

 

[boatyard]

just open your door and knock their butts off the road.:laughing:

Why most you be so nasty?

 

[Tollster]

He was joking, hence the laughing icon at the end of the sentence.

 

[joshuabardwell]

This is one of my pet peeves. These bicyclists insist that they have all the rights of vehicles on the road, and then go around running stop signs and riding on every available surface.

Which bicyclists? Bicyclists are not a monolithic group. Some bicyclists are reckless jerks. Some drivers are reckless jerks.

Bicyclists don't have to "insist that they have all the rights of vehicles on the road." That's just a fact in most (all?) states. The only reason bicyclists seem to say it so often is that so many drivers don't realize it, or have to be reminded.

Some states allow bicyclists to treat stop signs as yields. Bicyclists are typically moving much slower than a car, and so have more time to assess whether the intersection is safe to cross without a full stop. Bicyclists also have much better visibility. Bicyclists can come to a stop in a much shorter distance than a car. Finally, in an accident, a bicyclist is almost always going to get all of the damage. All of these are reasons why it may be justifiable to allow bicyclists to cruise through stop signs.

... and before you think that allowing bikes to cruise through stop signs is just a claim to privilege: stopping and then coming back up to speed is a significant energy expenditure for a cyclist. It may slow the cyclists's average speed by 30-40%, depending on the length of the ride and the number of stops. It's not like a car where you can just hit the gas.

 

[Don87]

I too think the cyclist should have done time in jail. A person died as a result of his reckless behavior.

I drive for a living, and I see the recklessness of cyclists on a daily basis.

 

[BrandonR]

just open your door and knock their butts off the road.:laughing:

And get arrested for vehicular assault or manslaughter.. Awesome idea.

 

[rider0]

just open your door and knock their butts off the road.:laughing:

Looking for a premeditated murder charge?

Sadly, there are enough out there like you to make this situation a reality.

A smiley face doesn't make your ignorance and malice funny.

 

[Egon]

I too think the cyclist should have done time in jail. A person died as a result of his reckless behavior.

I drive for a living, and I see the recklessness of cyclists on a daily basis.

I used to cycle every day and saw the recklessness of vehicle drivers on every road ride:thumbsup:

 

[Don87]

I used to cycle every day and saw the recklessness of vehicle drivers on every road ride:thumbsup:

Me too,(especially during the full moon) but that's a topic for another thread.

I'm a truck driver, and with 2800 to 3200 miles a week, I see a lot.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I don't know what it's like where y'all live, but I live in a semi-rural area that seems to be very popular with bicyclists. On the weekends, there are often singles or groups, in their colorful spandex, riding up and down the road. They always obey the rules of the road, ride single-file, and so forth. Never a problem. I know there is this stereotype of the urban bike messenger, cutting in and out of traffic and running people off the sidewalk. I'm sure some folks out there are like that. I'm also sure that they're not the majority, even if they stand out especially because of their bad behavior.

I rode a bicycle as a primary means of transportation for a few years. Most of the time, it was uneventful, but there was a two-lane road that I had to take to get to my house, and people had trouble passing me. Drivers got incredibly angry--honking, throwing trash or drinks, shouting, "get off the road!" One time a driver even tried to pick a fight with me. My perspective was that I had every right to be on the road, and if the road wasn't wide enough, they should be talking to the city council about adding bike lanes, not taking it out on me. I would pull over at intersections to let traffic pass--just like I do now when I am towing and going slow, or driving my tractor on the road--but there was no way I could ride on that road and not have traffic back up behind me at least a little. I think the drivers' rage had to do with a sense of entitlement, that they should be entitled to go as fast on that road as they wanted, and that I was out of line for preventing that. Unfortunately, the law didn't agree with them.

 

[Don87]

I don't know what it's like where y'all live, but I live in a semi-rural area that seems to be very popular with bicyclists. On the weekends, there are often singles or groups, in their colorful spandex, riding up and down the road. They always obey the rules of the road, ride single-file, and so forth. Never a problem. I know there is this stereotype of the urban bike messenger, cutting in and out of traffic and running people off the sidewalk. I'm sure some folks out there are like that. I'm also sure that they're not the majority, even if they stand out especially because of their bad behavior.

I rode a bicycle as a primary means of transportation for a few years. Most of the time, it was uneventful, but there was a two-lane road that I had to take to get to my house, and people had trouble passing me. Drivers got incredibly angry--honking, throwing trash or drinks, shouting, "get off the road!" One time a driver even tried to pick a fight with me. My perspective was that I had every right to be on the road, and if the road wasn't wide enough, they should be talking to the city council about adding bike lanes, not taking it out on me. I would pull over at intersections to let traffic pass--just like I do now when I am towing and going slow, or driving my tractor on the road--but there was no way I could ride on that road and not have traffic back up behind me at least a little. I think the drivers' rage had to do with a sense of entitlement, that they should be entitled to go as fast on that road as they wanted, and that I was out of line for preventing that. Unfortunately, the law didn't agree with them.

Actually, they are.

And then you get the 'cell phone cyclists'...........totally oblivious to their surroundings(I've only seen that on city streets though).

 

[joshuabardwell]

Actually, they are.

What are you basing that off of?