What was the condition of the sidewalk? Some sidewalks are a risk to your neck (and ankles) to run on!

Dunno but I would think that a car is going to hurt more. I'm 200#, he is 4000#. Right or wrong, he is 20 times bigger than I am and I will lose in a collision. I'd find a better street to run on. I don't like to ride my motorcycle on a busy interstate for a reason. I have the right to be there, I have right of way, I have whatever but when he hits me, I also hurt more. I'm smaller so I take more precautions. Right or wrong don't mean a thing when I am in a hospital bed and eating lunch out of a straw.

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Not sure I agree.

Bicycles are given vast leeway on what they may legally do and this is because they are seen mostly as being nearly the same as pedestrians. At issue with a bicycle is that it and it’s rider are routinely granted access rights to areas used by both pedestrians and vehicles at the same time. There is no clear code which says when a set of rules intended for automobiles or pedestrians should be followed. Due to that, people on bikes are encouraged to use any rules to their convenience.

Examples are riding on in the road way and then cross an intersection at a crosswalk (as opposed to waiting for a stop sign or light). They may also cross at an intersection. Both are okay. Bikes may ride on the road, shoulder, or sidewalk, or bike lanes where they exist. All are legal. Bikes are perceived as essentially fast moving pedestrians, but commonly not fast enough for morons in motor vehicles. Around here the only places bikes are not permitted is along restricted access highways, unless there is a sidewalk for them to use.

As to the person who hit someone, the issue begins and ends with him hitting someone. That’s a separate issue from the other stated issues mentioned. The rider stated he entered the intersection on a yellow light, which all will agree is completely legal. The core detail is that accordingly he lost control of his vehicle and that’s what caused the problem.

From the article it is not clear if he’s perceived of failing to take into account the circumstances. We also don’t know from the article if people swarmed into the cross walk before the rider cleared the intersection. If that was the case then the pedestrians crossing against a wait ought to be the issue and the bike rider was framed. Just saying.

From the perspective of people on bikes, many in motor vehicles and on foot ought to be jailed for their routine recklessness and outright arrogance or even contempt when near someone one a bike.

How is it unclear? If I am on the road in my car, on my motorcycle or in a bicycle, tricycle or even a scooter I follow the same rules. When the light is red, you stop. When the light is green, you go. When the light is red, you stop, look and turn if you have to, etc, etc. Motorcycle law allows them to go thru a red light after 45 seconds of wait time if the intersection is clear. That someone wants to see ambiguity is a different story.

According to the prosecutor, he ran 3 red lights. Entering the yellow light situation, you are responsible for being sure it is safe or you stop. Did he run a yellow? Not according to what I read.

Framed by whom?

Same as those in cars who have often seen the same conduct by bicyclists. Personally, both should be charged.

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> How is it unclear?

The article posted sucks as a reference. I read a few different accounts, which added little but confusion. Anyway I answered your question above. People on bikes have the rights of pedestrians and vehicles. Around here the laws are ambiguous at best. The history of the broader US is that bicycle laws are overwhelmingly ambiguous or non existent, and bicyclists are treated with contempt by many. You may be one of them, I don’t know.

> If I am on the road in my car, on my motorcycle or in a bicycle, tricycle or even a scooter I follow the same rules.

Again, at issue is what rules to follow.

>Motorcycle law allows them to go thru a red light after 45 seconds of wait time if the intersection is clear. That someone wants to see ambiguity is a different story.

Have not heard that one before. In Oregon I read motor vehicles can ignore a stop sign if making a right turn. But wrt ambiguity, there as here, bicyclists are indiscriminately granted access to routes for both motor vehicles and pedestrians. You can’t blame someone for using that capability to an advantage. Well, I suppose you can try but it would be an empty gesture….

> According to the prosecutor, he ran 3 red lights

First, according to another account, he ran stop signs and not lights. But more to the point that is absolutely irrelevant. At best it goes to support a perception of character. Maybe he didn’t shave for a couple of days either. That too would also support a perception of character. But neither have anything to do with the fact that he hit someone. He confessed to doing so. Admitting that was probably his biggest mistake.

>Entering the yellow light situation, you are responsible for being sure it is safe

This is a good point, but still arguable based on circumstance. One can safely enter an intersection. Someone else may make the same decision at about the same time and thereby make for an unavoidable conflict. Nearly everyone has seen this. How do you ascribe blame?

> Did he run a yellow?

You tell me:

> Framed by whom?

As stated before, if people entered the cross walk against a wait sign, they were all jaywalking. If true, he was inappropriately blamed for the mis-deeds of a crowd.

Heck, go a step further and speculate: if a police man directed the pedestrian traffic to enter the roadway while the perp was rolling through, then we have a framing and massive cover up. For all we know from the article, the guy on the bike could have been thrown under the proverbial bus to protect an inattentive LEO, who was just 3 months from retirement. The account is sketchy and there are too few facts to work with.

>both should be charged.

That’s my fantasy too.

The key details about this article, and I guess everyone missed it is that it’s the first “conviction” of a bicycle rider for vehicular homicide. The article states the perp would not have gotten jail time had the case been gone through a trial. It wasn’t even really a conviction but rather a weak kneed plea deal. Was the perp even guilty of anything or did he just cave due to a mis-guided supposition?

Perhaps the perp’s lawyer was a moron or perhaps the perp himself was a moron by not keeping his mouth shut. We don’t know.

The video above, even tho unrelated, tells the story...

The way they ride, they are just another jackass on the road. No different than a motorcyclist or car. AFAIK, they are considered the same as another vehicle on the road so all the rules apply to them. On my bicycle, when I am out, I am supposed to yield or stop like I would with a car or motorcycle. Only thing is I cannot go to highways. I am not unclear as to what I have to do. Same thing as driving a car.

Yes, you can ride on the sidewalk while I cannot motorcycle or drive on the sidewalk. On the road where motor powered vehicles are, I am, AFAIK supposed to follow the same rules.

It does show me that this isn't a simple lapse of judgment for that case. He has a habit of running red lights, stop signs or ignoring whatever signes he chooses.

It's your call whether to run it or stop. If unsure stop. If you run it, any issue arising is your fault.

All we have is his good word but based on the recent history, I'd have to wonder.

Not sure if pedestrians have automatic right of way or not so IDK.

True. But I am not speculating on whether this or that. Based on what we are reading, I'd have to say it was his fault unless further evidence comes up on that near retirement LEO;

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Man people are dump. The kid saw it coming though, good for him

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I'm not sure about that. I went looking for a statute in the NRS stating specifically whether bicycles may or may not be ridden on sidewalks. I didn't find one. I also didn't find anything specifically saying I can't operate a car or motorcycle on a sidewalk.

I did find a statute saying that a bicycle ridden on the road is subject to following all traffic laws.

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In Madison, you can under certain conditions. http://www.cityofmadison.com/BikeMadison/documents/SidewalkBrochure.pdf

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Apparently getting on a bike causes something to happen to a person's brain to ruin their good judgement.

I have a client who is a very very intelligent person, with an engineering degree, and very excellent real estate holdings who used to live on a US highway. This road is a four lane but not limited access and the speed limit is 60 but plenty of folks run 70. It is not heavily traveled.

This fellow knew that bicycles have the right to ride on any road except interstate so on a regular basis he and his wife would for exercise take a ride on the hiway they lived on, riding in the slow lane and taking it all.

Inevitably they got hit by a car. My client had his bike jammed into him by the impact to the extent his pelvis was broken. I can only imagine the damage to his plumbing. He did survive it though. I believe he has one of those colostomy bags because of damage to his intestines which never healed properly.

As I said climbing on a bike apparently in some folks causes their sense of self preservation to suspend or go dormant.

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NJ rules for joggers & walkers

Pedestrians and joggers should walk or jog off the roadway when sidewalks are available and face traffic. They should cross at crosswalks only on the proper signal, look all ways before crossing, avoid crossing between parked vehicles, and at night, wear light-colored or reflective clothes and carry a white handkerchief or a light. It is not a good practice to wear headphones while walking or jogging near the roadway.
Who'da thunk it!

State of New Jersey - Motor Vehicle Commission - Pedestrian Safety

This is undoubtedly a sad story.

While I agree the cyclist is wholly to blame and responsible for the death, I disagree with the path taken by the prosecution. This is negligent homicide or manslaughter, but applying the motor vehicle code to call it "vehicular" manslaughter isn't right.

By way of comparison, I've an acquaintance who was riding his bike home after dinner with some friends at a brewpub and he'd had a few. He rolled through a stop sign in a residential area while turning right (very close to home) and was stopped by a cop. The result? A night in the drunk tank and two citations: one for running a stop sign and the other for driving while intoxicated. Several grand in legal fees and fines later, his license was suspended for dui.

That kind of moronic state control is simply government run amok.

Once You have trained Yourself to follow a bad habit it is hard stop (no Pun intended) when you need to.

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You have found My main Gripe.
I am OK with Kids riding on the Side Walk but not Adults.

I have come close to being Hit several times because with Traffic noise you cannot hear a Bicycle come up behind You. Every time it was an Adult Rider.

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