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Two Ghost Bikes Appear on South Tryon

Posted in Advocacy, Spotted with tags , , on April 24, 2009 by cltvelo

ghostride

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lr-0226smTwo ghost bikes have appeared on South Tryon memorializing cyclists that have been killed by buses.  The bikes are about  half a mile from each other.   The S. Tryon/Remount bike memorializes Shcrissony Potts who was killed about 1 year ago by a school bus.  The bike near Clanton in front of the CATS bus depot memorializes Todd Weaver who was killed by a CATS bus.  The bikes are totally painted white and have signs that read ‘WATCH FOR BIKES’.  It seems that these memorials are part of a global campaign of  GhostBikes.Org.  According to the web site, “[the bikes] serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.”  There are two other Ghost Bikes just outside of the city to memorialize Lee Anne Barry and Tom Hoskins.

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Don’t Forget the Sentencing

Posted in Bicycle Crime, Crash, Pinch Flat Award with tags , , , , , on August 27, 2008 by cltvelo

The August Pinch Flat Award goes to ….Judge Donald Stephens

North Carolina Judge Donald Stephens earned this award for sentencing a cyclist-killing, felony-assaulter to teetotaling.

I’ve been putting a lot of thought lately into the appropriate charges for drivers hitting cyclists, but I should be just as concerned about the sentencing. In Brian Reid’s case the charges were right but the sentence was a ‘slap on the wrist’. Reid killed cyclist Nancy Leidy while driving home from class at NC State after a night of celebrating his 21st birthday. He blew a .12 on the Breathalyzer. The charges were appropriate; felony assault by motor vehicle. The sentencing last week by Judge Stephens was a joke; community service, 5 weekends in jail and teetotalism (really, he was sentenced to teetotalism).

Perhaps if you think ‘giving up drinking’ is a harsh enough penalty for such a crime…alcohol must be a pretty important thing to you.

Perhaps, just to be safe, judges with psoriasis, discoid eczema or superficial infections, common in heavy drinkers, should be barred from presiding over cases that involve alcohol – just to be safe.

How would Charlotte citizens react to ‘slap on the wrist’ sentence for a drunk student that killed a cyclist? Would they be outraged? Or would they sympathize with the student’s drunken rite-of-passage and not understand why the cyclist was in the road in the first place?

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Drunk Driver Kills Cyclist near Eastland Mall

Posted in Bicycle Crime, Crash with tags , , , , , on August 22, 2008 by cltvelo

Aug 9th, 2008

Greg Smith, 24, was charged with Driving While Impaired and No Operator’s License after hitting a killing a bicyclist on Central Avenue near the Eastland Mall, in East Charlotte. The crash occurred around 2 AM Saturday morning. Smith’s passenger and next door neighbor, also 24, was charged with Aiding and Abetting Driving While Impaired.

The 44 year-old cyclist, whose name was not released, died at the scene.

I always thought that the reason the penalties for drunk driving were so severe was to keep drunk drivers from killing people (the real crime). However, in this case, the charges from the CMPD don’t reflect the real crime.  I hope the district attorney charges Smith with vehicular manslaughter?

It seems open and shut to me, but would a ChARLOTte (Car – Lot) jury convict an unlicensed, impaired man for slaughtering a cyclist crossing the road near the Eastland Mall at 2am?   Perhaps the ChARLOTte jury would sympathize with the driver and his abetter…and not comprehend why a cyclist was in the road?

If accident fault is not automatically given to drunk drivers, then why is drunk driving a crime?

The victim’s family has my most sincere condolences.

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Welcome Home Tyisha Witherspoon!

Posted in Crash, Injury with tags , , , , , on August 21, 2008 by cltvelo

Congratulations!

Tyisha has returned home after 15 surgeries. I saw the video on WSOC-TV, she looks awesome!

Let’s help her out: There is a fund for her medical expenses. You can donate at any Bank of America branch by specifying the “Tyisha Witherspoon Medical Expense Fund,” or e-mail stewartsHOA@hotmail.com for more information.

Too bad that civil suit didn’t work out.

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Doctor Road Rage

Posted in Bicycle Crime with tags , , , , on August 21, 2008 by cltvelo

Update:

Nov. 2, 2009 Thompson was found guilty of six felonies and one misdemeanor.  He could face as much as five years in prison.

He was handcuffed in the courtroom after the verdict was read.  Thompson was accused of assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving causing specified bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury and mayhem.

Original Post:

I know this is outside of my jurisdiction, but…

Dr. Chistopher Thompson of Los Angeles was charged with two counts of felony reckless driving for allegedly pulling in front of cyclists Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr, then slamming on his brakes causing the cyclists to crash.

Patrick Watson filed a police report earlier this year against Dr. Thompson alleging the exact same senario on the exact same road.

I believe that Dr Thompson is a psychotic homicidal loser. I hope he gets 7 years in jail.

Perhaps a California jury will convict him. What would a Charlotte jury do? Perhaps a Charlotte jury would sympathize with the driver. I can easily imagine a cross examination of Charlotte cyclists focusing on why they were in the road.

Click here for CNN’s Ted Rowlands’ report on the story.

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Oh, Snap!

Posted in Spotted with tags , , , on August 21, 2008 by cltvelo

The world has one less full suspension Univega mountain bike. The USNWC trails claimed the life of this old bike on Saturday afternoon. The young rider was not injured. What caught my attention was the magnitude of the destruction; the rear triangle snapped right off. At the time of the photo, the bike was held together by the brake and shifter cables. I guess this is where Craigslist and Ebay get all those parts.

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And the August Prime Award goes to…Don’t Drive Day

Posted in Prime Award with tags , , , , , on August 7, 2008 by cltvelo

Don’t Drive Day

Don't be this guy

This month’s Prime recipient is shared by Clean Air Works!, The NC Air Awareness program and the city of Charlotte for offering prizes to encourage people to not drive. So, don’t drive and WIN!

The groups have declared August 13 as ‘Don’t Drive Day’. Just what CharlotteVelo readers needed…another incentive to not to drive to work. You could win an electric mower or an iPod just for not driving. You could walk, take a bus, take the light rail, carpool, telecommute from the nearest coffee shop or just stay home, but I hope you take your bike.

This program is operating under the confines of the HONOR SYSTEM. Just send an email describing how you got to work to dontdriveday@yahoo.com.

Here is the email I plan to send:

Dear DontDriveDay@yahoo.com,

Today is August 13. I biked to work. Please select me as the winner of the electric mower or iPod.

Charlotte Velo

Clean Air Works!

NC Air Awareness

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Hodge Podge -1

Posted in Bicycle Crime with tags , , , , , , on August 7, 2008 by cltvelo

A CATS rider that identifies him/herself as Hodge Podge is minus one bicycle. Thieves made off with the bike while parked in a Charlotte parking lot for eight hours. This totally disturbs me. I understand but hate the fact that as long as I continue to lock and leave my bike, I’ll eventually have ANOTHER bike stolen. There are bike thieves operating in Charlotte. We should all anticipate more stolen bikes as people seek alternatives to high gas prices and the demand for bikes goes up.

I hope Hodge Podge can get another bike and use it to commute.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/110473.html

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Antonio Alvarez

Posted in Crash, Injury with tags , , , , on July 24, 2008 by cltvelo

July 23, 2008

East Independence Blvd

Matthews cyclist Antonio Alvarez was struck by a car while crossing Independence Blvd in his neighborhood. He was using his bicycle to visit family. Antonio was taken to CMC with non-life threatening injuries. The driver was not charged.

Antonio, Get well soon.

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Let’s Run Some Red Lights (after the obligatory 3 minutes)

Posted in Legal with tags , , , , on July 19, 2008 by cltvelo

You’re at a red light that just won’t turn green. Like many lights in Charlotte, this one is not on a timer, it has one of those inductive loop vehicle sensors buried in the road. You and your bike can’t trigger the light.  In fact, motorcycles can’t trigger the light either. So now what? You wait until it’s all clear and you run the light. Are you breaking the law?

Nope.

Last July the state of NC passed a law that permits motorcycles to run lights triggered by inductive loop vehicle sensors . The law requires that the road be clear and that the motorcyclist waits at least 3 minutes. This law must certainly apply to cyclists.

Click here for the law.

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