Tragedy Strikes: Deaths, injuries reported after vehicle hits bicyclists in Michigan
Details are very sketchy but eight cyclists, including children, were hit by a motorist in Kalamazoo County.. Not clear yet how many are dead/injured.
My prayers go out to the victims and their families.
"Authorities say a vehicle slammed into a group of at least eight bicyclists in western Michigan, leaving an unknown number of people dead and others injured."
Read more at the Tribune site.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Josh L. on
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Do we know if he was intoxicated or exactly what was the reason for his erratic driving?? I'm also curious how they came up with a murder charge - wouldn't that mean that he intentionally wanted to kill these folks? As a non lawyer, I would have thought that this was an accidental death due to this gross negligence (his goal was not to kill people). I'm curious if any legal type folks can shed some light.
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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on
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I saw that report. Just speculating, purely, but I think this has more to do with him lawyering up than any injury on his part. Buying time, in other words. I myself would expect some attorney, private or a public defender, to crop up shortly making inane statements about lack of evidence or incapacity. They always do. Or, the dead people will be blamed, because they cannot speak. There is always some attorney who will defend a case like this just for the noteriety. The guy who defended John Wayne Gacy is now a judge.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Lazzaro on
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Looking at how smashed up his truck was, I can believe that he sustained some kind of injury. However, he was able to abandon the truck and flee on foot, so his injury can't be too severe.
In this case, blaming the dead might not work, since four riders survived and may eventually be able to give their account. Let's hope.
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Permalink Reply by David Barish on
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He must have a lawyer. A serious charge has been leveled against the man. Any lawyer who does criminal defense work would take this man's case. That does not mean they agree with what he did or that they want him to go free. They want to make sure the system works and that he is indeed proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That is what protects you and I in case the police rush in to your house while you are sleeping and arrest you because your next door neighbor was doing something illegal and some dope wrote down the wrong address.
Gacy's lawyer, Judge Sam Amirante, was asked if he should defend a such a monster. “Absolutely everybody deserves a defense,” said Amirante. “It’s irrelevant what they’ve done and what they’re accused of. It’s my job as a lawyer and I believe in that passionately.” That does not mean Amirante or this guy's lawyer should blame the victims or do things that are unethical. I agree. Every defendant deserves a defense. He or she does no deserve to win but at least deserves a fair fight with competent counsel. This is what makes our country great and this is why we do not lynch people preferring to let the slow wheels of the system help grind out the truth. We all know countless stories of times the system did not work. This is a clarion to make it better and not to tear it down. I am loathe to live in a society of frontier justice. Amirante, a very well respected criminal defense lawyer, lost this case and his client died in the electric chair. Amirante is a judge more because of that career than the case he rightly lost.
We still do not know for certain what happened. News has been slow. What if this guy had a heart attack or a stroke? That could explain why he is currently getting medical care. It may also be that he was intoxicated. If so, his action of voluntarily drinking (I am assuming he is not a date rape drug victim himself) and getting in a vehicle is an intentional and not negligent act. He may indeed have committed five murders. We will see what the story is. Given that the prosecutor has filed charges for murder and given the prosecutor knows more than us I suspect that he was either a drunk or worse, a creep out to hurt people. A medical emergency seems less likely but we still really do not know why this happened.
We know five riders lost their lives and that four riders were seriously injured. We know it is not their fault and we know that the driver is likely responsible for all this mayhem. The strong statement by the prosecutor comforts me. I still want to know what was going on with the driver and we will likely find out in the next few days.
I scanned the driver's Facebook page. I will admit it was a bit of creepy voyeurism. My initial, unscientific response is that he is a jerk who would not be my friend but I really cannot tell anything about what happened from this. There are a lot of unlikable guys out there and they are now mowing down riders. Once again, we need to see.
I suspect that this man will be tried and convicted for multiple felonies and will serve significant time in jail. This is only a suspicion that will need to be borne out as the story becomes public. Unfortunately, I also suspect that even under the best circumstances he has way too little insurance coverage to come even close to compensating the families who lost their loved ones or to compensate or pay for the medical bills of the riders who are fighting for their lives and health.
I am sad and angry. I do not have a rope in my hands.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on
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Just saw this. The guy who defended John Wayne Gacy is now a retired judge. As to other comments, see David Barish comment above.
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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on
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This is a bad news day. I wish drivers that killed innocent people would accept responsibility for their actions. Pleading "not-guilty" seems very wrong to me. :-(
Police: Driver on drugs when he killed Michigan bicyclists
Pickett, 50, heard the charges during what was supposed to be a routine hearing about schedules in the case. A not-guilty plea was entered.
Separately, a judge granted a request by defense lawyer Alan Koenig for a mental-health exam. The exam will determine whether Pickett understands the charges and can assist his attorney. It likely will put the case on hold for two months.
http://www.startribune.com/judge-to-meet-with-lawyers-in-killing-of...
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There is a process in this country which is often disparaged. In the U.S., EVERYONE is innocent until proven guilty. The burden of proof is on the prosecution. We do not try people in the media or in the "court of public opinion". The process protects all of us. See David Barish comments above.
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Agreed. My comment is not a reflection on the justice system. My comment is a reflection on how there are people that don't accept responsibility for their actions. I felt the same way about Brock defending his actions and blaming the victim in court. He still doesn't seem like he's accepting responsibility for what he did to his victim and the impact it has had on her and her family.
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The distinction is that Brock was found guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt, by a jury.
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All day Sunday, to show our support, cyclists everywhere are being asked to ride, take pictures and tag them on social media with#ridekalamazoostrong (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
This is to help show our solidarity for the 9 cyclists that were struck (5 killed) earlier this month. Thank you for supporting the cyclists of Kalamazoo.http://www.thechainlink.org/events/ride-your-bike-and-show-your-sup...
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Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on
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Got a little wet riding to #ChicagoBotanicGarden, but I'm still #KalamazooStrong.
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