tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983503238369777607.post5110449173660368105..comments2023-10-16T05:51:39.811-04:00Comments on FlaBikes: Traffic Justice Coalition of FloridaMighkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00360234564323741495noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983503238369777607.post-7295280473049595352008-02-22T19:20:00.000-05:002008-02-22T19:20:00.000-05:00Keri has an excellent idea. Perhaps drivers convic...Keri has an excellent idea. Perhaps drivers convicted of serious moving violations should be sentenced to having to sit through a vehicular homicide trial. I think that would wake at least a few folks up.Khalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11866897914538110672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983503238369777607.post-42170366406649320902008-02-22T19:17:00.000-05:002008-02-22T19:17:00.000-05:00Last fall, James Quinn was killed on his bike on O...Last fall, James Quinn was killed on his bike on Old Route 66 near Albuquerque. A motorist tried to pass several cyclists including Quinn but was apparently headed towards an oncoming car while doing so. Motorist swerved back to the right and all the way onto the shoulder, rear-ending Quinn and killing him. No citation was issued. I'm putting out a similar call for Traffic Justice to the New Mexico Bicycling Coalition.Khalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11866897914538110672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983503238369777607.post-22663034768518830172007-08-23T21:35:00.000-04:002007-08-23T21:35:00.000-04:00While Ashley's sentence doesn't begin to achieve j...While Ashley's sentence doesn't begin to achieve justice for Angelica and Victoria or their family, I suspect no civil punishment could be worse than the internal torture of reliving the moments after she hit those girls - the guilt and horror of knowing she killed two innocent children because she wasn't paying attention. That moment of irresponsibility, that mistake, will be with her for the rest of her life. At 22 she became the idiot poster child of irresponsible drivers and a recipient of public ridicule, hatred and scorn. I remember the newscasts. I'm not suggesting she didn't deserve it - she killed two innocent children - but most of us could be grateful that we managed, by shear luck, to escape dire consequences from our own foolish youth - I sure am! It's a thought that often gives me pause - for all the times I was careless, foolish, distracted or in an irrational hurry - thank God there were no innocents in my path.<BR/><BR/>Hey, what if, in addition to fines (for speeding, running lights, blowing crosswalks, etc.), we could make irresponsible drivers somehow experience that journey - what their lives would be like if they killed someone - the depositions, the trials, the jail time, the guilt? For what? A few seconds? A phone call? ... Virtual Reality Traffic School, let's get some gamers on that :-)Kerihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14617647529657485483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3983503238369777607.post-19994902946873632452007-08-23T12:21:00.000-04:002007-08-23T12:21:00.000-04:00Remebering the news of this crash, went to the Orl...Remebering the news of this crash, went to the Orlando Sentinel's web site and did a little research. This was the first thing I found:<BR/><BR/>"Ashley Townsend, who pleaded guilty last month to two counts of vehicular homicide, is out of jail nine days sooner than her 30-day sentence. She was released on Monday after 20 days in jail. She received one day credit for the day she was in jail after being booked on the 2004 deaths, five days of gain time under state statute for good behavior, and four days of good time under a county ordinance for work or good behavior. (Townsend, 23, was in protective custody, so she did not work at the Orange County Jail.) Townsend now begins the other parts of her sentence -- including seven years probation -- for running a red light and killing Anjelica Velez, 5, and Victoria Velez, 2. Townsend could have gotten 18 1/2 years in prison under the charges."<BR/><BR/>As the outcome of this case demostrates, there is very little "justice" when it comes to vehicular homicide. This seems particularly true when non-motorized travelers are involved. <BR/><BR/>Comparing other sentences, in Florida the average time served for murder or manslaughter in 2005 was 9.4 years. The driver in the deaths of the two Velez girls served 20 days. <BR/><BR/>That's disgusting.Raphaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14737514058728265783noreply@blogger.com