hit and run, assault *and* kidnapping!

So this actually happened to one of our local boys last week - he was riding with a friend on a popular road for cyclists. It is a park road, 25 mph and signed that cyclists *always* have the right of way (it was a bike path until the park was further developed by the Olmsteads. They said they wouldn't give up the moola unless cars were allowed.... but I think that there still must exist some provision that cars are only our guests and its still technically a bike path) Anyway...

The boys were riding down Lake Washington Blvd when a guy in a truck came up behind them honking and generally acting like a jerk. One of them waved the driver around. The truck came around and slammed on his brakes. One of the cyclists managed to avoid the truck, but the other hit the back and went flying into the bed! The driver then proceeded to hit the gas and take off with the cyclist still in the bed of the truck. He was banging on the window trying to get the guy to stop, but was being ignored. He fortunately had a cell phone and dialed 911. The driver was pulled over shortly after and the cyclist rescued from the bed of the truck. The driver, facing hit and run, assault and kidnapping charges, claimed he was having *chest pains*.....

Everyone thinks he may have been driving drunk and going to the hospital would also give him time to sober up before he was tested... Oh - and he had a child in the truck the whole time too!

just when you think you've heard everything...another dangerous idiot behind the wheel comes along...:mad:

:eek: I think that driver probably was suffering head pains, from the lack of a brain. Jeez, that's enough to make anyone a bit scared of riding a bike!

Do you have a news link for that? (what a story!)

I don't know if it made the news - I know about it because he's a fellow racer and we all know one another. One of my teammates got the story first hand from the people involved.

:eek::eek:

Holy cr@p.

unbelievable story.

Is this sort of thing against cyclists escalating, or am I just more aware of it because I am now among the 2-wheeled folks? :eek:

I think you are just more aware of it now. Although in some places (like parts of Florida and California) it DOES seem to be escalating. I think in Seattle (near where this story comes from) it is NOT escalating.

Good heavens, that is terrifying. Reminds me not to complain about my trivial problems.

Keep us posted.

Since this incident happened back in November, does anyone know the outcome? Did the charges stick on the driver?

I haven't heard anything more about it. I'm guessing the guy went to the hospital (for his supposed chest pains...) and that was the end of it. :mad:

It wasn't publicized so even the victim may never know. I was hit by a car last summer and I don't know in the end what happened with her. I know she was issued with two citations at the scene. I also know she was prepared to fight at least one of them (I received a summons....), but for some reason she decided not to and canceled the court date in the end. So I don't know what happened in the end - did she just pay the ticket? did she somehow get it dropped? It would be nice if the courts kept victims informed just for peace of mind, but it doesn't happen.

Traffic and criminal cases are public record, and it's all online in a lot of places. If you know the defendant's name and the court where the charges were filed, you can look it up. If it's not online, if you're really interested, you can go to the clerk of court's office to find it. As the victim, you could call the prosecutor's office and ask.

If he went to the hospital, chances are they did do a tox screen, but unfortunately it's up to the officer that shows up at the crime to decide whether or not the person should have a police hold. If they do that, an officer has to stay with the patient until they are discharged and then they go to jail. This only happens in the worst of cases though and I'm not sure how they decide. They can also give someone a ticket and court date, but not arrest them. I took care of this one patient that was drunk and went the wrong way down the 705 in tacoma, hit two cars, and all she got was a ticket and a court date. I have no sympathy for drunk drivers, and I think our state is way too easy on them. I also don't have sympathy for people that hit and run, and especially people who hit people on bikes. Unfortunately though, unless there's a police hold and an officer with a patient, we can't legally call the police to let them know a patient is being discharged, because it's against the HIPPA privacy law. I know, because I tried on the lady I described above (I was so furious I asked my charge nurse to discharge her, because ethically I didn't feel that I could)! I would think if someone who was the victim wanted to press charges, they would contact the police headquarters where the event took place, but you'd probably have to hire an attorney.

-Jessica