# R.I.P. Laura



## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

My sincerest condolences to friends and family of Laura Casey. As a _human,_ I'm shocked by the way she was essentially murdered:



> The cyclist, Laura Casey, 49, was riding her bicycle south on Carlson Boulevard at Ohio Avenue about 6 p.m. when she was struck from behind by a car and knocked to the ground, said Richmond Police Lt. Manjit Sappal.
> 
> As Casey screamed for help, several people ran to her aid, officials said, but before they could reach her, a second vehicle hit her and dragged her about 25 feet.
> 
> ...


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic.../BAU3150CL9.DTL&hw=Laura+Casey&sn=001&sc=1000

Coverage on the SF Bike Blog:

http://bikeblogs.org/sf/2008/12/28/why-not-charge-them-with-murder/


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## Tort (Nov 4, 2008)

I read that today in the Chronicle and about cried. I have lost all faith in humanity. Hit and run is all the new rage. How can anyone live with having run someone over and leaving the scene. I still can't believe there were two separate hit and runs. 

And I too would like to extend my condolences to the friends and family of Laura Casey.


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## norton55 (Jan 10, 2006)

i am also outraged at this.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

Horrible.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I honestly don't know how these people can look themselves in the mirror.... 

I could not live with myself knowing that I hit someone and didn't stop....


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

The loss of any one human to a hit and run murderer is not acceptable, but when it becomes a pattern something should change. Have the police caught any driver who's murdered a cyclist recently? I'm thinking particularly about the cyclist who was killed in or near Martinez by a Chevy Silverado. 

As I understand it, there was a time if a pedestrian was killed, that they'd identify the type of vehicle by the debris, then pull the registrations of all that year/model/color and have probable cause to go take micro paint samples from them which are as distinctive as finger prints- supposedly even cars painted the same color the same day will have chemical differences. Of course they usually didn't have to go to the expense. When they told the owners what they were going to do they got confessions. If they're not doing this it sounds like our priorities aren't straight.


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## team_sheepshead (Jan 17, 2003)

My condolences to her family and friends.

I was involved in a hit-and-run in '04. Riding straight through an intersection, a black Honda turned left in front of me. It's right front fender hit me and I flew back at least 10 feet, landing on my back and head. As far as I know, the Honda never even slowed down. A fellow cyclist chased it, but it got away. I could have been dead, for all they cared.

The NYPD's attitude was ambivalent to put it mildly. Instead of treating this like assault with a deadly weapon, they basically took a report and shrugged. "We can't really do much without a license plate," they said. They wouldn't even bother to try to look at security camera tapes to ID the car.

The laws need to change. Period. If you hit someone and leave the scene of an accident, mandatory jail time.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

The driver of the first vehicle, the non-fatal hit, just turned herself in. She's being charged with hit-and-run (this better be a felony charge), vehicular manslaughter, and driving on a suspended license. There's a surprise.


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

brutal, ugh...


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

A suspended license, eh? Again, I remind everyone how lax driving laws are in the US. She should never be allowed to drive again, and should do serious time. But she won't. 




Dr_John said:


> The driver of the first vehicle, the non-fatal hit, just turned herself in. She's being charged with hit-and-run (this better be a felony charge), vehicular manslaughter, and driving on a suspended license. There's a surprise.


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## Tort (Nov 4, 2008)

Dr_John said:


> The driver of the first vehicle, the non-fatal hit, just turned herself in.


She just restored some of my faith in humanity. Though what she did is criminal and worthy of time in prison, she at least came forward to face her crime. Now if only the other party would feel enough remorse at having carelessly taken a life and fleeing the scene to come forward and face their punishment as well.


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## moschika (Feb 1, 2004)

filtersweep said:


> She should never be allowed to drive again, and should do serious time.


i think anyone who negligently kills someone with a car should face these consequences. though i'm sure it still won't stop people from getting behind the wheel.  

this kind of news really saddens me. having been hit several times, all pretty much hit-n-runs, i know i'm lucky to still be riding. i feel for those that aren't so lucky.


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## tjjm36m3 (Mar 4, 2008)

As unfortunate as this incident is, I'm not really surprised it was a hit and run considering the location is in Richmond. I don't want to start an internet war but there are some neighborhoods you just shouldn't ride your bicycle in. Richmond is one them so is East Palo Alto, and quite possibly Oakland. 

Years ago, my coworker got run over from behind in EPA where he goes through for a bike commute from Mountain View to Newark. Driver sped away and never caught. Fortunately my coworker wasn't seriously injured though he was out of work for a couple months. He didn't know what kind of car/truck it was as something fast came up behind him and knock him off his bike. He laid on the side of the road for 10 to 15 minutes while cars saw him but just drove by. It's unfortunate and it's sad to say there are some communities out there, even in the Bay Area, that just doesn't give a crap about others.


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## eraSSerhead (Dec 30, 2004)

tjjm36m3 said:


> As unfortunate as this incident is, I'm not really surprised it was a hit and run considering the location is in Richmond. I don't want to start an internet war but there are some neighborhoods you just shouldn't ride your bicycle in. Richmond is one them so is East Palo Alto, and quite possibly Oakland.
> 
> Years ago, my coworker got run over from behind in EPA where he goes through for a bike commute from Mountain View to Newark. Driver sped away and never caught. Fortunately my coworker wasn't seriously injured though he was out of work for a couple months. He didn't know what kind of car/truck it was as something fast came up behind him and knock him off his bike. He laid on the side of the road for 10 to 15 minutes while cars saw him but just drove by. It's unfortunate and it's sad to say there are some communities out there, even in the Bay Area, that just doesn't give a crap about others.


A valid point. But its a bit overwhelming to think that a person could take you down drive off and leave you for dead and just a few moments later another dead heart could come by and do just the same thing.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

It pretty much stops this sort of thing where I live, in Norway. After any accident with injuries, drivers receive a blood test and have their licenses suspended pending the outcome of the accident investigation-- (as they determine fault, etc.). 



moschika said:


> i think anyone who negligently kills someone with a car should face these consequences. though i'm sure it still won't stop people from getting behind the wheel.
> 
> this kind of news really saddens me. having been hit several times, all pretty much hit-n-runs, i know i'm lucky to still be riding. i feel for those that aren't so lucky.


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## Mattbikeboy (Feb 18, 2004)

Come on, it wasn't the driver fault... they were texting, eating, talking on the phone or whatever. I'm not making light of the situation. It seems that drivers are so pre-occupied with everything that it's no wonder more of us are run down. We almost witnessed /were part of something similar a couple of weeks ago. Our light turned green and as we were rolling out and clicking in a new Mercedes flew through the light (the dude was completely entranced by his cell phone or PDA). He never even looked up to see that light was red and we were already halfway through the first two lanes.

We were lucky, he was in the slow lane on the opposite side of the road. If he would have been in the North bound slow lane he would have gotten us for sure. 

It's about time that drivers are forced to take responsibility for their actions whether caused by stupidity or intent. It makes me mad when law enforcement lets driver get away with murder. I wonder what would happen a cyclist that took a shot at a random car. "Gee officer, I was riding down the street, playing with my gun and it accidentally went off and hit that person in the car." I don't think they would treat it the same as when a cyclist is run down by an automobile.

mbb


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

tjjm36m3 said:


> …so is East Palo Alto, … my coworker got run over from behind in EPA where he goes through for a bike commute from Mountain View to Newark.


East Palo Alto has really cleaned up substantially in the past 10 or so years.


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## cmdrpiffle (Mar 28, 2006)

*very sad*

Nothing to add...


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