Thursday, March 27, 2008

Shock, Then Sadness, Then Anger

I was making the blog rounds, and as always, Fixedgeargus was first on the list. I was shocked to read this. It started out as shock, then turned to sadness that Brandon had to go through this, then it turned to anger. How in the world does anyone hit a kid with a car and just drive away?

First of all it is illegal:


It doesn't matter to me that she stopped and gave out her phone number. She has an obligation to make sure he is o.k. and assist him if he's not. It seems clear that he was NOT o.k.

But beyond the criminal aspect, it's morally reprehensible to hit a kid on a bike with a car and just leave him there! When you go through something like this your adrenaline is pumping and you might be in shock. You can't know for sure if you're injured.

I hope that Brandon recovers from this quickly and the woman who hit him pays for his medical bills and a new bike. Whether she deserves criminal prosecution is up to law enforcement, but it seems to me that she did not fully live up to her obligations under the law.

Get well soon Brandon,
Bikesafer

Jeff

4 comments:

EXPO Racing said...

"it's morally reprehensible to hit a kid on a bike with a car and just leave him there!"

So true. I don't care how big and tough a 14 year old is trying to be. You hang around and see things right. You let the shock subside and do everything in your power to handle yourself as if you are the only adult on the scene. I just don't get it.

Shelley said...

Thanks Jeff!

Jeff said...

Shelley,
I know this just happened, and I'm not trying to push you in any particular direction, but if you want to consult with an attorney about this incident, I would contact www.bicyclelaw.com
The lawyer there is from Wisconsin and he should be able to put you in touch with a local lawyer who knows bike cases. I've consulted with him about an incident I was pursuing and he was great to deal with. Let me know if you need any more info or if there is anything we can do for Brandon.
Jeff

Gary Burkholder said...

"She has an obligation to make sure he is o.k. and assist him if he's not. It seems clear that he was NOT o.k."

I'm also guessing that even if Brandon was uninjured to the point where he was physically able to ride his bike to his destination, that his bike and/or helmet were damaged to the point that they were unusable. What did she expect for Brandon to do, walk home after she hit him??

Would she have left the scene after hitting and disabling another motor vehicle? Somehow, I doubt it.

Obviously, and thankfully, the witness was aware of the severity of the situation.