[ORRando] We should be outraged

Joanne Heilinger bikes8cats2 at yahoo.com
Tue Jan 31 16:18:51 PST 2012


My understanding is that the cyclist was heading west. Going west in the morning in January would not provide blinding sunlight in anyone's eyes unless it was reflecting in a rearview mirror. While riding this morning, I had sunlight in my eyes when I was traveling south and southeast. On the day of the accident there was a lot of fog on the east side of the Willamette River directly east of the area. It did not lift until almost 1 pm. But that was east of the river and about 4 miles away (as the crow flies). 


Joanne Heilinger
Keizer, OR



________________________________
 From: Ken Bonner <kenbonner at telus.net>
To: 'Susan Otcenas' <susan at teamestrogen.com>; 'OrRando' <ORRando at orrandonneurs.org>; bc-randonneurs at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 8:37 PM
Subject: Re: [ORRando] We should be outraged
 

Hi, Susan!
 
Thank-you for bringing this incident to our attention.
 
This is appalling!   I sent my concern to the Polk County Administrator  http://www.co.polk.or.us/contact  requesting that the Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor review this situation with a view to laying the most severe charges possible; at a very minimum,  the equivalent of driving without due care and attention.   I also suggested that the review might give consideration to the North American cycling community, many of which spend many tourist dollars in Oregon.    
 
I also stated that from my experience driving 18,000 miles a year; and, cycling about the same amount, in British Columbia, Washington State, Oregon & California, that with few exceptions, operators of full-size pick-up trucks appear to be somewhat mentally-challenged, aggressive drivers. 
 
A couple of years ago one of our B.C. randonneurs was struck by a car after passing by the vehicle while it was stopped at a STOP sign.   This was in California.  I don’t know if charges were laid.   I understand the driver claimed they did not see the cyclist, but I don’t know if they claimed it was because of weather conditions or not.   Another of our prominent local (Victoria) randonneurs was dragged under a pick-up truck after it proceeded through a red traffic light – apparently, his defense was that he did not see the cyclist, or the red traffic light.
 
I hope the family of this cyclist gets a good lawyer to go after a VERY large, punitive lawsuit.
 
…  Ken
 
Ken Bonner (RUSA #894; UMCA #1698; CKAP #1255; BC Randonneur #219)
2609 Orchard Avenue
Victoria, British Columbia
V8S 3B2
CANADA
Tel: 1-250-598-4135
 
From:orrando-bounces at orrandonneurs.org [mailto:orrando-bounces at orrandonneurs.org] On Behalf Of Susan Otcenas
Sent: January 30, 2012 4:41 PM
To: OrRando
Subject: [ORRando] We should be outraged
 
http://www.newsyamhillcounty.com/archives/4718
 
"So, they said, Epperson would likely have been riding partially in the travel lane.   For that, deputies did not charge Taylor with a crime.  "
Apparently, riding in the travel lane is reason enough to not cite someone for killing a cyclist in Polk County.  Appalling.
Susan
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Team Estrogen, Inc.
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877-310-4592
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