Hit and Run Driver of cyclist found! (Houston, Howe: attorney, vs.)

[Neo45]

Houston will always be a car city. This will never change!! My heart goes out to that woman who died but Houston is probably one og the least bike friendly city in the country. I don't know what these bike activists are thinking!!

[Oildog]

Article said she was riding a bit after 10pm so not terribly late (Sad that someone was so drunk that early, they hit the woman). Waugh is a street with a fair amount of traffic (I drive there often) and technically bikes are entitled to a lane. One reason people want to live in this area is its proximate to many businesses and many can walk/bike to work and save money on a car.

With that said it is a risk to ride a bike on a major throughway, especially after dark. Riders should wear a helmet and reflective clothing that will help drivers see them, and maybe the frequence of this type incident can be reduced.

[houston-nomad]

Keep in mind that according to the article, the woman was so drunk she blacked only and the next day didn't really remember driving home. That's an "x factor"-- you can't control your behavior to protect against someone that drunk, it doesn't matter what the biker is wearing or what street you're on. Blaming the cyclist is simply wrong.

[AmILost]

Originally Posted by jerbear30

You are right about common sense, but by that logic, it is also common sense not to drive at 2am on a Friday night at all. What if someone who was driving rather than cycling on a Friday night was killed by a drunk driver. Would that have been the fault of the sober driver too? People put themselves at risk in all kinds of ways, everyday. Proportionally and per capita, it is actually riskier to drive than it is to cycle. That is, a greater number and percentage of drivers are killed by drunk drivers than the number and percentage of cyclists per year. This being the case, isn't driving even stupider than cycling? Once you introduce the idea of being "at risk" as the qualifying factor, logic goes out the window.


Btw, The last statement, "and let the flaming begin" just dismisses any criticism before examining it, which is a shame. It really does appear to me that your post is logically flawed in an important way that I don't think you will address. In essence, appealing to "common sense" is like appealing to God himself. It can't be known or proven and if it could the law would never have to intervene in the first place. As it is, the law does have to intervene, and blame does have to be assigned.

Good post.

[DanielWayne]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

Keep in mind that according to the article, the woman was so drunk she blacked only and the next day didn't really remember driving home. That's an "x factor"-- you can't control your behavior to protect against someone that drunk, it doesn't matter what the biker is wearing or what street you're on. Blaming the cyclist is simply wrong.

People aren't necessarily blaming the cyclist. They are pointing out how unfit Houston roads/culture are for bicyclists. I agree this needs to change, but as of right now this is exactly why I won't ride a bike in the street. Heck I am tailgated and cut off everyday in my truck. You have to be nuts to want to ride a bicycle in that.

I do hope justice is served for the victim that lost her life.

[lostboii]

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

Sadly, this woman is dead because she put her life in unnecessary danger.

She made the decision to ride her bike late at night on a busy street where drunks drive to/from bars.

Putting herself at further risk, reports say she may have been riding in the middle of Waugh and her bike may not have had proper lighting.

She lived 5 minutes away from her job, why not choose the safer option and walk? Her boyfriend was always home waiting for her after work, why didn't he walk over to her job (5 mins away) and walk her home?

She didn't have to ride her bike next to drunks. There were much safer options.

Just because bikers have the legal right to be on our streets doesn't mean they should.

BTW - Yes, I feel bad about her death and am sorry for her family. RIP Ms. Norman.

yikes i am a 23 year old guy who parties quite a bit and ur comment about the drunks driving is srsly Uwotm8?

[vegankris]

Thanks for posting this story. It's all over my fb wall :-). This is awesome police work and everyone in the cycling community is extremely grateful to HPD for putting together a very solid case against Chelsea's murderer. Finally her family and loved ones can have some peace.

I'd hoped when I opened this thread that people would be respectful to this girls family and all the pain and heartache they must be going through right now. But, sadly there are still people who prefer to use a tragedy like this to jump on their soapbox against cyclists. I just hope none of her family is reading city data forum.

[bayoubengal1982]

Originally Posted by vegankris

Thanks for posting this story. It's all over my fb wall :-). This is awesome police work and everyone in the cycling community is extremely grateful to HPD for putting together a very solid case against Chelsea's murderer. Finally her family and loved ones can have some peace.

I'd hoped when I opened this thread that people would be respectful to this girls family and all the pain and heartache they must be going through right now. But, sadly there are still people who prefer to use a tragedy like this to jump on their soapbox against cyclists. I just hope none of her family is reading city data forum.

I dont think anyone is on their soapbox against cyclists. Just pointing out the risks that they face when they choose to ride on busy streets.

[jerbear30]

Originally Posted by bayoubengal1982

I dont think anyone is on their soapbox against cyclists. Just pointing out the risks that they face when they choose to ride on busy streets.

Yeah, but driving is an even greater statistical risk. Every time I get into my Explorer and drive down Waugh (2x daily for me) I am at a greater statistical risk of dying than when I ride my bike down Waugh. This is not simply because of the greater number of drivers either, it is per capita. Cycling is simply statistically safer. Given these actual facts, why spend your time "pointing out" lesser risks and ignoring the greater ones? It doesn't make sense.

"Busy streets" by the way are not forces of god, like you make them seem. They are composed of drivers who, like cyclists, also must make choices. We cannot forget this and pretend that "busy streets" can't be held responsible for their actions. "Busy streets" in fact do not act at all, it is the people driving on them who act or don't act responsibly. There is no less choice or responsibility in being a driver than there is in being a cyclist.

I'm looking forward to your ad hominem attack, btw. Calling people's arguments "Crap" is a great way of avoiding what they're really trying to say.

[piyf]

Driver will get a slap on the hand. If you ever want to kill someone do it drunk with a car. The system is to easy on drunks who kill. She should get life in prison with no parole.