This morning, while still half asleep and well before any coffee had been introduced to our system, Seattlest heard a news snippet on the radio that a "biker had pushed someone in front of a bus, and that person subsequently died." Or something close to that--they implied it was clear a biker was involved and likely at fault. This Seattle Times story isn't quite as straightforward about the details.
Not the best turn of events just after the Bike Master Plan meeting on Tuesday. Has anyone heard anything more about this? Drop us an email if you have.
Update: The police are apparently investigating this as an "accident" and a few eye witnesses apparently described the bike rider (as he left the scene and was subsequently chased down by a witness) as "wobbly" and therefore possibly intoxicated .
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The report I heard said the pedestrian was bumped by either a bike rider or other pedestrian and subsequently run over by an oncoming bus.
The PI (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/283319_busfatal31.html) states that the person arrested was on a bicycle and that they bumped the pedestrian into the street and under the oncoming bus.
Last nights local news had this story. At that time they weren't clear whether she was pushed on purpose or by accident. The only bike that was involved was the one he grabbed and fled the scene on.
The Seattle Times reported that the man was charged with second-degree manslaughter. I'm assuming second-degree means criminally negligent and not voluntary? All of the stuff I've been finding on Google about manslaughter don't make a first degree/second degree distinction, but rather voluntary/involuntary. Does anyone know what the difference between the two is in this state?
I'll be really curious to see what the specifics end up being on this. I'm obviously very pro-bike, but few city-related things piss me off more than cyclists on the sidewalk--I really hope that wasn't what was going on here.
As for the second-degree manslaughter charge, that is specifically what piqued our interest. Here's one concise definition we found, which defines it as "1) an intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned, nor committed in a reasonable "heat of passion" or 2) a killing caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's obvious lack of concern for human life." The latter sounds like it might be the latter...?
Courtney: I would guess that its the latter as well. My only thought is that maybe the bicyclist was doing something that was somehow negligent, like maybe waiting for the light to change while balancing in place or something. If they were doing that they could have lost their balance and knocked the person into the path of the bus. Pure speculation, but thats one way I could see negligence being criminal.
Maybe this incident could be an example pro-bikers could point to as they press for a meaningful master plan that would help to better segregate pedestrians, bicyclists, and automotive traffic? I think this is a good example of why the let-it-mix-together-and-it'll-sort-itself-out argument isn't really the safest...
I, personally, find bikes annoying in all their manifestions, sidewalk and street, but I recognize their right to exist.
That said, all you pro-bike people should keep your cool...yes, it appears that a bike caused a person's death last night, but cars kill people all the time.
It was an accident, plain and simple, and has no more to do with the inherent unsafeness of bikes than it has to do with the inherent unsafeness of curbs, rubber soled shoes, Metro buses, or for that matter life itself.