Driver sentenced for 45 years in Chicago road rage case

[Hammer]

Is there another source? That site looks biased.



<< anybody want to read more of the story? >>

 

[rahvin]

Nitemare,

As a highway engineer I recognize the sections of state code you are quoting. They deal with what is called access controlled facilities. To give state DOT's teeth in enforcing their access control policies most of these policies were enacted as part of the state code. Hence when you quote one single paragraph from a section without looking at the section you are referncing you don't realize that you are in fact refering to the section on access control that is reserved for higher speed facilities. Those facilities are typically in the national system as either a US route or an Interstate. Some states have additional access controlled state routes. Unless there is an ACTUAL speed minimum sign posted (all facilities with statutory restriction on speed minimums should have signs up) on the facility and the slower transportation device is sticking to the right lane (except when turning left) then in fact they CANNOT be tickected. (otherwise mail trucks would be getting a lot of tickets)

Irregardless this happened on a fvcking local street cause the jackass pulled into an alley to take the guys bike out from under his car. What you fail to realize is that after pushing the biker to the curb and almost causing the biker to wreck the biker CAUGHT up to the driver again. I've dropped into low gear and caught people that did sh!t like that to me too. Bikes are allowed to use the public roads, that is why they are called PUBLIC. Get it through your thick skull. And I'll say it again, you are one fvcking loser if you think that someone is justified in commiting murder.

 

[Hammer]

No ones saying it was justified.

 

[Ultima]

<< Not to make the light of the situation, but what the hell was the bicyclist thinking when he was trying to tell a man in a big truck what to do....

I don't know the whole story, but I don't really think bicyclists need to be on public roads. They are accidents waiting to happen. >>



I don't think SUV's, trucks, ricers, hell, I don't think any car should be on public roads. They are just accidents waiting to happen. They don't even pay the true cost of driving, and too many people die from car accidents. Ban roads to cars and let pedestrians and bicyclists take over. Don't forget special Segway lanes.

 

[Ultima]

<< It's legal to ride a goat down the middle of the road as well, but nobody does it either now do they?

Bicycles on major roads are an antiquated form of transportation that need to be removed. Any road in which an 18-wheeler is authorized to drive on should be illegal for vehicles that can go no faster than 20 mph.

Before you get pissed...this is for your protection..A truck is not going to jack-knife to miss a bicyclist..The bicyclist will be dead and the motorist will be facing vehicular manslaughter charges because of an old law saying any friggin vehicle can use a road whether it be a truck, car, bicycle...or Mary pulling Suzy in her new Radio Flyer...

As I said before I don't know the details in the situation..don't know what the road was like, nor do I condone him going after the poor fellow and running him over. I'm sure when the bicyclist was rapping on the drivers window he wasn't being nice and civil...bicyclists, even those that post on here, take offense at the drop of a hat.. >>



Actually, it is automobiles that are the antiquated form of transportation. The US has managed its infrastructure poorly, which is why people there are so "dependant" on the car, yet really they are not. It has been proven that more highways create more congestion, therefore the proper solution is to provide attractive solutions to get people out of their cars and into trains and bikes. Really, do you really need a car to pick up a bag of milk at the local convenience store? Think about it... the car has appeal to everyone yet leads to a decadent style of living. Cars work great... when you're the only one on the road. But their disadvantages far outweigh their advantages. The automobile lifestyle isn't sustainable, and either the US will suffer the price of a WTC death toll every day from automobiles, the consequences of oil on the world and oil money in the hands of less than reputable nations, and the problems of urban sprawl and segregation between the rich suburbs and the poor inner city. If the US doesn't start gearing its industry toward something more sustainable in the long term, then it simply won't be competitive with say, the EU.

Btw I'm not some anti-car guy, I love cars on he contrary but I don't see them being sustainable in the future...

 

[Jerboy]

<< Not to make the light of the situation, but what the hell was the bicyclist thinking when he was trying to tell a man in a big truck what to do.... >>





<< I don't really think bicyclists need to be on public roads. >>



Neither does cell-phone yakker SUV drivin' soccermom, road morons and people with anger management problems behind the wheel

They're crash or crime waiting to happen.

 

[Ultima]

<< This guy got way too stiff a penalty. And if a 'vehicle' doesn't require a licence plate, or a licenced operator, it shouldn't be on the road. Period. >>



uh huh, too stiff a penalty for murduring someone? Why don't you think about that for a sec.. actually no, write it down, and the day you have a kid and that kid is run down by some f!cked up motorist you'll have something to remember.

 

[Ultima]

<<

<< Hey Nitemare, I have this 18 wheelers, you better get off the road with your car when I drive down the road... >>



Hey crystal, heres a quarter buy a clue..You couldn't drive you way out a wet paper bag. Think before you type.

I've driven big trucks before as well as bicycles when I was a kid. There are roads that are prohibited for 18 wheelers to drive on...weight as well as neighborhood restrictions. I did not bike in non-residential neighborhoods nor in busy roads.

He was guilty but does he need to be crucified and made an example of? How friggin fair is that? You can kill someone with your barehands in front of a bunch of little hockey kids and walk in 3 years with parole, but lose your head for a second and sideswip a A-Hole bicyclist and you get 45 years. He's guilty yes...but not as guilty as the hockey dad that got a slap on the wrist >>



Only 3 years?wtf??I haven't heard about this, but that is truly messed up.Maybe they should clear some room in the jails by releasing the harmless criminals like the pot smokers and stuff like that, so the real criminals can pay.

 

[HOWITIS]

the guy shouldn't have killed him, but did what i do. lay on the horn untill the dick gets out of the way.

 

[Jerboy]

<< The car factored in as a deadly weapon, the hockey dad used his hands. >>



Exactly.

Anyone using motor vehicles as a weapon should be given exact same sentences as people using guns as a weapon.

 

[HappyPuppy]

Has he met Bubba the Big Bad Behemoth yet?

 

[Jerboy]

<< This guy got way too stiff a penalty. And if a 'vehicle' doesn't require a licence plate, or a licenced operator, it shouldn't be on the road. Period. >>



Amount of damage capable of between cars and bikes are very different.

180lbs(bike+rider) going 25mph: 81.8kg x 11.2^2=10.26KJ

5000lbs(SUV) going 60mph: 2268kg x 26.82^2=1630KJ(at 100mph, 4,480KJ), about 160times the energy of bicycle.


On a bike, no matter how angry you are, you are limited to your own power and you have no chance of being in control of something that posseses 5MJ of kinetic energy.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Bicycles on roads cause accidents. Anyone/anything playing in the road that's not keeping up with the flow of traffic causes accidents. It doesn't matter that the bike itself can't do too much damage on its own. Neither can a deer, but get a car involved and you can easily end up with one or more people dead. And the guy got too stiff a penalty. He killed someone, yes. But it wasn't premeditated murder. And I cannot justify why in this case the guy got 45 years and the hockey dad got, what, 6? They both should have gotten 20 to 30 for what was essentially the same crime, someone pissed them off and they killed them, regardless of whether any 'weapon' was used or not.

 

[Jerboy]

<< They both should have gotten 20 to 30 for what was essentially the same crime, someone pissed them off and they killed them, regardless of whether any 'weapon' was used or not. >>



I disagree.
You're basically saying someone who gets heated in a flesh-to-flesh fight that went out of the hands and resulted in dealth and a guy who gets pissed and shoots someone with a firearm should be charged equally.

 

[Jfur]

<< How bout a bike trail or be a real man and go cross-country biking..

bicycles do not need to be on the road with 2/3 ton SUV's, 18-wheelers and everything else..I can see them in a nice quiet community, but not on a frequented highway. Cars and trucks need time to stop, bicycles don't necessarily give them appropiate ammount of braking distance required to stop...This is why cars and vehicles are required to drive a certain limit so as to keep with the flow of traffic.

Stay on the sidewalk, find a park, find a community..but stay off the frequented roads.. >>



That's complete bs. Why don't you get out of your big gas guzzling death trap? :| Even where there are marked bike lanes, most motorists are too selfish and/or ididitic to give bicyles their legal right of way.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

I hate it when those stupid bikers think they own the road and ride right in the middle of the lane leaving u no room to pass them up. If they get hit by cars it's their fault, they should ride on the freakin sidewalk or something or go ride some mountain trails. Just stay the hell off our busy streets.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

<< I disagree.
You're basically saying someone who gets heated in a flesh-to-flesh fight that went out of the hands and resulted in dealth and a guy who gets pissed and shoots someone with a firearm should be charged equally. >>



Yes, why not? If the same state of mind, intent if you will, existed in both cases.



<< That's complete bs. Why don't you get out of your big gas guzzling death trap? Even where there are marked bike lanes, most motorists are too selfish and/or ididitic to give bicyles their legal right of way. >>



How the hell is it BS? If they'd stick to roads with bike lanes there wouldn't be a problem. These assholes get out there and try to run with the big boys on the highway and it damn near serves them right if they get hit. They have absolutely no business being out there. Same with dumbass joggers, although most of them have enough sense to get the hell over if they need to. Hobbies/sports/excercise have no place on busy public roads. And you can bitch about legal right of way all you want, I used to ride a motorcycle, and I'll tell you right now if I had relied just on my legal right of way to keep my ass safe I'd be dead four or five times over by now. Most motorists are stupid and selfish, half of them probably don't belong on the road, but they are there, and you riding a bike around them isn't going to magically make them any better.

 

[VPNightshade]

<< No ones saying it was justified. >>



Agreed. No one here is condoning murder. Both of them were in the wrong. The guy in the car for squeezing him and the cyclist whom was stupid enough to antagonize the situation by chasing him down and rapping on his car. Obviously the guy was the type who could care less about whether he endangered the cyclist to begin with. There is also something called taking the guys license plate number down and calling the cops.

45 years was exactly what this motorist deserved. He committed MURDER and road rage is a problem in this country. It should not be tolerated. There are way too many rude, thoughtless, I-care-less about other members of the human race type- people who when they get behind a couple thousand pounds of metal get a God complex and think they own everything in their sight. They cut-off, tailgate, scream at, cuss at, flip-off etc. etc. other drivers. This type of person doesn?t think twice of driving over a person on a bicycle ? hey less damage to their vehicle than driving over another car. This thought still doesn?t take the stupidity factor out of the bicyclist chasing down this type of person and beating on their precious car. Like I said ? call a cop. It?s better than losing your life.

BTW ? I am not a cyclist but I do respect their right to use the roads.

VP

 

[Ultima]

<< I hate it when those stupid bikers think they own the road and ride right in the middle of the lane leaving u no room to pass them up. If they get hit by cars it's their fault, they should ride on the freakin sidewalk or something or go ride some mountain trails. Just stay the hell off our busy streets. >>



When they ride there, it's probably because the lane is too narrow or there are obstructions on the side. Also, why don't you try biking, you'll be taking YOUR car off that street and the street will be that less busy

Edit: You know when you pull out of a driveway and you have a habit of stopping on top of the sidewalk and poking into the street? Yeah? That's the reason why people don't (and are not allowed to by law, besides the fact that its common sense) ride on sidewalks.

 

[rahvin]

<< He killed someone, yes. But it wasn't premeditated murder. >>



Yes it was. He chased the guy down for nothing more than a finger and proceeded to run him over in a car. If you gave someone the finger somewhere and they followed you then ran you over in a car you wouldn't call that premeditated murder? Maybe you missed the part where the guy AFTER running the cyclist over pulled over in an alley to untangle the bike before GOING HOME. He didn't call for emergency help for the cyclist that had just been run over and he didn't hang around for the cops. This was anything but an accident it WAS premeditated murder. The driver obviously had every intention of running the guy over.



<< How the hell is it BS? If they'd stick to roads with bike lanes there wouldn't be a problem. These assholes get out there and try to run with the big boys on the highway and it damn near serves them right if they get hit. They have absolutely no business being out there. Same with dumbass joggers, although most of them have enough sense to get the hell over if they need to. Hobbies/sports/excercise have no place on busy public roads. And you can bitch about legal right of way all you want, I used to ride a motorcycle, and I'll tell you right now if I had relied just on my legal right of way to keep my ass safe I'd be dead four or five times over by now. Most motorists are stupid and selfish >>



Those last two words decribe you perfectly. You don't own the road, the public roads are for use by the entire specturm of the public. Anyone that thinks otherwise is like you described in your last two words.



<< Agreed. No one here is condoning murder. Both of them were in the wrong. The guy in the car for squeezing him and the cyclist whom was stupid enough to antagonize the situation by chasing him down and rapping on his car. >>



NOTHING EVER JUSTIFIES KILLING ANYONE. If someone gives you the finger you don't resort to violence. Words aren't damaging. My god I can't believe the morals of the people posting in this thread. Violence NEVER solved anything!!!!!

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

<< You don't own the road, the public roads are for use by the entire specturm of the public. >>



PLEASE back this up and go play in some traffic.

 

[VPNightshade]

<< Agreed. No one here is condoning murder. Both of them were in the wrong. The guy in the car for squeezing him and the cyclist whom was stupid enough to antagonize the situation by chasing him down and rapping on his car. >>





<< NOTHING EVER JUSTIFIES KILLING ANYONE. If someone gives you the finger you don't resort to violence. Words aren't damaging. My god I can't believe the morals of the people posting in this thread. Violence NEVER solved anything!!!!! >>



Agreed. Please continue to read the rest of my post before you question my morals. Words aren't damaging but they are provoking. Nevertheless it doesn't change the fact that when a person with a weapon pisses you off (knife, gun, 5000 lbs of metal i.e.: car) you are STUPID if you chase them down to try to make your point. Let the law handle it. It's their job. BTW: I am perfectly convinced that the driver INTENDED to run over the guy on the bicycle. So you are right about premeditated murder.

VP

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

U wanna ride your bike, go to the mountains or some less busy roads or somethin. Just stay the hell off of our busy streets where there are lots of cars and you will be in danger if you try to ride in the middle of freakin traffic.

 

[Croton]

Some ignorant & self-righteous people here.

and btw,

GO FAUSTO!

 

[misterj]

lol

drivers: share

bikers: stay outta the way

drivers: deal with it

bikers: get a horn

everyone: dont touch my car