Driver sentenced for 45 years in Chicago road rage case

[Fausto]

You guys may remember this from last year. A fitting sentence for this asshole.


A 31 year old Chicago man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for killing 26 year old bicycle messenger Thomas McBride in 1999. Late last year, Carnell Fitzpatrick was found guilty of first degree murder after a jury deliberated for 16 hours over the case. He was considered for reckless homicide, a lighter charge than first degree murder, however the court eventually rejected the former after the killing was deemed to be deliberate.

Thomas McBride was killed on April 26, 1999, after being run over by Fitzpatrick in the 5300 block of West Washington Boulevard. The incident followed an earlier altercation between McBride and Fitzpatrick a few blocks away, where McBride had rapped on Fitzpatrick's Chevy Tahoe and abused him after being pushed close to the kerb. Fitzpatrick then followed McBride and bumped him, running him over. He then drove his car into a nearby alley to disentangle McBride's bike before driving home.

McBride died from the accident and Fitzpatrick later turned himself into the police. The subsequent trial was the first in which a motorist had been accused of killing a cyclist in a case of road rage. Eyewitness reports established the deliberate nature of the killing, forcing the jury to vote in favour of first degree murder instead of reckless homicide.

The 45 year sentence was handed down today by Cook County Circuit Judge Kenneth Wadas, who said that Fitzpatrick's act was "as intentional as it gets."

McBride's parents Robert and Ellen said that they felt justice had been done, while Fitzpatrick submitted a brief statement of apology: "I never had the intention to hurt or kill Tom. I'm sorry to the McBride family."

The judge was asked by Assistant State's Attorney Lynda Peters to impose a heavy sentence on Fitzpatrick in order to deter others from committing similar acts of road rage.

 

[Nitemare]

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.

 

[Fausto]

Nitemare: where the f*ck am I supposed to ride, if not on public roads? How am I supposed to do an 80-mile training road in a park? The cyclist was pissed off that the guy squeezed him and let him know about it. The motorist responded by running him over. How is that the cyclist's fault? It's ignorant people like you that are the accidents waiting to happen, my friend.

Fausto

 

[Nitemare]

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..

 

[pdo]

He would've get 3 years probation if he was O.J. Simpson.

 

[Hammer]

That cyclist should not have messed with that guys car. If someone were to 'rap' on my car, I would be extremely pissed. He was an idiot to challenge the guy in the SUV and paid the price.

 

[GSOYF]

The man got what he deserved....i think we should institute corporal punishment in this country......


And the stunad on the bike was a dumbass for pissing off the guy in the big truck.

 

[Kntx]

<< Stay on the sidewalk >>



It's illegal to ride on the sidewalk.


If you can't handle the responsibility of sharing the road with smaller vehicles (yes bicycles are vehicles, as defined by the highway traffic act in Ontario anyways) then perhaps you are the one who should stay off the road.



edited for spelling.

 

[Kntx]

<< That cyclist should not have messed with that guys car. If someone were to 'rap' on my car, I would be extremely pissed. He was an idiot to challenge the guy in the SUV and paid the price. >>



I hope you don't have a gun...

 

[Hammer]

Might makes right.

muhahaha...



<< If you can't handle the responsibility of sharing the road with smaller vehicles (yes bicycles are vehicles, as defined by the highway traffic act in Ontario anyways) then perhaps you are the one who should stay off the road. >>

 

[Gaard]

<< where McBride had rapped on Fitzpatrick's Chevy Tahoe and abused him after being pushed close to the kerb >>


Abused him = flipping him off? I probably would've done the same thing if I was pushed to the curb.

 

[Fausto]

Are you being serious or just trying to piss me off?

First of all, its illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk, what will it take to get this fact though motorist's heads!?!!?

Secondly, how many bike paths are there near you, and how many joggers/dogs/little kids do you have to dodge when riding on them. Trying to do serious training at 25+mph on these kinds of paths is totally irresponsible. I don't think you understand how many hours/miles per week of training it takes to be a competitive cyclist....believe me, this kind of stuff cannot be accomplished in a park.

Thirdly, I race both road and mountain bikes so I guess that makes me a "real man" in your eyes. However, ask any pro mountain biker where they do most of their training.....that's right, they do in on a road bike. Why? Because it's a more efficient way of building an aerobic base. They'll generally only ride off-road a couple times per week to maintain the riding skills needed.

Lastly, no cyclist in his right mind will ride on busy highways (there are roads here in Atlanta I won't go near because there just isn't room for a bike and a car). We don't like being buzzed any more than you motorists like us being there. However, on anything smaller than this road-wise, is it really such a big inconvenience to have us there? I mean, you see the cyclist, you slow slightly (sometimes) and pass him, you arrive at your destination 2-3 seconds later than you would have otherwise. Why is that such a big deal?

Besides, this wasn't a cyclist killed on a busy highway....this was a deliberate act. The motorist was pissed and crushed the guy, stopped to pull the guy's bike out from under his precious SUV and then went home. He deserved exactly what he got.

Fausto

 

[Nitemare]

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..

 

[Hammer]

I do. But let me clarify, I would be pissed, but not enough to kill the guy. Maybe just kick his ass and take the front tire to his bike. I was just saying the cyclist was an idiot to challenge someone in 2 tons of steel.

Btw, its frustating when you're heading to work and you see one bicyclist with a traffic jam behind him making hundreds of other late. I suppose thats why I have little sympathy.



<<

<< That cyclist should not have messed with that guys car. If someone were to 'rap' on my car, I would be extremely pissed. He was an idiot to challenge the guy in the SUV and paid the price. >>



I hope you don't have a gun... >>

 

[purplehayes]

<< 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. >>



I can get my bike past 20 MPH easy and I'm a suck cyclist. I've been up to 42 MPH before so don't be so quick to tell me how fast I can't go.

Too bad they didn't give the SUV driver the death penalty. If you're man enough to run over a guy on a bicycle you ought to be man enough to face the chair.

PH

 

[Fausto]

<< 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. >>



Kindly define "major road" for me. Last I checked, the only roads around me you can't take an 18-wheeler on are the ones in private communities. Virtually all of the roads I ride on could have the odd 18-wheeler on any given day. Granted, you won't ever see me riding down Peachtree street in downtown, but seriously.... My rule of thumb is that if the speed limit on the road is more than 45, I won't ride on it unless there's a bike lane or wide shoulder. I don't think that's so unreasonable. I understand what you're trying to say about "my protection" and all...which is why I adhere to this rule.



<< 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.. >>



No, he wasn't being civil. He was yelling at the guy and flipping him off. You know why we get so upset when threatened by a car? It's because we could DIE because some ass squeezes us because he doesn't think we should be on the road, or someone was dialing a cell phone, etc, etc. It's never just a fender-bender or scratched paint....it's literally the threat of death. Don't tell me you wouldn't react badly in a situation like that.

Fausto

PS- Hammer: f*ck you and your car. Killing someone for yelling at you or daring to touch your car/penis extension is ridiculous. Take your ignorance elsewhere.

EDIT: okay you wouldn't kill the guy. Great, that's so nice of you. As for the cyclist causing a backup.....maybe if the DOT weren't so focused on more and bigger roads and perhaps but a damn bike lane in once in a while everyone would be happy. We have a place to ride safely, and you aren't slowed by us being in your lane. And I'm sorry but might does not make right....the cyclist had every right to be pissed at the guy for squeezing him....being in a big truck doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want on the road when someone else has every legal right to be there.

 

[Nitemare]

I did not say the (driver)guy didn't deserve what he got. He did..he intentionally went after the guy. Road Rage should not be allowed..but then again..what did the bicyclist do..rapping on the window and abusing the motorist? Is that not a form of road rage?

They are both guilty of it..only the driver took it too far.

And here..I have been behind bicyclists on major highways and they are a major road hazard. I have lived in other cities where there is a 2-2.5 foot bike lane beside roads. This I have no trouble with, but sharing a major road with no room to pass nor enough space to slow down is asking for trouble. Cars and trucks can survive an accident, but bicyclists are pretty much SOL if they get hit...the same for motorcyclists. However unlike bicyclists, motorcyclists don't cause a major traffic jam by impeding traffic

 

[Gaard]

<< I suppose thats why I have little sympathy. >>

:disgust:

 

[mithrandir2001]

<< The judge was asked by Assistant State's Attorney Lynda Peters to impose a heavy sentence on Fitzpatrick in order to deter others from committing similar acts of road rage. >>


This is where I take issue. Harsh punishment is not a reliable method for the detering illegal activity, particularly road rage. I think this Fitzpatrick person just completely lost it and didn't consider at the time of his rage how many years in prison he would be getting. This wasn't pre-meditated activity...it just happened spontaneously. Not that I am brushing it under the carpet, but it seems to be an American thing to be "tough on crime" without understanding that it won't change the real causes.

 

[crystal]

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

 

[purplehayes]

<< This I have no trouble with, but sharing a major road with no room to pass nor enough space to slow down is asking for trouble. >>



If you can't pass, then don't! I have every right to ride by bike on just about every road but an interstate. Can you describe a situation when you don't have enough time to slow down? I don't think I understand you.

PH


<--Rode his bike to work for the last two days.

 

[Fausto]

<< And here..I have been behind bicyclists on major highways and they are a major road hazard. I have lived in other cities where there is a 2-2.5 foot bike lane beside roads. This I have no trouble with, but sharing a major road with no room to pass nor enough space to slow down is asking for trouble. Cars and trucks can survive an accident, but bicyclists are pretty much SOL if they get hit...the same for motorcyclists. However unlike bicyclists, motorcyclists don't cause a major traffic jam by impeding traffic >>



I think we're pretty much in agreeance here. Most of us will avoid bigger roads for precisely this reason. It's not fun to have 40 pissed-off motorists backed up behind you and missing you by 3 inches every time one goes by. It is sometimes unavoidable though, I commute by bike to/from work and this will occasionally happen....and these aren't major roads we're talking about...it's just the usual cluster-f*ck intown Atanta traffic on two-lane roads with 30mph speed limits. I'd love it if they'd ever put bike lanes in, but it ain't gonna happen. Too bad as Atlanta's smog problem isn't getting any better.

Fausto

 

[Hammer]

Fausto:

I'm sorry you're to f*cking stupid to know a sarcastic comment (re: the might makes right) . Good luck getting your GED dumb@ss. Did I say killing him was alright, f*ckwad? I said the guy was an idiot to challenge someone in an SUV, and he was. The SUV driver was an idiot for blowing it out of porportion. As for me getting pissed, how would you like if I walked up right in front of you and kicked your bike down hard? Let me guess, you would not get pissed, you would run and cry to your mother. Damn, there's some dumb mofos on this board!



<< PS- Hammer: f*ck you and your car. Killing someone for yelling at you or daring to touch your car/penis extension is ridiculous. Take your ignorance elsewhere.

EDIT: okay you wouldn't kill the guy. Great, that's so nice of you. As for the cyclist causing a backup.....maybe if the DOT weren't so focused on more and bigger roads and perhaps but a damn bike lane in once in a while everyone would be happy. We have a place to ride safely, and you aren't slowed by us being in your lane. And I'm sorry but might does not make right....the cyclist had every right to be pissed at the guy for squeezing him....being in a big truck doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want on the road when someone else has every legal right to be there. >>

 

[HappyFace]

They should have had forgiven each other and had 12 o clock cookies and tea.

 

[kranky]

I don't like getting stuck behind bikers either.

But they have every right to use the road (let's all agree we're not talking about interstate highways here), and that's the way it is. Most bikers are courteous enough to stay near the curb instead of in the middle of the traffic lane. To say they shouldn't use the road because it slows you down, or causes traffic backups, is ridiculous.

The only thing more ridiculous than that is the statement that "it's for their protection".

Let the drivers be cautious enough NOT to run down bikers. That's part of the deal when driving a vehicle.