the news from last week that you probably didn't hear about, a drunk driver on June 7th, results in five funerals in Kalamazoo this week.

They are covered in flowers, ornaments, and handwritten notes. Throughout the day, people stop to look at them, to pay respects, and to confirm what happened on this road on Tuesday, June 7 was real.

Five bicycles, painted white.


9 cyclists on an early-evening group ride were struck by the driver of a Chevy Silverado 2500, right near the line where Kalamazoo ends and Cooper Township begins. Nine riders. All nine hit.

Four of the cyclists were injured and hospitalized.

Five were reported dead at the scene.

The southern Michigan bicycle group was planning to make a 28 mile trek from Kalamazoo to Plainwell (note: I lived there from 1975 to 1979) and back, when they were run down by a drunk man in a pickup truck.

3 separate calls had been made to police prior to 630 pm, reporting erratic driving by a pick-up truck of similar description through yards near homes. Many police were dispatched to find the drunk driver before he caused a tragedy, none succeeded.

Those killed and injured were members of the Chain Gang bike club, cyclists who liked to ride on Tuesday afternoons, enjoy the camaraderie of fellow riders, then have refreshments at the end of the ride.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/five-bicycles-in-kalamazoo-1465945453
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/06/07/police-least-8-victims-multiple-dead-after-car-hits-bicyclists-kalamazoo/85574556/
http://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/articles/lance-armstrong-why-i-went-to-kalamazoo-to-finish-the-ride-w210178
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2016/06/lance_armstrong_talks_about_ge.html

The crash appears to be the worst known in terms of cyclists killed in a traffic collision. 

The drunk driver had a previous DUI charge in Tennesee, and here is a photo of him from his facebook page. With a beer, and the truck

Ordinarily I wouldn't post a photo of the drunk... but I changed my mind when I saw this photo he posted Dec 2015

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2016/06/photos_of_damaged_bikes_pickup.html
http://heavy.com/news/2016/06/charlie-charles-e-pickett-jr-battle-creek-kalamazoo-bicycle-bike-crash-driver-suspect-name-victims-photos-facebook/

I will also take this moment to showcase the hatred out there for bicyclists, to call attention to the jackasses that feel entitled to the whole road, even when they are sober... here is what Marty Fine had to say on facebook:

Marty Fine As sad and tragic as this was...in turn the penalties for bicyclists not obeying the law should be enforced. Also if bicyclists want to use roads intended for motor vehicles, the should also have a license, registration and proof of insurance, and obey the rules of the road. I pay a lot of money to drive on these roads. Prayers to the victims in this situation.

My reply:
Good idea, take this tragedy, and show how much you hate people on bicycles who ride on roads. No doubt you'll be in the headlines as the next asshole that runs over bikers in a drunk rampage because you've got issues with how much road you feel entitled to. YOU pay a lot of money to drive on roads? Is there a toll for assholes?

https://www.facebook.com/KzooGazette/posts/10153485909451851

And Jeff Witwer left a comment, that you can better understand when you see this photo from his facebook page.

The carrot and stick approach to govt mandated safety bike helmets

It's coupons for ice cream if the Prince Edward Island (PEI) cops see you with a helmet, and a ticket for a $500 fine or an education session on why nosy do-gooders made the bike helmet law in Canada.

Sure, Canadians are the most polite, but damn, when some intrusive jackass decides what you have to do with your safety passes a law, they strap you to a cannon and lite the fuse.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/bicycle-helmet-enforcement-headway-1.3558294
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/charlottetown-police-didn-t-prioritize-bike-helmet-laws-this-summer-1.3246437
https://www.facebook.com/CBCPEI/?fref=nf

Kim writes: "But making helmets mandatory for bicyclists could backfire: While they no doubt help in a crash, a law about them would also send the message, that bicycling is an inherently dangerous activity. Many years ago in the UK, a study was made about the consequences of making bicycle helmets mandatory. Turned out that it'd cause so many people then not bicycle at all, that the overall health benefits would decline."

The assault with deadly weapon (car) and battery on cyclists in Brentwood case

Thompson, a 60 year old former emergency room physician testified that he and other Mandeville Canyon residents were upset that cyclists rode dangerously and disrespected residents and motorists along the street, a popular route for bike riders.

On the day of the crash, Thompson said he was driving down the road on his way to work when several cyclists swore at him and flipped him off as he called on them to ride single file.

But the cyclists said the doctor was acting aggressively, that he honked from behind them and passed by dangerously close before he pulled in front and braked hard.

A police officer told jurors that shortly after the crash that Thompson said he slammed on his brakes in front of the riders to "teach them a lesson."

One cyclist was flung face-first into the rear window of Thompson's car, breaking his front teeth and nose and cutting his face. The other cyclist slammed into the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder.

Prosecutors said Thompson had a history of run-ins with bike riders, including a similar episode four months before the crash when two cyclists told police that the doctor tried to run them off the road and braked suddenly in front of them.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott T. Millington called the case a "wake-up call" to motorists and cyclists and urged local government to provide riders with more bike lanes. He said he believed that Thompson had shown a lack of remorse during the case and that the victims were particularly vulnerable while riding their bicycles.

Thompson was given 5 years in prison in 2010 for a the 2008 event.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/cyclist-sentenced.html