To the editor:

So a bicyclist was struck from behind and killed by a motorist who was talking on his phone and adjusting his audio system. No criminal charges will be filed against the driver. Instead the DA will return the case to sheriff officers, suggesting the driver be charged for not wearing a seat belt and for unsafe overtaking/passing.

This death, though clearly unintentional, resulted from gross negligence. Unintentional, however, cannot mean not illegal. But seat-belt violation and unsafe passing? What of a driver’s responsibility for the safety of others who properly use our roads?

Not long ago a driver in a van made a right turn and ran over a child on a bicycle. He clearly did not see the child. The child died. Again, criminal charges were not filed. A bush was said to possibly have obstructed the driver’s view.

Our most recent victim was not a child riding as children often do; it was instead a sheriff’s deputy enjoying a morning workout on his bike. I believe we can safely assume he was riding both attentively and within the rules of the road. Now he is dead.

This is not a call for revenge. It’s a call for justice and common sense. Civil society requires accountability. Cars can easily kill. Drivers have no less responsibility for their safe use than hunters do for their guns. Walkers, joggers and bikers are not just annoyances; they are our children, our family and our friends.

Please protect them and drive responsibly.

Gary Long,
Lawrence