Panel Investigation and prosecution of bicycle crashes: Problems and solutions at the statewide Summit of the California Bicycle Coalition 11/9/13 in Oakland.
A well-known issue in creating safer streets is ensuring fair law enforcement and thorough investigations of crashes involving vulnerable users. This panel was organized by Steve Bingham, lawyer and father of Sylvia Bingham, killed in a truck/bicycle in 2009. Joining him as panelists were Miles Cooper, personal injury lawyer; Lois Heaney, President, National Jury Project; Leah Shahum, Exec.Director, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition; Ken Theisen, paralegal at Bay Area Legal Aid. For CBC’s summary of this panel, see Summary
Steve’s motivation to organize this panel arose from the tragic death of Amelie Le Moullac on Folsom St. in San Francisco in August 2013. She was killed in the same way as Sylvia, a right hook by a commercial box truck. The police conducted no serious investigation and concluded there were no security video cameras in the area. Amelie was immediately blamed by police for her own death. Nearly a week later, a SF Bicycle Coalition member found a video tape in ten minutes that conclusively showed the truck driver was to blame. (The video images would have been recorded over and lost the next day). The driver was then prosecuted. For information about the entire two-day CBC Summit, see http://www.calbike.org/ca-by-bike-2013-program-and-presentations-wrap-up
