Joggers and cars

When two women jogging on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point last year were hit by a car and critically injured, it sparked a debate in Orange County and beyond about joggers and cyclists sharing the road with cars. In Dana Point, officials plan to build a barrier between the roadway and the jogging lane. On Wednesday, the criminal case reached a head. According to AP:

A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges he plowed his car into two joggers and drove away, leaving them with paralyzing injuries. William Todd Bradshaw, 38, pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run causing permanent injury the same day his trial was scheduled to begin in Orange County Superior Court. He faces up to four years in prison when he is sentenced Feb. 23. Bradshaw was arrested in April 2006, nine days after plowing his car into the two women who were jogging on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point. He sped away and later abandoned his car near the highway, leaving inside his cell phone and other personal belongings. The women spent weeks in the hospital. Doctors said Stacy Neria, who was celebrating her 34th birthday when she was struck, suffered from damage to her brain stem. Carol Daniel suffered several injuries, including a broken neck. "This is not going to affect us at all," said Daniel’s husband, Craig, referring to the plea. "All the damage has already been done."

Comments

[Amanda]

Why Doesn’t LA have a Road Rage Hotline?

There have been times when other drivers have behaved so aggressively and dangerously that I wish there was a cop around to pull them over and issue a citation for road rage. Of course I never see a cop around, nor can I ever get the car’s license plate number to try to call it in. Today, however, I had my chance. I man at a gas station threatened my husband and I. It was completely unprovoked, we were jus pumping our gas, but were in his way of pulling straight through. Rather than ask us nicely to move, or back up like most people would do, he yelled obscenities at us and threatened to ram our car. We didn’t argue, just moved the car. However, I wrote down the license number, make and model of the car, and description of the man. I thought there has to be some sort of avenue to report this. This unprovoked verbal threat is a bit of a scare for us, but it was clear that this man is dangerous and probably a threat to other people daily. When I came home I called the non-emergency phone number for the LAPD. I asked if there was some sort of road rage hotline or a way to report that this man is dangerous. At the very least I hoped that his information could be recorded so that perhaps if he’s involved in some sort of crime, there’s a record of his aggressive behavior. I was told that sadly nothing like that exists. Unless an actual crime was committed, there was nothing I could do about it. I’m from Colorado, which doesn’t have near the road rage and traffic problems as Los Angeles. But, they do have a road rage hotline which has been very successful. Maybe Los Angeles should try it out. Rather than wait until someone is killed and charge a raging driver with vehicular manslaughter, let’s punish them before they actually take another’s life.