Physician convicted in cycling case

A physician accused of deliberately injuring two cyclists by slamming on his car’s brakes on a narrow Brentwood road last year was convicted Monday of assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem and other serious criminal charges.

The three-week trial of Dr. Christopher Thompson drew close attention from cyclists, many of whom viewed the case as a test of the justice system’s commitment to protecting cyclists.

Thompson, wearing a dark blue suit, bowed his head as the verdicts were read. He faces a possible prison term.

Prosecutors alleged that on July 4, 2008, Thompson stopped his car after passing the two cyclists and shouting at them to ride single-file. One cyclist ran face-first into the rear windshield of the doctor’s red Infiniti, breaking his front teeth and nose, and leaving his face scarred. The other was sent hurtling to the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder.

A police officer testified that Thompson told him soon after the accident that the cyclists had cursed at him and flipped him off, so he slammed on his brakes “to teach them a lesson.”

Thompson, a veteran emergency room physician, testified that he had never meant to hurt any of the cyclists. He said he and other residents were upset at unsafe cycling by some riders along Mandeville Canyon Road, a winding, five-mile residential street that has become an increasingly popular route for cyclists. But they had struggled to identify problem riders.

Thompson told jurors that he stopped his car so that he could take a photo of the cyclists he had overtaken and believed he had left enough room for them.

Prosecutors alleged Thompson had a history of run-ins with bikers, including a similar episode four months before the 2008 collision, when two cyclists told police that the doctor tried to run them off the road and braked hard in front of them. Neither of the riders was injured.

-- Jack Leonard

Comments

[kooo]

Even if the doctor was in the wrong, I feel sympathy for him...
Cyclists, who don't any of you feel that the STOP sign or RED light does not apply to you?

[Me]

All to the good ...

[Jens Peermann]

He should loose his physician license as well since he deliberately injured two people, which violates the oath of Hippocrates. Wether he did it in the capacity of a physician or in the capacity of a motorist doesn't matter.

[danceralamode]

I'm glad the jury had the courage and intelligence to see through the doctor's pitiful story and convict him. This is definitely a win for cyclists everywhere. Let's hope this can also be a positive thing, raising awareness of cyclists on the road and making motorists more aware and careful when driving near cyclists.

[Robert NO longer in LA]

In prison, he can study PROCTOLOGY, up-close and personal....he DESERVES PRISON!

[John Cork]

This is a huge victory for justice! Thank you to the prosecutors for hard work on this case, and, please, please, everyone needs to understand—roads are for ALL wheeled vehicles - not just cars. They are not for chatting on cell phones. They are not for texting. They are not for racing. Here's to making LA safer for cyclists!

[kristin]

I'm glad the jury came to the right conclusion. The roadway is supposed to be shared by both cyclists and motorists.

[dave]

The rear window of a car is not a windshield. It doesn't shield anyone from the wind, unless you're driving very very fast in reverse.

[Phil]

This doctor should be sentenced to at least a couple years in jail, followed by a year of public service promoting bicycle safety. What a loser!

[Jerry Gonzalez]

This man is an obvious danger to society. He needs to be put away. It's very blatant he injured people on purpose and will continue to do so.

[vinman]

He just wanted to stop and have a nice chat with the cyclists and teach them a lesson on road etiquette..yeah right, I'm glad the jury didn't buy that baloney either. You almost take out one person trying to teach them a lesson, that might be a temporary loss of insanity, but three separate times? The guy was lucky he didn't kill someone and he definitely has anger management issues and probably should have his license revoked as well. Good thing he wasn't acquitted because the next cyclist to encounter him on the road would probably be not so fortunate as to only have his face reconfigured.

Good work, but a friendly reminder to my fellow cyclists; always pays to be polite and not angry.

[Andy]

Thank goodness - perhaps now we can coexist on the road. I don't think jail is appropriate, but this 'doctor' needs to answer for what he did.

[markiejoe]

Throw this belligerent nimrod M.D. in jail for a while. And while you're at it, check to see if he's stealing oxycontin from the hospital.

[Adam Rakunas]

Justice! Even if this scumbag gets probation, he's going to have those felony convictions follow him for the rest of his miserable days.

[suicide]

good

[Randy Hunt]

temper, temper!

[Don]

This "doctor" MAY face prison time?? May?!?

This scumbag human filth needs to be removed from the streets, and society.

For a very long time.

[Syed Mahmood]

Good. Serves him right.Send him to Jail for couple of years.With their big cars, big egos and fat pockets,they think they are God damn Gods.

[lwps]

Such a waste. An MD who won't be working in the emergency room anymore. He brought it all on himself -- on July 4, a day that should have been full of celebration and joy.

[Anusia]

What is the world coming to?
Even doctors are predators these days.
In LA, you have to be vigilant at all times; you never know when you will run into a maniac. Eventually it's just bound to happen.

[Mae]

Good verdict! I hope this guy pays dearly for his crime!

[Mark]

Great news!

This portly fellow will have to face up to his lies and maliciousness.

[mizzle]

This murderous doctor is the scum of the Earth. It makes me long for sharia law, which would cut off his nose, knock out his teeth and break his shoulder, just as he did to his victims. Let's see if he even gets the jail time he so richly deserves.

[PT1]

Well done. Say what you will about people who ride bikes, violence is never the answer. A prison term is in order.

[Bob]

About time. Why is it when you assault someone with a 16 oz gun it is a crime, but when you do it with your 1/2 ton vehicle it is an "accident?"

Just desserts for this Dr. who wanted to "teach them a lesson" just like any another gangster roaming the streets with a weapon.

[Sheena]

GOOD! I am glad he was found guilty. As a car driver, I don't want to share the road with someone who would behave this way to ANYONE regardless of their mode of transport.

[2 cents]

great - now every jerk bicyclist on the westside of town will feel empowered to ride down the middle of the street - just like that guy on Westwood every night

[Taylor Nichols]

H. G. Wells said, "Every time I see an adult on bicycle I no longer despair for the future of the Human race." Bicycles have the power to transform individuals and the city of Los Angeles, we must continue to work together within the cycling community and with its car culture to realize the potential of bike travel. Today's guilty verdicts for Dr. Thompson are a relief for all of us who brave the roads, but also a call to continue the fight and live up to the responsibility of cyclists rights. George Orwell might have said, "Four wheels good, Two wheels better."
Taylor Nichols

[Rob the Planner]

Great news. Too many drivers who kill or injure cyclists get off uncharged. It's satisfying to know that this particular road-rager will, hopefully, spend some years behind bars.
Does anyone know where we can address letters to encourage the judge to give this creep the maximum penalty? I hope many people from the cycling community do this.

[Peter]

As a cyclist, I get just as annoyed at groups of riders who feel they can take up a whole lane of traffic. Selfish cyclists who need to carry on a conversation while they ride, ignoring all the traffic around them, give all riders a bad name.

That being said, Dr. Thompson actions are un-excusable, and I hope he serves time.

People just don't realize how fast bikes can go and how much damage can be caused in what is otherwise a minor accident (I know, I was in the hospital for 6 days when I guy in a parked car opened his car door right in front of me). When it's car against bike, the bike always loses!!

[G-Money]

I am SO glad that this creep was found guilty.

He should be be forced to ride a bicycle to and from work. Then someone can do the same to him, except jam it in reverse so he ends up a pancake.

[Bill Smith]

This "doctor" deserves the maximum prison sentences served consecutively. Cyclists have been fearful of this guy before he caused this horrible, disfiguring assault with a deadly weapon. People can return to enjoying riding their bikes on Mandeville Canyon, a public street, without worrying about this threat to public safety. Ride on!

[AB]

As a serious rider on both the road and the dirt, super happy to hear that for once, a driver who aggressively attacks a cyclists (which happens all too often) will be punished.

A request for fellow riders: PLEASE stop running red lights and stop signs. It just fuels fires like the one in the heart of this idiot. When drivers give you extra room, give them a thank you wave. And when you are attacked, fight back with your brains. Call 911 and report the plate, so when the aggressor eventually pulls a move like this he gets a sentence like this.

Happy trails all. - AB in Santa Barbara

[Baronpilot]

Justice, sweet justice.

Have a nice time in Jail.

I'm sure he has already transferred every penny he has to his wife, who has divorced him so she can keep the dough. Hopefully the cyclists will be able to claw some back.

Why not let some LA Bike clubs have fun with the guy for a few hours of hazing and abuse?

Sub-human douche bag.

[Ty]

While driving, I am always concerned for other people and there safety. There are people, unfortunity, believe they are entitled. Maybe most the time they are legally so. Some situations are the most inconvient and frustrating for the auto driver. I ride a bike (not as much anymore) and walk, crossing streets. I watch carefully as not to get tangled with at car. For getting hurt once is a lifetime event that cannot be fixed. I won't be the one involved or create a bad situation, but some of the entitled should be more careful and watch out for the nuts.

[David]

While the doctor's actions were completely reprehensible, the behaviour of the cyclists wasn't exactly model either. Being a cyclist myself, I have seen many of my fellow cyclists whose sense of entitlement isn't exactly sterling. A change of attitude needed on both sides, I think. And why is it so difficult for cyclists to ride single file when a automobile needs to pass?? Yet, on many group rides, I've seen cyclists just ignore the motorists, and even get uppity with them. No wonder they get so mad.

On the other hand, a headline you never see is... "Motorist killed in collision with cyclist."

[Edward]

This will be reversed on appeal. Notwithstanding the verdict, the law has always been clear - the "vehicle" in back, including cyclists, have the responsibility to leave enough room in case of sudden braking. If a car hits you from behind, and you hit the guy in front of you -- guess what, it's your fault.

Not legally, but I will also fault the city and state for letting such tensions and legal confusion fester until it reached this stage. It's sad for everyone all around, and was perfectly avoidable if it had been addressed properly.

[Nancy R.]

Finally, justice for the countless cyclists among us who have been injured or come near to great injury because of drivers like Christopher Thompson. Many thanks to the all the jurists on the case for their guilty verdict. Let's now hope that it sends a message to other drivers who use their cars as deadly weapons against folks. And that the judge will sentence appropriately, and not let him off with a slap on the hand...

[Seth]

Good he deserves to sit in prison for what he did. He's lucky nobody died.

[JD]

I hope that his drivers license is suspended past his prison term..maybe he'll have to start commuting on a bike.

[in support of the DOCTOR]

NO jail time!

[Jere]

Justice is served.

[Donald]

Couldn't have happened to a less nice person. Justice is done. I'm not even a biker, but this guy sounds like a misreable human being. Before all do no harm. Remember that saying, loser?

[Rastus Jazzbo]

If Dr. Thompson had matriculated at USC he'd have gotten off scot-free and been handed a golden trophy by the NCAA.

[Velocentric]

OH SNAP!
Thank you LA Jurists. This isn't about bikes vs cars, its about respect for others and for human life. Felon Thomson demonstrated only a narcistic hatred for anything or anyone who dared impede his path. Some people actually believed his murderous attack was justified. Thank you for demonstrating that acting on those impulses against vulnerable road users is not acceptable in a civilised society.

[Zé]

important decision. i'm glad the right one was made

[Viejo Vizcacha]

And he is a physician!?
Throw him in, to rot! Throw him to the gangs. Without mineral oil.
Consider that the weasel had had trained before; he had slammed his brakes before other cyclists before; he had had time "to reflect" how to cause damage this second time around.
And don't forget to sue him for pain, suffering, loss of income, loss of enjoyement of life, defiguration, medical treatments, prothesis, implants, psychology treatment(s), and infringement of freedom of speech and freedom of expression (flipped him off).

[Paul]

Cyclists shouldn't blow through stop signs and ride in traffic lanes, period. That being said, you'd think if you can afford to live in Mandeville Cyn, where none other than the Governor of California has a compound, life would be sweet enough that you wouldn't need to harass cyclists. Not so, apparently.

[Jomica Man]

I've been following this story very closely, as I'm a bike rider for over 45 years. This person, regardless of the fact that he is a Doctor, was convicted based on the obvious evidence. He is most likely one of many thousands of jerks on the road in Southern California that have little consideration for bike riders. I hope he gets some significant jail time for his actions. I personally would hit him in the wallet, via a law suite, that has 100% merit.

Actually, this also applies to the jerks(male & female) with no consideration for pedestrians. Sometimes pederstrians don't walk fast enough for these morons.

[Mike]

A good day for cyclists in LA! No one should be allowed to use a car to intimidate anyone, for any reason. This type of behavior is abhorrent, particularly from someone who has taken an oath to heal people. I hope he faces some type of disciplinary action from the medical board.

[John L. Mendez]

As a Christian, I strive not to judge others, lest I be judged by the standard I apply. Therefore, I sincerely pray Dr. Christopher Thompson repents for his sins against cyclists and accepts Jesus as his Lord. Amen.

[Steve Itano]

It is great to see this verdict. Also now there is a president concerning dangerous behavior by automobile driver towards cyclist. Now law enforcement can no longer ignore the complaints that many cyclist have had about situations like this. Hopefully this will help make the roadways safer for both pedestrians and cyclist.

[scott myklebust]

thought you might have been following this case and jury reacheda verdict today. Marla

[Tip And Ring]

You really have to ask what was he thinking when he hit the brakes? Maybe he thought they'd dodge him like a previous altercation.

I love his lawyer's excuses. Talk about grasping at straws.

[Tony]

Sounds like the doctor was guilty, but I'm noticing increasingly that bicycle riders ride in packs blocking entire lanes on the street with no regard for the traffic behind them. I've been riding bikes for 25 years, but the attitude of these bicyclists borders on being confrontational with drivers. In all these years of riding I've never been hit by an automobile because I realize that I can't win in a collision with a 2 to 3 ton vehicle, and I ride my bike that way. Sometimes I feel like yelling at bike riders to ride in a single file line as well.

[mv]

In other words, SHARE THE ROAD!

[Tom]

Why is it that The Los Angeles Times did not publish details like the name of the doctor or specialty? On other news articles on other sources this information is available. Is this bad reporting or good reporting? This is the lead headline on the online LA Times currently...

[jay]

good i hope the dr goes to jail. he purposefully tried to injure people with a car a 4000lb car to "teach them a lesson". lest you say he doesn't deserve it. how would you feel if your 10 year old daughter was hit by a driver to "teach her a lesson" you would want the person in jail for a long time, no doubt.

[Chedman]

Let this be a lesson to all of us: Keep cool. Don't be like this idiot and take your life's frustrations out on someone vulnerable. He's going to prison (deservedly so!) despite having millions of dollars. Think about that when you forget that cyclists are humans, not "obstacles."

[Tony]

BUSTED

[SurfPuppy]

I hope this "Doctor" loses his license and spends time in the state prison system.

[SurfPuppy]

I hope this "Doctor" loses his license and spends time in the state prison system.

[anonymous]

I do not agree with the actions of the physician - obviously it was road rage. Having said that I understand his anger and frustration with cyclists who disregard the rules that govern vehicles on the road. I cannot tell you how many times a group of cyclists have blocked the street in groups of 4-20 - they never stop at stop signs...or if they do, they seem to think that if the first person in thier group stops then it is good for all 20 of them..making motorists wait for 20+ people to go through the intersection. If a group of Motorcyclists did the same exact thing and were wearing "club" clothing they would be hasseled by the police, If I am in a group of people trying to get somewhere I have to stop at the stop sign I can't just blow it because I am with the guy in front of me. I sometimes walk the Rosebowl and I can't tell you how terrifying it is when there are 100+ cyclists going around the Rosebowl - blowing stop signs and the speed limit - they yell at people to get out of the way (I thought that pedestrians always have the right-of-way) and yell at motorists that happen to be driving on the street when they are doing thier ride. Like I said, I don't agree with the what he did - but I can understand how it happened and it is unfortunate...perhaps the residents of that section of Brentwood need to put the pressure on thier police department to enforce driving rules and the cyclists will surely go away...they do not want to stop for stop signs...

[Evad the Slayer]

Well, justice is finally gotten for these cyclists. I sincerely hope this so-called physician gets the maximum in prison and loses his license to practice medicine. He is a danger to the community and should have his drivers license revoked for life. I am an avid cyclist and am sick to the teeth of inattentive drivers trying to kill me. I literally cannot count the number of drivers I see who are texting while driving all over the road and yacking into their cell phones. If people would just concentrate on driving and share the road with cyclists these incidents would seldom happen. Let this be a lesson to those drivers who think they can use their vehicles as a weapon and injure others.

[Taggart]

Sounds like a guy who needs to spend a little time in jail and have his driver license permanently revoked, since he seems incapable of playing nice with other users of the roadway.

[Scott]

"possible prison term" Why just possible?

[Luc]

Hope your sentence has your driving license revoked for life, and that your jail window faces a bike path.
Share the road.

[Bob]

This is a joke. Cycylists, for the most part, are a danger to drivers, especially on a Canyon Road. It's too bad they are given FAR too many rights.

[Bob]

This is a joke. Cycylists, for the most part, are a danger to drivers, especially on a Canyon Road. It's too bad they are given FAR too many rights.

[John M]

Finally some justice for cyclists. I have been hit twice, including once by a hit-and-run driver. The City Attorney's office plead it down to nothing and the guy just walked away like it was nothing. I am happy to see law enforcement taking this stuff seriously. Well done. I hope he loses his license to practice medicine next.

[mhh]

This was a very unfortunate outcome for a good man who made a terrible error in judgment in a heated moment. Hopefully, the court will weigh Dr. Thompson's character, service to the community, and utter lack of prior criminal conduct, together with the loss of his practice , his home, and most assuredly a civil suit for the injuries sustained by the two cyclists, and offer an extended period of probation instead of prison time in addition to a monetary fine.

However, far from a "judicial commitment to protecting cyclists," this should put cyclists on notice that they, too, are not above the law. Any reasonable person would choose to stay as far out of harm's way as possible. Cyclists who attempt to equate themselves with motor vehicles in their use of the roadway are seriously misguided.

"Single file, please!" was wise counsel. What happened subsequent to that was a tragic mistake.

[Kevin]

Thank goodness that justice prevailed. This piece of garbage who calls himself a doctor violated his hippocratic oath as a doctor. I hope he never practices medicine ever again and has his licences taken away for ever....what a horrible human being!

[john]

How ironic. an ER Dr.

[Carolyn Bongiorno]

First, do no harm...

[BB]

All cyclists should ride single file. However, they get this arrogant group mentality and they don't. A group of cyclists riding side-by-side going well under the posted speed limit is an accident waiting to happen. In this case, the doctor was wrong, the cyclists are just plain stupid.

[Richard]

What kink of doctor is this?
I hope they just toss him in the county jail where he will become jailbait for the mass of scum which resides there.

[MarkB]

I can't say I'm sad about this; vigilante 'justice' against someone that merely annoys you is barbaric -- and let's be real, having to drive slowly to keep from running over cyclists is no more than an annoyance. No one gets to decide on their own who's entitled to the road and who isn't.

[Kurtis Sakai]

Someone ought to organize a bike parade in front of his house.

[Lee]

The wording in this article bothers me. The issue here is the judicial system's commitment to protecting *people*, not cyclists. Cyclists don't need any special rights. They are people and should be treated like people, and they deserve the same protections as other people. If someone injures them or kills them, that person should be charged appropriately. It's shouldn't matter if one person is in a car and another is on a bike. Assault is assault and negligence is negligence, regardless of whether the perpetrator or victim is a driver, a biker, a pedestrian, or a person holding a gun.

[ed skutnik]

the elitist cyclists and the doctor.

there is no doubt that the cyclists thought they had the rigt of way on a public street. The doctor was innocent of any wrong doing except getting a little peed off with aggressive and arrogant cyclists. One way to solve these problems is to have the cyclists come under the Motor Vehicle Code - register their cycles; pay a fee for a license to ride them on a public thoroughfare, make sure they take a cyclist test at the DMV office - in other words treat them as any vehicle using a public street. In this case the scyclists should be held at fault for not having controll of their vehicle and failing to rearending the vehicle in front.
ejsku@aol.com

[Allan]

But he's a doctor!! :(

[DrewF]

I suppose it doesn't matter since he will probably go to jail, but his medical license should be revoked: Primum non nocere.

[Trey]

YES!! Good stuff. Hopefully, jail time will teach this doctor a "lesson"!

[Mike Jamieson]

Chris Thompson has been a friend of mine for over thirty years and I have never known him to be any thing other than a gentleman. He is smart, energetic, creative, hard working and an ER doctor who has saved countless lives over more than three decades. So, the rest of us in LA had better be careful not to come into contact with a filthy mouthed, road hog biker on our way to work. Because, with the Justice system we have today, we are all now at risk.

[Cogg Rink]

Share the road!

[Dave]

Good luck in prison Thompson. Your anger management issues will be sorted through right quick!

[K Patrick McDonald]

Christopher Thompson - embarrassment to those of us in emergency medicine that he is - nonetheless has a ways to go before he gets himself listed among the 237,000 other MDs already identified as "Questionable" or "Dangerous" by the National Practitioner Data Bank. Understand, doctors don't automatically make this list for simply running down bicyclists & deliberately causing great bodily harm. They have to do something really serious . . . like, say, encouraging vitamins. The fact that this medical idiot appears wholly incapable of controlling his road rage, will not particularly impress the California State Medical Board, either. They've been protecting these egotistical maniacs for decades. When it comes to criminal doctors, they take the same tack as the State Medical Board of Texas, which recently came to the conclusion that MDs who sexually molest children are not all that bad either.

The sad fact is, our health care system is infected with thousands of "medical maniacs," and their peers have no interest whatsoever in weeding them out.

And as long as the general public turns a blind eye to physician rape, drug dealing, murder, kidnapping, organized crime and Medicare fraud in the billions, well, don't expect much to change. And miscreants like Thompson, who ought to be stripped of his license and sent to prison, will instead experience this little legal spat as a mere speed-bump in this career as a caregiver.

"America's Dumbest Doctors" indeed.

[ellen]

The jury system worked. This guy is a menace as are many others out there who try to hurt bicyclist, joggers, etc.

[J Barquero]

We need to continue to hear about the outcome of this conviction. Many cyclists (including myself) were skeptical because we felt the justice system was going to fail us yet again. The conviction does not mean much unless this man is made to truly pay for his wrong doing. He needs to understand that his actions have consequences! Full Stop.

[Bill]

Riding a bicycle, motorscooter or motorcycle on public streets is a serious risk. You are a horse among elephants, and invisible to motorists in their 3000 pound mobile living rooms, who are fiddling with cell phones, complex radio dials, and weird navigator screens. --- Wear an orange safety vest so the idiots can see you. Then there are those malicious types who lose control when they see some slow-moving object in their way and try to kill you.

[Sara]

Cyclists do not care how self-righteous they are, in the name of "their rights". They are rude. They do not follow the driving rules like they should and slow down traffic. Cyclists are a menace when it comes to the open road. Cycling is best in parks, beach bike lanes, areas where their behavior does not cause accidents and disobey DMV rules. They never stop at the stop signs or the red lights, unless forced to because of a police car nearby, or the traffic too heavy for them to shoot across your car in a sudden manner.

[Sara]

Cyclists do not care how self-righteous they are, in the name of "their rights". They are rude. They do not follow the driving rules like they should and slow down traffic. Cyclists are a menace when it comes to the open road. Cycling is best in parks, beach bike lanes, areas where their behavior does not cause accidents and disobey DMV rules. They never stop at the stop signs or the red lights, unless forced to because of a police car nearby, or the traffic too heavy for them to shoot across your car in a sudden manner.

[Astonished]

Bicyclists, motorcyclists, motor vehicle drivers. What difference does it make. Everyone needs to stop thinking that they have some kind of special priority rights to the road! This time the cyclists only suffered physical injuries, the next time it could be death! Wake up people and start driving and using the roads like there are others out there too!

[Tom]

What possible risk could a cyclist cause a person encased in a 4000lb vehicle? None. The only risk is when said person does something stupid and puts themselves, other drivers, and the cyclists at risk.

Cyclists have the legal right to be on the road, in a lane of traffic, riding side by side. Human beings have the right to not have their lives put at risk by the malicious actions of others.

Cyclists ride in packs on roads so as to be treated as an equivalent entity to the cars, trucks, SUV's, busses, etc ... if a group of 5 or 10 or however many cyclist ride in a group, you have to pass them when it's SAFE to pass ... riding in a strung out single file line merely invites cars to drive past without maintaining a safe distance. Also, cars are likely to cut in or turn through lines, assuming that once "past" a cyclist, that person no longer exists or can turn and brake as quickly as a car.

[John]

@Mike Jamieson

Behavior like this doesn't come out of thin air. Christopher Thompson has been endangering cyclists for years, and up until now he's gotten away with it. Up until now, the police and the courts systematically ignored the complaints of threats and intimidation towards cyclists.

If you're truly his friend, then I suggest you steer him towards anger management classes instead of supporting and enabling this behavior. If this really is out of character for him, maybe he should have a full neurological workup too.

[Peggy Goddard]

It is a comfort to finally see justice served in Los Angeles. We all pay taxes in this city and we all have a right to the roads.

[Daniel]

It's a shame that this sad situation only seems to fan the flames of "us vs. them" rather than raising awareness that when we are using our public roads - drivers, cyclists or pedestrians - we need to be more careful and considerate of each other.

[Duke]

He "should" face jail time. Period. He was found guilty, is a menace to society in his vehicle and temper, and caused trauma to fellow human beings. There are other Doctors that would love to have his spot, so the ER can still go on with out him.

[Joe]

Stop Signs. Psh. We're all welcome to break the law. Cyclist run red lights, Motorists exceed the speed limit, Pedestrians jay walk. Everyone has free will and "bends" the rules. It's causing danger to others that is a crime against humanity, regardless of the vehicle. Stop whining about cyclists running Red lights and Stop signs, we're are welcome to do the same, matter of fact we do... that's why they call it a "California Stop".

[sneat]

Cyclists on group rides who take up a whole lane of traffic and who are going the normal rate of speed DO NOT violate the law. Take a good look at California Vehicle Code section 21202(a).