That picture says it all.
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16 y.o. runs down bicyclists in TX
- Thread starter Andy Mink
- Start date
That picture says it all.
Here's the latest, via Jalopnik.
jalopnik.com
District Attorney Accuses Police Of Mishandling Investigation Of The Coal-Rolling Teen Who Hit Six Cyclists
The DA has cited irregularities in the case of the teenager who ran over six cyclists.
jalopnik.com
Very interesting development!Here's the latest, via Jalopnik.
District Attorney Accuses Police Of Mishandling Investigation Of The Coal-Rolling Teen Who Hit Six Cyclists
The DA has cited irregularities in the case of the teenager who ran over six cyclists.
Are sheriffs elected in Texas?
Yes.
Waller County voters elect Guidry as 1st new sheriff since 2008
Republican Troy Guidry was elected to be the next sheriff of Waller County, becoming the...
Awesome.
Sounds as if the DA is not going to let this be swept under the rug. Let’s hope.
Great development. I am glad to see the DA taking this seriously and outing the Waller Police Department.
The publicity may have exposed all kinds of issues with the police department and the end result may be a more fair one for the cyclists than if the police department had done some cursory investigation.
The publicity may have exposed all kinds of issues with the police department and the end result may be a more fair one for the cyclists than if the police department had done some cursory investigation.
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Andy Mink
Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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It sounds like there may be a more fair outcome for LOTS of people in Waller. To live in an area where the Good Old Boy Club is prevalent is no bueno. A cleanup may be appropriate.
I just find it sad and problematic that it took an incident line this and public outcry to kick someone's ass into gear... The rot is well hidden..
I agree. Sadly, I think this is all too common.
This incident hits close to home, literally. The Northwest Cycling Club organizes a weekly Saturday morning group ride out of Hockley, TX, which is along this Old Hempstead Hwy where this accident occurred. Typically, there will be over 150 riders of various skill levels taking part. Riders normally break off into groups of 10-20 based on avg speed, with other smaller groups such as the road race team, triathletes, etc, breaking off to do their own preferred ride-of-the-day. For several years, I was the NWCC race team director and rode this road many, many times.
Hempstead Hwy is preferred by cyclists because it is four lanes wide of smooth pavement in a rural setting, has very little traffic and has a couple public locations for parking a large amount of vehicles which can be used as a staging area. Once HWY 290 was built, this road was essentially abandoned by those traveling from Houston to Austin or College Station. Just the locals from Hockley, Waller and Hempstead use the road. There are many county roads that branch off into even more rural areas which are more isolated, more challenging and more scenic. Most group rides start off on Hempstead Hwy, branch off for longer training routes and end up on Hempstead Hwy for the last fifteen miles back to the barn, so to speak.
Being that it is a four-lane road, it is legal for cyclists to ride two abreast on it. Doing so does not inhibit motorized traffic, especially since there is so little traffic anyway. Given the width of the lanes, that there are two in each direction, and it is a straight flat road for a good section of it, I don't feel there is any need for bike lanes or bike paths.
In my opinion, the main risks of riding here are brought about by the animosity towards cyclists of rural types (bubbas) who get a kick out of harassing those, such as cyclists, who can't defend themselves against an oversized pickup. I've had coal rolled on me out on one of these rides in the past. It seems to be a rite of passage amongst bubbas with diesel trucks. What probably contributes to their sense of entitlement is that the law enforcement knows them and their families while cyclists are seen as outsiders. The locals will stick together and protect their own, unless an independent prosecutor and judge are both on the case. The local judges cannot be counted on to be impartial when judging between a local vs outsiders, IMO.
Hempstead Hwy is preferred by cyclists because it is four lanes wide of smooth pavement in a rural setting, has very little traffic and has a couple public locations for parking a large amount of vehicles which can be used as a staging area. Once HWY 290 was built, this road was essentially abandoned by those traveling from Houston to Austin or College Station. Just the locals from Hockley, Waller and Hempstead use the road. There are many county roads that branch off into even more rural areas which are more isolated, more challenging and more scenic. Most group rides start off on Hempstead Hwy, branch off for longer training routes and end up on Hempstead Hwy for the last fifteen miles back to the barn, so to speak.
Being that it is a four-lane road, it is legal for cyclists to ride two abreast on it. Doing so does not inhibit motorized traffic, especially since there is so little traffic anyway. Given the width of the lanes, that there are two in each direction, and it is a straight flat road for a good section of it, I don't feel there is any need for bike lanes or bike paths.
In my opinion, the main risks of riding here are brought about by the animosity towards cyclists of rural types (bubbas) who get a kick out of harassing those, such as cyclists, who can't defend themselves against an oversized pickup. I've had coal rolled on me out on one of these rides in the past. It seems to be a rite of passage amongst bubbas with diesel trucks. What probably contributes to their sense of entitlement is that the law enforcement knows them and their families while cyclists are seen as outsiders. The locals will stick together and protect their own, unless an independent prosecutor and judge are both on the case. The local judges cannot be counted on to be impartial when judging between a local vs outsiders, IMO.
Thanks for all the helpful information for those of us trying to understand all this.
I hope your trip can go forward, because there should be more hesitation to mistreat cyclists now. But no guarantees, for sure.
I don't see there being more hesitation to mistreating cyclists unless and until drivers such as this teenager are prosecuted and suffer real consequences which are made public
Good point. This incident could actually embolden some who are pretty sure they won't run down the cyclists, and want revenge for the upcoming Big Trouble for the kid. I hope Big Trouble.
How does polluting the air and harassing people make you a powerful guy?
Ignorant jerks.
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I'm from Texas and idiots do this rolling coal thing ALL the time. I drive a lot and on a driving day I can find 2,3, sometimes 4 guys doing this with their diesels. I have a diesel sprinter van and it doesn't even smell like diesel. They modify it so that they can fill the street with smoke. This smoke thing is not rare.
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Andy Mink
Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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It has been suggested by someone I know who works in a law office that the cyclists' attorney made some of the initial statements to help push for a potential change of venue away from Waller.
The Police Dept respond to the criticism for how the case has been handled and are handling it internally.
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www.kbtx.com
Waller PD responds to criticism over crash that injured several cyclists
Many have questioned why the 17-year-old driver was never charged with a crime.
www.kbtx.com
A quote from the Chief’s statement:
“ none of the deficiencies that have been identified were due to poor policy or procedure within the department, nor were they influenced by who was involved in the crash or any other personal associations. To put it quite simply, they were due to a lack of knowledge on our part”
Seems rather contradictory. Isn’t a lack of knowledge a direct result from some poor policy or procedure?
“ none of the deficiencies that have been identified were due to poor policy or procedure within the department, nor were they influenced by who was involved in the crash or any other personal associations. To put it quite simply, they were due to a lack of knowledge on our part”
Seems rather contradictory. Isn’t a lack of knowledge a direct result from some poor policy or procedure?
