Stoned driver kills 8 cyclists

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Lucifer666

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A speeding car plowed head-on into a group of cyclists in southern Italy on Sunday morning, killing eight of them, officials said. The driver had been smoking marijuana, police said.

Bent, mangled bikes were strewn about the scene, and the sheet-draped corpses dotted the two-lane road near Lamezia Terme, in the Calabrian "toe" of boot-shaped Italy where the accident occurred.

In addition to the eight cyclists killed, four people were injured: two cyclists and the driver and a young boy in the car with him, said Maria Dolores Rucci, commander of the road police in nearby Catanzaro.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/05/italy-car-crash-leaves-8-_n_792243.html
 
Not to be an ass but thats what they get for riding bicycles on a road made for automobiles. I cant tell you how many of them I have nearly killed when completely sober.
 
crimsonjunk said:
Not to be an ass but thats what they get for riding bicycles on a road made for automobiles. I cant tell you how many of them I have nearly killed when completely sober.
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I am not familiar with Italian traffic law, or the particular road where the accident occurred, but cyclists are afforded the right to ride in the road and be part of traffic.

What if they were pedestrians crossing the street? Does that change the situation? What if he was drunk and not stoned?

Either way, the cyclists were (likely) in no fault [again I'm not sure about Italian cycling laws].

Direct quote from the article, "It is common in Italy to see groups of amateur cyclists taking to small state roads on weekends, and ANSA said the group hit Sunday was affiliated with a local Lamezia Terme gym."

In your defense, it does mention the cyclists were riding the opposite direction as the car (though it also says he was speeding but that may just have been a poor verb choice)

I bike in the road to and from work every day. I hope you are not suggesting I deserve the same treatment these cyclists got because I choose not to drive a car...
 
A preliminary investigation showed the speeding car ran headfirst into the group of 10 cyclists who were riding in the opposite direction on state road 18, according to Italy's highway authority.

ANSA said the driver was trying to pass another car when he hit the group. Visibility was good at the time, reports said.
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Granted the cyclist were going 'against traffic' the way the driver is reported seems like some reckless drivers I know. This could have been prevented from both sides, especially the driver. People need to share the road and be extra careful, pedestrian/cyclist or driver.

I don't believe the cannabis had any relation to accident. Testing positive does not mean high.
 
The cyclists were not riding in the wrong direction. It was a 2 lane country road, as can be seen in this video
 
mgrady3 said:
I bike in the road to and from work every day. I hope you are not suggesting I deserve the same treatment these cyclists got because I choose not to drive a car...
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Im not saying you deserve anything im just saying shit happens if you choose to ride a bicycle on a road made for cars you assume an inherant risk. I think the laws should be changed the idea that bicycles have the same rights on a road made for cars is absurd. Does a car have the right to be on a bike path?
 
Well obviously this guy was simply not paying attention to the road and was driving recklessly. I would agree with others that he may not have actually been smoking cannabis and driving, he could have just tested positive for it being in his system. I also don't really think cannabis played a part in the accident, most people I know including myself are actually more cautious drivers after using cannabis.
 
I agree that there are some "roads" that bikes should not be allowed on. (Interstates, major highways, generally 'unsafe' roads) but you have to allow that in some areas, the paved infrastructure is limited, so there aren't many options for cyclists; this is very evident where I live (small town new hampshire).

To say that bikes should not be allowed the same rights as a car is a huge blow to a major number of commuters. I see no reason why bikes should not be able to be part of traffic and share responsibility on the road.

Cyclists have to be equally if not more aware when riding in the road as drivers need be. As was pointed out by someone above, the situation could have been avoided by both parties. You could argue that if the cyclists weren't on the road they would be alive but that is going to get you no where. Its possible they could have avoided the accident, but more probable is that they were killed by a reckless driver [drugs aside]. Part of the cyclists responsibility is then obeying the same traffic laws that cars do, [this includes DUI / DWI laws].

merriam webster dictionary:
road (noun) -
an open way for vehicles, persons, and animals;

google dictionary:
road(s) plural -
A wide way leading from one place to another, esp. one with a specially prepared surface that vehicles can use *note it does not say motor vehicle

cambridge dictionary:
road (noun) -
a long hard surface built for vehicles to travel along;

If you take away the rights of cyclists on the road, less people would feel comfortable commuting by bike. This creates more traffic, more pollution, higher gas prices, and I would then asume more motor vehicle accidents simply because of more cars being on the road each day.
 
I know cyclists have the same rights as a car, but I never have seen cars run stop signs like bikes do. In my town, there are bikes all the GODDAMN time and they don't EVER stop at the stop signs. I wish a motherfucker WOULD hit somebody one of these days.

Sorry. I'm off my meds.
 
if he had smoked more pot, i think less people would have died.

i also bet he would have been distracted or unable to see the cyclists whether stoned or not... he just would not have had to pass the car in the first place if he was properly stoned.

;)
 
crimsonjunk said:
Not to be an ass but thats what they get for riding bicycles on a road made for automobiles. I cant tell you how many of them I have nearly killed when completely sober.
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Idk where you live, but in America MANY wheeled vehicles are given the same RIGHT as well as traffic laws to provide for the usage of roads. Namely bicycles, skateboards, and roller blades.


This is just fucked. How did the driver manage to do this? Obviously it didn't have anything to do with the pot unless this guy was driving around with a bong and ripped an 1/8th or two.
 
That sucks, thats really fucked. Lets hope this article is 100% accurate otherwise this is a huge blow to legalization. Fuck, man.
 
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