[jeffgothro]

"An ER medical doctor who cut in front of two bicyclists on a steep hill in Los Angeles, then slammed on the brakes on his car causing them to crash into the back of his vehicle resulting in serious injury to both of them was held to answer on felony charges in Los Angeles municipal court. He admitted to an investigating police officer at the scene that he "wanted to teach bicyclists a lesson". He was in a similar incident with two different bicyclists earlier this year, but they avoided injury by veering off the road in time to avoid a collision."

 

[el_chupo_]

Word, one of the few instance where I support lawsuits. take his house.

 

[crashedandburned]

Old news. Saw that a few months ago. Hope the fvcker looses his license.

On a similar note, this was published a few within the last couple days:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ng-of-cyclist/

Officer Is Indicted in Toppling of Cyclist

A police officer who was caught knocking a man off his bicycle in Times Square over the summer in a video that was distributed widely on YouTube has been indicted by a grand jury, according to lawyers involved in the case.

The officer, Patrick Pogan, has been instructed to report to State Supreme Court in Manhattan for the unsealing of the indictment, his lawyer, Stuart London, said.

David Rankin, a lawyer for the bicyclist, Christopher Long, said the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau, informed him around 3 p.m. that a grand jury had voted to indict Officer Pogan. Mr. London and Mr. Rankin both said they did not know the specific charges, and Mr. Morgenthau's office declined to comment.

It is believed that prosecutors were seeking felony charges of filing false records in connection with the police report that Officer Pogan filed after arresting Mr. Long. Officer Pogan, who was stripped of his gun and badge in July after the video emerged, also could be charged with a misdemeanor count of assault.

"My client denies any wrongdoing in this matter," Mr. London said in an interview Monday afternoon. "I would have people withhold judgment until all the evidence comes out about the bicyclist's actions prior to my client taking action."

Mr. Long was taking part in a monthly ride, called Critical Mass, that often draws hundreds of riders. In a criminal complaint against Mr. Long, Officer Pogan said that the cyclist rode straight into him. But the video, which was shot by a tourist and posted on YouTube and on the blog Gothamist.com, showed Officer Pogan lunging toward Mr. Long.

Officer Pogan arrested Mr. Long on charges of attempted assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, but the charges against Mr. Long were dropped in September.

The monthly rides have been a source of tension for the police since shortly before the Republican National Convention in 2004, when a large number of officers arrested more than 250 riders on charges that included parading without a permit.

 

[General Hickey]

If I were the judge, I couldn't resist the irony of stripping him of his liscence and restricting him to travel by bicycle for life.

 

[bigpedaler]

I remember that case, and saw the video -- there was NO wrongful action by the cyclist, he even tried to avoid the cop (a rookie, btw). The cop's 'takedown' would have done a hockey player proud.

While it would be poetic justice to put the license-stripped ex-rookie cop (in a perfect world) on a bike for life, he doesn't deserve it -- a bike is too good for him....Put his a$$ on a Segway. He can be Kevin James in the new movie "Mall Cop" or whatever it is.

 

[jeffgothro]

Yeah I saw that other story too. Happened last July.

 

[Bikin' Bric]

Word, one of the few instance where I support lawsuits. take his house.

+1

 

[bigpedaler]

This ER doc needs to lose his license, as well -- or does the Hippocratic Oath mean nothing anymore? First rule of medicine is: "First, do no harm."

 

[TLL]

Unlikely (tho not impossible) that the Medical Board will suspend his license, as the incident did not occur while he was practicing medicine. They can however consider the charges and act should they so choose.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=bpc&group=02001-03000&file=2220-2319

 

[Lelandjt]

Almost got hit while in a crosswalk yesterday and I gotta admit, rather than seeing my life flash before my eyes I saw dollar signs. This is one situation where I see no problem with huge civil suits. People who don't realize how dangerous their cars are need to lose all their money. It's just too bad that my instinct for self preservation and quick reactions have kept me out of the plaintif's chair.

 

[jeffgothro]

I cant tell you hown many a-holes have made a right turn in front of me...at one point for a while I started ramming car fenders and doors on purpose - funny thing is, when the cops showed up, they said sorry buddy, light was green, the biker has the right of way, you should have yeilded (which I knew and used to my advantage) - and poor poor driver had to pay to get that watermellon sized dent on his car fixed on his own, boo-friggin-hoo. :devil:

 

[Solomon76]

Unlikely (tho not impossible) that the Medical Board will suspend his license, as the incident did not occur while he was practicing medicine. They can however consider the charges and act should they so choose.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=bpc&group=02001-03000&file=2220-2319

I think they were refering to his driver's license, not medical license.

 

[MendonCycleSmith]

restricting him to travel by bicycle for life.

Based on his weight, that'd be a good thing, methinks

 

[DrNickels]

Wow what a jerkoff.

That ER doc should lose his driver's license and enjoy the next 3-5 years in the state pen. We will see how good he is at dodging shivs and then sewing his own ******* back up after a few homies in Chino give him a flesh bicycle ride.

Hooo ahhhhh.

 

[nagatahawk]

This ER doc needs to lose his license, as well -- or does the Hippocratic Oath mean nothing anymore? First rule of medicine is: "First, do no harm."

I think that ER doctor took the Hypocrasitic Oath. I'm sure there are few more.:madmax:

 

[DrNickels]

I'd say if found guilty he will lose his medical license since most states don't grant medical license to convicted felons....

 

[Uncle Six Pack]

string him up. An adult with a doctor's level of intelligence should know better, first of all. Second, it is never a civilian's duty to decide to "teach somebody a lesson" by causing physical harm. He should lose his license, as well as his medical license (a doctor who puts others in harm's way, there could definitely be a case there) and he should go to prison, where he will hopefully be the cutest new rich guy on the block and will be extorted for protection or else get taught a whole new lesson of his own.

On a side note, I think many motorists are programmed to have an unconscious jealousy of cyclists. They would never admit it, but it is one reason why they drive like such jerks whenever one of us is in sight.

 

[MendonCycleSmith]

but it is one reason why they drive like such jerks whenever one of us is in sight.

Don't let my comments misconstrue my support of our rights to safe usage of the roadways.

That said, here's a few observations from a year in cycling/driving in my area, and again, I own a shop, and ride as much as I can....

Why could drivers possibly not like us?

Driving on a twisty narrow road, trying to get to a meeting, broad daylight, light traffic, sunny summer day. I came upon 3 roadies, riding across the width of the lane. I waited a moment, figured the single file out. Nope. Still more time, more than a mile in now, one looks back, sees me patiently waiting (too many turns and rises, if I pass, I risk all our safety) he turns around, and mentions to his buddies that I'm there. They both turn and see me, then continue on. I beeped lightly on my horn at 3 miles, they turn and spit. another mile, I finally have a straight section, and pass. I know two of them, from the shop I used to work at, decent customers too. I gave them a single finger salutation, and drove on, nice work fellas, cars love you now.

Coming home from our local MTB park, loaded with bikes, dogs, kids etc. A group of about 20 cyclists out for a Sunday ride, taking up the whole lane. Pretty much the same scenario, but in this case, the lines too long to pass safely, so I putz at around 15 mph the 5 miles to my house, while they look over their shoulders at us, and ignore the rules of the road. My kid is seeing this, nice work guys, no wonder cars want to run us over.

Coming home the other night, this guy with all dark clothing, no reflective anything, full darkness (this is the country, no street lights either), comes blowing out of a side street, crosses the far lane, then mine, and I miss him by perhaps three to five feet (full slamming body jarring stop), easily less than a car length. I was doing the 35mph limit, with no stop sign in sight. I nearly killed him, and it would be my fault my kid didn't have a parent to come home to, according to the law. Add to that the nasty backlash that the biking community has, every time someone gets clocked. Again, cyclists do a great job of making motorists love them.

I should add that all of the above riders were not indigents, looking for their next bottle or pipe, these guys were all on nice road bikes, with full team kits etc, easily as much cash on and under them, as I was driving. This just goes to show, it's not us against them, or vice versa. It's common sense and courtesy against everybody else :madman:

 

[Jerk_Chicken]

I'd say if found guilty he will lose his medical license since most states don't grant medical license to convicted felons....

For the most part, I believe the charges against him are not felonies (correct the ones that I may be wrong on, since only one was explicitly mentioned as a misdemeanor).

Likely, his attorneys will be able to make a deal for low-level misdemeanors that will allow him to continue practicing unless public pressure stays on him, through the media and actual courtroom attendence showing the court and the jury (where applicable) that this case is being watched.

Additionally, this could possibly have been ended with the prior incidents the police did not take seriously.

Now one issue of medical licensure is the fact that after a short time out, he can be granted a license again, or if he's connected, as it matters to be so in medicine, he might be able to slip under the radar and get licensed in another state where no one knows him. It sucks, but unless people are looking out for this kind of stuff, it will happen and it happens more than people think.

People need to keep an eye on this case and represent cyclists, and even use it as a platform for usage rights and education. I have been mentioning for several years that it's simply too dangerous to ride a bike in many parts of the US, from inattentive drivers, to intentionally wreckless ones that want to teach people a lesson or have fun with a cyclist on "THEIR" road. In between, you have those idiots that simply don't know to be safe around bicyclists, and even the educators are uninformed tools, telling drivers to do such things as flash their high beams at oncoming cyclists so we see them.

Hell, within all the bad and lacking of where I moved to, it's amazing to safely ride my bike around and even have cars for the most part not excessively respectful, but in recognition of the place in roads or in crossings cyclists have.

 

[TLL]

I think they were refering to his driver's license, not medical license.

OH. Nevermind.