Is that an appropriate sentence?

Within the confines of the American system: yes.

Personally, I think there are much smarter ways of punishing people, but that is kinda in my little safe unicorn dream world. I'd prefer traffic offenders to get long alternative sentences with a lot of road-side cleaning duties. Or clean-up duties after accidents. And long recurring fines. 5% of every monthly paycheck for a decade or so, without the option of a lump sum payment. That way people are reminded for a long time of what they've done. Just like the family of their victims is reminded for a long time that they're missing their loved-one.

by Jasper on Jul 21, 2012 5:26 pm • link • report

Fitting that the story about the bike rider being killed is followed by the one on the Danish bicycle highway. We need the same sort of dedicated bicycle ways here- and I think it's time we start thinking about some bicycle-only streets in DC too. From health to congestion to pollution we have many reasons to encourage bicycles and discourage cars.

Not knowing all the facts, it's horrible that the man was hit and that the SUV didn't immediately stop causing the victim to be hit again and killed. He did stop two blocks later to go back and did admit responsibility though.

by Tom Coumaris on Jul 21, 2012 6:38 pm • link • report

The Virginia Department of Transportation aerial photographs of the construction projects in Northern Virginia were taken the day after the pictures I took of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project.

by Sand Box John on Jul 21, 2012 8:48 pm • link • report

No, fourteen months is not appropriate. For the same reason we double penalties to protect workers in construction zones, so should consequences be much more severe when dangerous drivers injure or kill the most vulnerable road users.

Here's another appropriate response to drivers who kill pedestrians or cyclists: lifetime loss of driving privileges.

And when drivers run over cyclists or pedestrians and leave them to die, it's inappropriate to call that anything but murder.

If I murder someone with a gun, and I receive just over a year's prison sentence, and retain my right to carry that gun in public once I'm out, I'd consider myself to have gamed the system pretty well. And by normalizing assault and homicide, that's exactly what drivers have done.

by brawn on Jul 22, 2012 12:50 am • link • report

I like the Scandinavian idea of fines being based on one's income.

by Frank IBC on Jul 22, 2012 5:08 am • link • report

Re: Bears

It is not only MD that has seen an increase since 2005. DC also experienced one when I and some of my friends moved in.

by watcher on Jul 22, 2012 9:55 am • link • report

Hey a population of animals we almost made extinct is making a rebound! Sweet Let's kill even more of them!!!

by jj on Jul 22, 2012 11:45 am • link • report

From the WUSA9 website ...

"Austin returned on foot to the 1400 block of Southern Avenue and admitted to officers that he had struck Mr. Williams. A search of the Airbag Control Module (ACM) of the SUV revealed that Austin was driving 75 mph approximately one second prior to striking Mr. Williams. The ACM also recorded no braking for the previous eight seconds prior to impact."

Do I think that the sentence is appropriate? It appears that the driver was both speeding wildly and completely oblivious. So I think that a jail sentence is appropriate.

That written, putting someone in jail is very expensive ... for society, the individual, and his family. And some recent readings of the literature suggest that "long" sentences are inefficient at deterrence. From the article, I'm unclear what his expected time in prison is nor whether he will be eligible for parole, halfway house, monitored home detention, and so on. But assuming that he has been an otherwise good citizen, my own unscientific guess at an appropriate punishment would be something like six months with lots of community service afterward. A person history that demonstrates otherwise would warrant more severe punishment, IMO.

by Geof Gee on Jul 22, 2012 12:02 pm • link • report

Look how many of the riders on Denmark's bicycle superhighway are women. It's tough to get women to ride here in DMV. I was among the few.

by Capt. Hilts on Jul 22, 2012 12:16 pm • link • report

"Hey a population of animals we almost made extinct is making a rebound! Sweet Let's kill even more of them!!!"
by jj on Jul 22, 2012 11:45 am

I have mixed feelings about these hunts, but North American Black Bears are nowhere close to endangered. This ain't Grizzly Country.

by Kev29 on Jul 22, 2012 12:18 pm • link • report

I find it odd that people think of wildlife as a nuisance. They were happily living along, and suddenly people show up and put houses and road in their habitat, and then the wildlife needs to be contained and its population controlled? Huh?

The deer is not in your garden. Your garden is the deer's habitat. I guess the problem is that wildlife does not understand the concept of property(lines), and it being taken out of its habitat.

by Jasper on Jul 22, 2012 2:09 pm • link • report

@ geof gee:That written, putting someone in jail is very expensive ... for society, the individual, and his family. And some recent readings of the literature suggest that "long" sentences are inefficient at deterrence.

Exactly. That's why we need to come up with smarter punishment that benefits society more. I'd say that for non-violent convicts, there should be a mix of a short jail time (days/weeks), home arrest, lots of useful community service related to the crime, and fines as a percentage of income, preferably to be paid in long-smeared-out recurring payments. Of course, such "light" punishment should be an alternative to jail time, i.e. if the convict does not collaborate, then there are serious consequences.

Traffic convicts should clean the road, and especially after big crashes. Or put out the cones for road-work. DUI and road killer convicts should work with police officers that get to bring the bad news to families.

Financial criminals should be convicted to poverty. Bernie Madoff is now costing us a lot of money in jail. Why not take all of his money and send him off with the caveat that he can never make more than the poverty level, or work in professions that normally make more than the poverty level. If he makes more, it will be taxed and taken away from him. Make him account for all his finances on a public website, and off course no gifts from anyone. A parole officer overseeing that is surely cheaper than jail.

by Jasper on Jul 22, 2012 2:32 pm • link • report

well, of course the sentence isn't long enough - if we think he's guilty. That's the nature of a plea. The US Attorney is accounting for the risk that he'll be found innocent and the cost of the trial and offering him LESS than what he should really get for his crime. I'm OK with that. It's how the system works.

Is 14 months enough for behaving in a wildly reckless manner and killing someone? No, but what punishment really is? I think our criminal system is too geared toward retribution and not enough towards reform and rehabilitation, so I'd be open to other interventions. But I don't think this guy should be able to drive again for at least 10 years. 75mph in a 30mph zone? Ridiculous.

by David C on Jul 22, 2012 7:45 pm • link • report

Taking a driver's license away for a nontrivial period sounds reasonable to me.

by Geof Gee on Jul 22, 2012 10:19 pm • link • report

His punishment should also include a 5-year license revocation. Maybe a few years of hard cycling will teach him a lesson.

by neutrino on Jul 23, 2012 3:27 am • link • report

Actually, many animals are a nuisance and its man-made. For example, the population of deer is artificially high because there are few, if any, natural predators and people dont generally hunt in suburban/urban areas. So, without the influence of people, the population would not be nearly as high. So some hunts to thin the herd is really not about keeping deer out of someones garden, its about trying to control the population to something thats a bit more natural.

I had not heard that we were looking at an over population of black bears, but its remarkable that a population can double in less than 7 years.

by Animals on Jul 23, 2012 10:06 am • link • report

the population of deer is artificially high because there are few, if any, natural predators and people dont generally hunt in suburban/urban areas.

The main predator for deer are wolves. If they were introduced, the wolf population will explode due to the high numbers of deer. Then as the deer population comes down, the excess numbers of wolves will move into urban areas, looking for food, just as the bears do -- and watch out!

It is easy to see where this is going.

by goldfish on Jul 23, 2012 10:14 am • link • report

Jasper, They were happily living along, and suddenly people show up if by "suddenly" you mean 10,000 years ago then yes, I suppose so. We've probably been hunting deer for as long as people have been here though. But the real problem is a lack of predators. I don't totally oppose the introduction of wolves, as they don't attack humans (Despite what you may see in the movies) but they do attack and kill dogs. Coyotes are probably less of an issue.

But the easiest of deer's natural predators to manage are humans.

by David C on Jul 23, 2012 12:15 pm • link • report

@ David C:"suddenly" you mean 10,000 years ago then yes, I suppose so.

Wait, what? I thought Columbus discovered America in 1492? That's less than 10k years ago. Which is no more than logical, because nothing happened 10k years ago, as the world is only 6k years old!

by Jasper on Jul 23, 2012 12:47 pm • link • report

While not exactly a bike "superhighway," the WV DOT built a dedicated bike trail parallel to the new section of Route 9 which runs from Ranson to Martinsburg (about 10 miles). It is currently mostly used for recreation and exercise, but certainly could be used to commute to the Martinsburg VA complex, which is one of the largest employers in the area or even to downtown Martinsburg and the MARC station.

by dcdriver on Jul 23, 2012 1:16 pm • link • report