Murder Conviction in Texas
 

Unfortunately, this won't reverse the devastation. From the description of the murderer, it probably won't serve as a deterrent to others in his condition. Nevertheless, the individual was held to account.

Army veteran convicted of murder after driving into cyclists, killing 2 (msn.com)

If he had stayed on scene and said "I didn't see them," he'd likely be a free man today.

Just once, could we pass on making up the non-disprovable counterfactual? It doesn't prove anything.

It's basically the same posting in every thread on this subject, so it's also crummy advocacy. People just discount it as routine rhetoric.

That being said, this thread is only tangentially related to cycling. A drug-crazed person drove deliberately into people. Those people just happened to be on bicycles. Using their deaths as a rhetorical prop for another issue is really gross.

Nope, not gonna pass. It's a sad reality that "I didn't see them" is usually all the plausible deniability a motorist needs when they hit a cyclist. There might be some civil repercussions, but it is rare that there are criminal consequences. It is rare that the motorist suffers any consequences. Often a ticket isn't issued.

So you think a case where the intentionality of the act was so clear that the defendant's only plausible defense was insanity (and he lost on that because his insanity was voluntary) is the example you want to use to make your point? This case has absolutely nothing to do with plausible deniability, and I think it's more than a little sick to use these victims' horrible fate as a rhetorical device to talk about a completely different issue. I know if I was a relative of one of the victims, I'd be pissed at you for doing it.

I would hope it is a deterrent to others, but at least this killer is off the roads for life.

When have reports of collisions and collisions causing death ever improved any drivers' driving habits? Never.


And that's for normal people.

As for criminals or people who contemplating criminal intent, prosecution probably doesn't even cross their mind.

Motorists run into each other, pedestrians, cyclists, and large numbers of inanimate objects all the time. Cars have gotten safer for the occupants but nothing has really changed for the rest of the world outside their vehicle. Humans are imperfect, distractable, medicated, unskillful, and at least half are of below average intelligence. You can not change THEM. But you can change YOU. Mixing it up with motor vehicles at high speeds, where the margin for error is zero, has risks. No one is making us ride bikes on those highways. Accept the risk and rock on, or play it safe and find another hobby. The remaining motorists have learned nothing. It can't happen to them. It's Russian roulette for everybody out there.

In this particular instance, this is a guy with homicidal intent. That type of person is a danger to you no matter where you are.