Driver charged with vehicular homicide in hit-and-run of Old Bridge resident

The only caveat here is that the crash happen and is being prosecuted in the Pittsburgh area.

You may have read via the New Jersey Bicycle Pedestrian New Digest an article that recently appeared in The Star-Ledger concerning a Old Bridge man killed in a hit-and-run accident that also left another woman critically injured. A local Pittsburgh NBC affiliate covered the crash in a bit more detail. The suspect, Derek Powell faces numerous charges including:

• aggravated assault,
  
• accidents involving death or personal injury,
• homicide by vehicle

I'm quite sure leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence is also on the list but was not mentioned in the article. But what you DON'T see on this list of charges here is DWI or any other charge indication that Powell was intoxicated during the accident.

All too often in New Jersey drivers get off with little more than a 2 point moving violation for failing to yield to a pedestrian (slightly more if they are unlucky) if they kill a pedestrian and are clearly at fault (but dead men tell no tales) and are not drunk or fleeing from police.

I'm glad to see that there is a prosecutor somewhere that understands the harsh realities of vehicular violence and just doesn't dismiss such crashes as mere "accidents."

Okay, admittedly there are some occasional exceptions to the lax prosecution of vehicular violence against bicyclists and pedestrians here in New Jersey but this is all too rare.

Bike Helmet Laws by State

via Insurance Institute of Highway Safety

Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic, pointed out in his blog this map of bicycle helmet laws from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. I thought it was interesting because I didn't know that most states have no helmet law whatsoever. You have to wonder how the states came up with the different ages - from 11 in Pennsylvania to 17 in New Mexico and California. Is it based on crash incidence and severity, or, more likely, just a committee of legislators playing pick a number?

3 Foot Passing Bill Introduced in the NJ State Senate

A safe passing bill has been introduced into the NJ State Senate, look for more information as we get it. In the meantime contact your State Senator and ask them to co-sponsor S2737 sponsored by Senators Oroho and Stack.

Bill No. S2737

Sponsors
Oroho, Steven V. as Primary Sponsor
Stack, Brian P. as Primary Sponsor

AN ACT concerning the operation of motor vehicles in certain cases and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.

Requires motorists operating vehicles to maintain minimum three foot safety distance when overtaking bicycles.

AN ACT concerning the operation of motor vehicles in certain cases and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.


BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The driver of a vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction shall leave a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three feet until the motor vehicle has safely passed the bicycle. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine of $100.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would require motorists to maintain a distance of at least three feet when overtaking a bicycle that is travelling in the same direction. The bill provides for a fine of $100 for violating the three foot minimum distance requirement while overtaking cyclists.

Requires motorists operating vehicles to maintain minimum three foot safety distance when overtaking bicycles.