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• Plea Deal in Manslaughter Case
  3 February 2012, 9:25 am
  

  Many of the fatal accidents involving pedestrians in San Francisco are caused when cars or buses run red lights and strike those who are walking on the street.  Due to their large size and the lack of protection a pedestrian has, it is no surprise that very often these accidents result in unfortunate deaths.  However, bicycles can achieve the same result, even if they do not travel as fast or are as forceful as a car.  This is seen in a case that has recently been brought up in the courts of San Francisco, against a man who allegedly ran over an elderly woman while he was riding his bicycle in the Financial District.
      
  The individual, Randolph Ang, was riding his bicycle on the morning of July 15, 2011.  As he was rushing to get to work, he allegedly ran through a red light.  However, he did not see that the victim, Ms. Dionette Cherney, as she walked off the sidewalk into the crosswalk.  She fell backwards and struck her head as a result of the accident, and died as a result of the injuries a month later.  Mr. Ang was charged with vehicular manslaughter as a result.
     
  Mr. Ang has recently decided to accept a plea bargain offered by the prosecution in order to avoid what the San Francisco Examiner called a “potentially long and emotionally taxing” trial.  Rather than go to jail for a year, which is the maximum sentence for a crime like this, Mr. Ang will likely be made to do significant amounts of community service.
     
  The District Attorney for San Francisco, George Gascon, has said that the trial has highlighted a problem in San Francisco with not only bicyclists, all people who use the roads, whether they be in cars or on foot.  Mr. Gascon stated that the “careless behavior” of San Franciscans when traveling about the City has become a real problem, one that this case underscores.

  
  
• Bike Accident in the Outer Richmond
  1 February 2012, 9:42 am
  

  Many San Franciscans, in an effort to save money and go green, ride their bicycles rather than take cars to get from place to place.  The City has made efforts to encourage people to take bikes rather than drive, with special lanes and ordinances allowing for cyclists to share the roads.  While riding a bicycle can make traveling easier, it is more dangerous than simply taking a car, as there is no protection to soften blows from other travelers.
      On Tuesday afternoon, a bicyclist was traveling eastbound on Clement Street in San Francisco, near 18th Avenue in the City’s Outer Richmond District.  As he was crossing the intersection of Clement and 18th she was struck by a large U.S. Postal Service truck.  The vehicle was heading northbound when it struck the cyclist.  According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the truck would have had a stop sign at its intersection, whereas the cyclist did not.  It was not immediately known by the Chronicle whether or not the truck had run the stop sign, or if the cyclist had simply not been able to stop in time.  The cyclist, who was critically injured, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital’s Trauma Center, in order to treat the injuries she had sustained to her head.
      Bicyclists should always keep in mind that they are  not nearly as visible as another car, and even with flashing lights and neon colors it is hard to see someone who is on a bike, especially in the evening hours.  Always be extra cautious around busy intersections, and always assume that other vehicles cannot see you.  The extra caution could be the difference between getting home safely and not getting home at all.http://www.allegiancelaw.com/

  
  
• Richmond Road Rage
  25 January 2012, 4:47 pm
  

  Driving on the freeways of California can be a very frustrating experience. For many people, the stop and go nature of traffic jams can make people upset, and occasionally even the smallest bother can set off them off. Road rage can be ignited at any time on the roadways, and the effects of it can drive otherwise calm people into very angry and very dangerous drivers. Such a case happened earlier today in Richmond, which led to fatal results.

  At approximately 5:45am this morning, a man was driving on I-80 near Richmond. According to testimony taken by the CHP, the man was driving a brown minivan. Apparently, he had been made upset by the driver of a white pickup truck in another lane. As such, in order to catch up with the man, the driver of the van weaved through traffic in order to catch up with his quarry. Once he got near enough he zoomed ahead of the truck and “brake-checked” it, meaning that he swerved in front of the car and then braked immediately, so as to unnerve the other driver. However, the driver of the truck tried to get out of the way of the braking vehicle, and in doing so clipped the side of the van. The van, pushed from the force of the impact, rolled over several times. The driver of the van did not survive the ordeal, which spewed car parts all over the road.

  CHP officials are still on the scene in Richmond, where they are attempting to move the wreck off of the roadway. They also issued a reminder to people to calmly drive, and to not be motivated into putting other people in danger through risky driving maneuvers and taunting. The results at high speeds can very often be fatal, as seen in this case.

  
  
• Driver Charged in MUNI Death
  19 January 2012, 9:21 am
  

                  San Francisco’s MUNI has undergone a strong effort in recent years to reduce accidents caused by its drivers operating buses and trains.  By and large, the agency has cut down on catastrophic accidents, with only two fatal accidents happening in the year of 2011.  Of those two accidents, one of them is being actively prosecuted for negligence on behalf of the person who he allegedly struck and killed.

                  On August 19th a MUNI bus driver was taking his bus to a new assignment.  The bus was empty as he had not yet started his run.  He was turning left onto a residential street that normally does not get any MUNI traffic.  As he turned left, a 23 year old woman was walking in the crosswalk.  She was allegedly hit by the bus and the force of the impact killed her.  The woman was a recent transplant to San Francisco from Atlanta. 

                  While it initially seemed that the driver would not be charged with criminal negligence in the woman’s death, it was found by the district attorney that there was enough evidence to go forward with the case.  Onboard cameras revealed that the driver was not paying adequate attention to what was going on in front of him.  In fact, it appeared that he was looking at his sideview mirror, thus making him unaware of what was going on in front of him.  The case has been brought to court, and the driver is free on $10,000.00 bail.  The maximum penalty that he will face as a result of his negligence is one year in county jail.

  
  
• Fire in Martinez Home
  18 January 2012, 9:26 am
  

  The beginning of the New Year is one of the times that local fire departments recommend that people change out the batteries in their smoke detectors.  While this may seem like a trivial thing to do, the difference between living and dying can sometimes come down to the freshness of the batteries in the alarm.  One Martinez family found this out yesterday evening.
      A house caught on fire in Martinez yesterday, long after all five of the inhabitants had fallen asleep.  The fire burned, and as it did, the authorities were summoned to put out the fire and administer any medical treatment.  According to the “San Francisco Chronicle”, the fire had been burning for some time before firefighters arrived; indeed, it took four fire engines and 17 firemen 70 minutes to put out the blaze.  Even though the hour was early, firefighters were amazed to see that the entire family of five had managed to get out of the house and were safely standing outside.  According to one of the five, the batteries in their fire alarms had been replaced only the night before.  While the situation was certainly dire, it could definitely have been much worse.  None of the family were injured, save one individual who was taken to the hospital as a precaution against the effects of smoke inhalation.  Otherwise, everyone escaped the inferno unscathed.  The catalyst for the fire is believed to be embers or excess heat from the internal stove heater ignited combustible material near it.  The home was shortly thereafter declared a total loss.
      This terrifying experience has, thankfully, a happy ending.  The fact that the batteries were changed only the night before the fire may have saved the lives of all of these people.  Sometimes, fires like these can be instigated due to the negligence of the landlord to check and maintain the heating facilities in their properties.  Please remember to check the batteries in any of your alarms.  The difference could be enormous.