Cabbie Who Severed Cyclist's Leg Charged
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.22.08
The still un-named Toronto cyclist who lost his leg last weekend when squeezed between the rear end of a taxi and a signpost (see Taxi Driver Severs Cyclists' Leg in Violent Hit-and-Run) finally was coherent enough to give his statement to the police. The result:
Sultan Ahmed, 38, of Maple, Ontario has been charged with:
1) Criminal negligence causing bodily harm,
2) Dangerous operation causing bodily harm,
3) Fail to stop at scene of accident bodily harm,
4) Attempt to obstruct justice,
5) Aggravated assault,
6) Assault with weapon.
We still don't know the full story and the police are saying ‘‘Although charges have been laid, there are still some elements of the case that are under investigation.’’ The victim evidently was a serious cyclist- one article says that his bike was worth five thousand dollars. National Post and Biking Toronto
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I would think that trying to crush someone with a car would be attempted murder or manslaughter.
What?
No Attempted Murder?
I say we mount some sort of protest until the charges are attempted murder. It seems like every time a motorist tries his best to run down a cyclist (if you chase someone else with a 2 ton vehicle and actually catch him of course you are tring to kill them what else did you think was going to happen) its "aggrevated assault". No. If I punch the guy at the door at the local nightclub because he won't let me in, thats aggravated assault. If I pulled out a .45 caliber pistol and shot him in the chest for not letting me into the club that is attempted murder because I knew that my actions had a high probablity of killing him and that knowledge shows my intent to kill. It is rediculous that this guy is beging charged with the same severity of a crime as a mugger who leaves his victims unharmed except for a couple of bruises. This cyclist wasn't bruised, his bike didn't have a little dent it it, HIS LEG WAS SEVERED AND HE WAS LEFT FOR DEAD. Are we the only people that think that this a serious crime against another human being?
6) Assault with weapon.
Given that there have been many cyclists killed by cars it's tough to see why this isn't
6) Assault with a deadly weapon.
Typical, no attempted murder or even manslaughter charges. He backed into him, that shows premeditation.
No, you're not alone in thinking this guy is being let off with (attempted) murder. At the very least it should be a manslaughter charge.
I think it is better to charge him with something he is sure to get conviced, than an attempted murder charge that would probably not get a guilty verdict.
These are still serious charges. I don't know exactly what happened, but I think it would be good if he were convivted of all charges and also permanantly lost his right to operate a motor vehicle, in the same fashion as the movie pirate who lost his right of using photography/video equipment.
Does anybody know if there is a charity or something to help the cyclist? Wheelchairs, prostetics, and adapting a home can be costly, not to mention the emotional support of loosing limb.
Patrick
LA: Information came out on the weekend about who he is and his side of the story, minus what his lawyers told him to keep quiet about.
the Star: Injured cyclist focuses on survival
More information about this is out today, including the story from the cyclists' point of view:
Cyclist who lost Leg in apparent Road Rage incident speaks out