You are hereRepost: Austin Police Department not Reporting Serious Injury Accidents-NEED Witness INFO!!!

Repost: Austin Police Department not Reporting Serious Injury Accidents-NEED Witness INFO!!!


By Jason - Posted on 26 May 2009

By Jason - Posted on 26 May 2009

I was just forwarded the following plea from the ACA mailing list. Stuff like this makes my blood boil:

Hey Fellow Cyclists,

This is the third case we have received over the past year where a cyclist was seriously injured and the offices eiher failed to take a report, failed to gather witness informtion, or failed to take driver insurance information. This is such a huge problem.

In this particular case, on May 4, 2009 at approx. 5:30 PM, a young man was riding his bike in the bike lane. As he neared the intersection of Academy and So. Congress, directly in front of Docs, an Audi moved from the left turn lane crossed over and made right hand turn into the cyclist. There were no less than 50 witnesses including EMT and Fire personnel having lunch at Docs. The officers responding to the call: Bloodworth #5117 and Johnson #6461 failed to follow a single protocol for an accident injury. They did not take the drivers information and they did not even write a report. The young cyclist was taken by ambulance to St. Davids, he sustained a broken hand, a complete and open broken collar bone, AC tear of his shoulder, back injury, and various nicks and scrapes as well as a mild head injury. They knew of all these injuries at the scene, yet APD did not even bother to write down the driver's information much less take a single witnesses' information.

This is so ridiculously unacceptable! If anyone has witness information, please forward it to our office. If you are on a blog and see any information about this incident, please let us know. I am amazed and overwhelmingly disappointed in the APD and their carlessness for the citizenry, specifically those of us on two wheels.

"I truly believe that in making honorable choices about our lives, we can acknowledge sacrifices we make and the risks we take and recognize that what others view as losses and foolhardiness are the nourishment upon which our spirits thrive." Derrick Bell, Ethical Ambition

The Shefman Law Group
604 Mission Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
T: 415-357-3681
F: 415-357-3682
http://www.shefmanlaw.net
http://www.cyclistlaw.com

In Austin:
4015 Marathon Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78756
T: 512-386-8117
Toll Free: 877-366-7677
www.thelonestarattorney.com

If anyone has any information pertaining to this accident, please contact these guys. This egregious breech of protocol when it pertains to cyclists that so commonly happens (and has happened to me in the past) is fucking bullshit and needs to stop. Cyclists are people too, officers. Please treat us as such and start conducting yourselves with a level of professionalism as befits the badge and gun you carry. Ugh, this is ridiculous.

If a cop treats you this way LET US KNOW. This practice needs to be publicized and the officers responsible need to be held accountable for their prejudiced behavior.

What are the checks and balances? Do i call: Art Acevedo? (doubt he's going to do anything) Chris Riley? Is there a city attorney general? Internal affairs??? We need to flood these people's phones and email boxes, but i don't know who to email... How can i annoy people enough to fix this?

Matt

why is there always one rule for them and one rule for the rest of us?

In a car-car traffic accident, both parties are legally required to report the accident, stay on the scene until the police responds and exchange insurance info. if you fail to do do, it is a crime. So in the case of the car-bike accident related above, did the APD fail in their duty? Are they legally or civilly liable for that in terms of the medical/loss of income of the cyclist that would have been paid for by the driver's insurance?

and on that note, fuck laws. laws are made by those in power to keep themselves in a position of privilege, and are often selectively enforced. bike laws are an example of that, but not by far the only example, so don't be too surprised. being a biker is the closest some of us will get to experiencing real prejudice. and before you ask, I don't know the solution, but I do know we need to try something different....



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