Woman charged with two deaths
Tulsa World PhotoThis is from today's Tulsa World.
Woman charged in double bicycle fatality
By Staff Reports
Published: 6/17/2009 12:45 PM
Last Modified: 6/17/2009 12:50 PM
Tulsa World PhotoA Sand Springs woman was charged Wednesday with manslaughter and driving under the influence after she allegedly ran down three bicyclists last week, killing two of them.
Tausha Dion Borland, 38, was charged by the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office with two counts of first-degree manslaughter, leaving the scene of a fatality accident and driving under the influence.
Borland was released from jail last week on $100,000 bond.
(MORE)
If Borland is convicted of DUI, it will be her second offense which is a felony here in Oklahoma. Frankly, I was surprised by the tone of the comments following this article. They almost uniformly condemn her behavior, with one lone exception (so far) by an obvious troll.
Getting hit from behind is very likely every cyclist's worst nightmare. Fortunately, this type of crash is relatively rare, but the truth is that it's responsible for too many deaths.
Hug your loved ones tonight, and ride safe.
Labels: bicycling deaths, DUI, Tulsa
posted by Ed W at 5:01 PM
8 Comments:
I'm dealing with a fear of riding to work now. I hate that.
Sweet Jesus, there ain't much left of those bikes. I always ride road with a helmet mirror (I'm paranoid about getting run over).....but if some driver is drunk and does a last second swerve....I guess there ain't much a rider could do.
The bond shoulda been set much higher.
I've decided against using a rear view mirror as I would then become too paranoid from all the cars I think are too close. I just leave it in God's hands.
Maybe I should also point out that I am not saying that I am not aware of what is going on around me. I feel like I have a crick in my neck sometimes from looking behind me all the time. I just let give the fear up to the Lord and try to enjoy my ride.
I use a mirror for long-distance look backs. "Will that car half a mile back overtake before the crest of this hill or afterward?" Closer in, I still turn to look. It sends a clear signal to drivers, especially when coupled with a hand signal and a move to the left (if I'm making a left hand turn, that is).
But I seldom have motorist doing 'brush by' passes. I think that can be attributed largely to lane position. I have roughly a third of the lane to my right, two-thirds to the left. Motorists normally go around me with about as much room to my left as I leave to my right. It has to be some sort of perceptual thing.
I ALWAYS use a rear-view. Not to blame the victims, there is a slight, very very slight, possibility it could have made maybe a half-a-nano second difference in this crash.
Borland must have been rolling at least 50mph on impact to shred those carbon fiber specials into a million pieces.
I once got tagged in the six by a DUI case with suspended license. Rap sheet a mile long.
Luckily, my mayoral campaign saved my life. I was towing a large metal box, the campaign sign, which absorbed the impact of a Buick rolling at 35.
My body floated over the mangled bike and landed on a camelback. Hitch a ride home on a TFD ladder truck. Gave an interview to KTUL two hours later on all two!
I didn't even bother to sue the perp for damages. So, I get to be the good guy for just a few back in 2002!
That was a good day.
Only first degree Manslaughter? If she drank and drove, swerved to hit the cyclists, then left the scene, and she was drunk enough she (claims she) was unaware she hit them, it sounds pretty premeditated to me. How about first degree MURDER. I've been the recipient of the (in)attentions of a hit-and-run driver, so I'll buy the rope if they hang her in public at high noon in Bartlett Square.
I also want to know the name of the judge who gave her the suspended sentence for her first offense. If/when he/she comes up for re-election, or ever runs for other public office, she/he needs to be voted out!
Thank God they raised Borland's bail and, if she does make the new bail, she's supposed to be under house arrest with GPS and is "forbidden" to drive. Of course, she was previously "forbidden" by law to drive after drinking, too. Gee, I feel safer already.
I have, like Cyclewolf also been the victim of a hit and run driver, who left me unable to walk for 4 months. Unfortunately, I live in an extremely hostile city of motorists to cyclists, and have close encounters pretty much every morning on my 10 mile commute.
John in Atlanta
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