Denver finally cracks down on scofflaws

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/02/good-samaritan.html

A Good Samaritan who sustained broken bones after pushing three people out of the way of a oncoming pickup has been cited for jaywalking, the Rocky Mountain News reports.

Bus driver Jim Moffett, 58, and one of his passengers decided to help two elderly women who had gotten off the bus on a Denver street in a light snowstorm, the newspaper says.

Moffett's stepson, Ken McDonald, tells the paper that the four had almost made it across the street when the impatient driver of a pickup passed in a left-hand turn lane and hit them.

"He plowed right into my stepdad," McDonald says. "But not before (my stepdad) pushed the old ladies and the other guy out of the way."

Moffett was hospitalized with bleeding in the brain, broken bones in his face, a dislocated shoulder, a broken wrist and possible ruptured spleen and liver, the News writes.

He also got a ticket for jaywalking.

McDonald says the citation should be dropped, but the newspaper quotes Ryan Sullivan, of the State Patrol, as saying that while Moffett's "intentions were good," jaywalking caused the accident.

I, for one, applaud the ciry of Denver and the State Patrol for their fearless and unrelenting crackdown on criminals like the odious Mr Moffett. If it weren't for all the fucking liberals in CO, he'd have gotten the chair, I bet.

I'm picking up on your sarcasm.....I think?

I am too, but there is a grain of truth to it.

They should have thrown a burger at them.

I'm assuming the driver was also brought up on his own charges, for illegally driving in the left-turn lane and hitting a pedestrian.

I think the old fucking ladies should pay the ticket for the poor guy. fucking old ladies are a menace.

Clodfobble;540004 wrote:

I'm assuming the driver was also brought up on his own charges, for illegally driving in the left-turn lane and hitting a pedestrian.

He was charged with careless driving which led to an accident, or some such thing...it's at the link, and I apparently truncated it.

However, the truck had no business in that lane, and hit a pedestrian who was assisting other citizens in a lawful activity. Jaywalking is fucking RIDICULOUS.

classicman;539985 wrote:

I am too, but there is a grain of truth to it.

Perhaps you could elaborate on that?

Perhaps.

classicman;540113 wrote:

Perhaps.

:eyebrow:

So you were just trolling?

TGRR wrote:

However, the truck had no business in that lane, and hit a pedestrian who was assisting other citizens in a lawful activity. Jaywalking is fucking RIDICULOUS.

Do you mean to say that jaywalking ought to be legal? Because it is, in fact, currently illegal, which means he was assisting other citizens in an unlawful activity. There's a reason it's illegal--because random people crossing the street at any place they want is dangerous, even when the drivers are following the rules. That's why there are crosswalks with stoplights. Even if the stupid driver had waited patiently in line behind the bus, there would still presumably be oncoming traffic from the opposite lane to avoid.

lumberjim;540038 wrote:

I think the old fucking ladies should pay the ticket for the poor guy. fucking old ladies are a menace.

Is, Jim, is, not are. Grammar, Jim.




ETA: So, he missed two old ladies but got the good samaritan ... how many points does he get for that?

Clodfobble;540120 wrote:

Do you mean to say that jaywalking ought to be legal? Because it is, in fact, currently illegal, which means he was assisting other citizens in an unlawful activity. There's a reason it's illegal--because random people crossing the street at any place they want is dangerous, even when the drivers are following the rules. That's why there are crosswalks with stoplights. Even if the stupid driver had waited patiently in line behind the bus, there would still presumably be oncoming traffic from the opposite lane to avoid.

What's going to get this driver off, is what meant the charge never should have been made in the first place...the driver of the bus acted to save the lives of other citizens. Ergo, he is immune to any laws broken while doing so, so long as his behavior doesn't extend beyond the immediate situation (ie, an unlicensed driver can take a heart attack victim to the hospital, provided there is no reasonable alternative at the time, even though he's committing a misdemeanor while he does so).

Also, we don't know if they were on a crosswalk or not.

TGRR;540118 wrote:

:eyebrow:

So you were just trolling?

nope

If he had run out into the street for the sole purpose of pushing the ladies out of the way, then you would be right (in a moral sense; I'd like to see any municipality that actually has something on the books to the effect of one being "immune to any laws broken" while saving someone else's life.) But he didn't just dash into the street to save their lives, he was walking them across the street himself. All four of the people were guilty of jaywalking before the truck driver ever swerved out in front of them. I feel confident in assuming they weren't in a crosswalk, otherwise it wouldn't be jaywalking and there would have been no ticket.

To be clear...

Ryan Sullivan, of the State Patrol, as saying that while Moffett's "intentions were good," jaywalking caused the accident.

The driver of the pickup was ticketed for careless driving causing injury.

...they were both held responsible.

Clodfobble;540149 wrote:

otherwise it wouldn't be jaywalking and there would have been no ticket.

If it's against the light it's jaywalking, crosswalk or not, I believe.

We have laws falling out of our whatsits, but the Land of the Free has jaywalking. Yay, we're okay!

I must admit, it did make me smile re the pedestrian crossings in Rome.
I spent a lot of time in London, so I strode out fearlessly and of course the cars stopped. I advised a group of bewildered Merkins to wait for a nun (they're quite common in Rome, y'know) because there's no way they will be run over!