Bicycle Justice blog

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A prominent Adelaide lawyer who killed a cyclist in a hit and run and failed to stop has been fined $3100 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

McGee, 50, was driving a four-wheel drive vehicle when it was involved in a fatal collision with father-of-two Ian Humphrey in SA’s Barossa Valley in November 2003″.

The McGee case has provoked national discussion in Australia. This blog has been created to record these events and discussions.

The Bicycle Justice blog was created in April 2005 to assist in collating the vast amounts of information on the Eugene McGee case. As you would know, the issues surrounding the McGee case went national in 2005. So the blog was created as a reference point that lists all the news articles and discussions provoked by the case and the Kapunda Road Royal Commission.

The main reason why this was considered is that most online news articles/editorials get archived after a while and removed from public record. Most of the McGee case can be found on on other websites, but it is beneficial for the wider debate to have something people can reference in future – as this topic is far from becoming ephemeral.

As several Australian state’s governments have recently changed legislation pertaining to the topic of hit-run drivers, hopefully this blog “news archive” will be of benefit to anyone interested in this incredible case.

Further websites and blogs about similar cases:

Amy Gillett (Aus)
Amy Gillett was a true Australian champion representing Australia at the Athens Olympics in rowing and internationally as a champion cyclist. The nation grieved when she was killed in Germany in July 2005. Her five companions have overcome major trauma and are on the road to recovery.

Ben Mikic Foundation for Young Cyclists (Aus)
On April 27th 2007, Ben Mikic, a talented 15 year old racing cyclist from Mittagong, NSW, was tragically killed in a collision with a car during a training ride. Ben had proved himself as a gifted athlete in Road, Track and Mountain Bike Racing.BMF is run by a team of passionate volunteers. Every cent donated goes to making the road a safer place for our children. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Brendan Gregory Ellis Saul (Aus)
The purpose of this website is to give you both an understanding about who Brendan was and what we can all do to try and avoid this kind of thing happening again.

Chicago Ghost Bikes
On January 5, 2006, 50-year-old Isai Medina was on his way home from work when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while walking his bike along the sidewalk on Western Avenue in Chicago.

Cycling News: A Tribute to Russell Mockridge
When Joe DiMaggio, the Homeric champion of American baseball died in 1999, Time magazine noted… “One sign of a hero is if you feel enhanced simply when talking about him, recounting his feats, recalling a time when your own little life was touched by his.” These words also sum up my feelings for the greatest of all Australian cyclists, Russell Mockridge.

Let’s help Vicki Porter Recover! (Aus)
Vicki Porter is a 33 year-old woman, originally from Bowen, who has been happily working in Administration at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, South of Townsville. A keen triathlete and all-round cyclist, her life has been abruptly and dramatically altered in a horrific hit and run accident approximately 5:20am Friday 6th July 2007. She currently is unable to feel from the waist down.

The Vicki Porter Benefit Fund was set up for Vicki Porter who was recently the victim of a hit and run accident in Townsville. Vicki has suffered severe back trauma and is now in the spinal unit of the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane where she is expected to spend up to six months receiving treatment and adapting to life in a wheelchair.

Noel Davies (Aus)
Those of you who know him, know that Noel does not do things by halves. And when it comes to sports and activities, it is all or nothing. He has jumped from sailing to surfing and now to road bike riding/racing. On December 24 2006, Noel was involved in a serious bike accident, injured while doing the thing he loves. We will be using this site to keep his many friends updated.

Matt’s Law Coalition (USA)
Matt’s Law is about 25-year-old Matt Wilhelm, a recent University of Illinois graduate and avid biker who was killed by a distracted driver in September 2006. The teenage driver completely left the roadway while downloading cell phone ring tones, hitting Matt with the driver side of her car.

Because Illinois does not have a Negligent Vehicular Homicide law similar to 35 other states, the driver was only charged with improper lane usage, a petty offense with a maximum fine of $1,000. Illinois needs a new law NOW! We also need more education in schools to reduce distracted driving. Every day, 4,300 crashes are caused by driving distractions in the U.S.

Moka House Kills (Canada)
Len Kowalewich killed our son Kyle Forth Update, December 15 2005 – The verdict is in! Leonard Kowalewich has been found guilty of the charge of “operating a motor vehicle without due care and attention” in the collision which took our son’s life. We have a conviction but still not the slightest sign of remorse or condolence. Mr. Kowalewich sat virtually without emotion for the entire trial, including during the description of a collision scene so gruesome it caused a veteran police officer to choke up with tears on the witness stand.

Update, June 8, 2006
This site may not be available much longer. All surviving members of our family are being sued by Moka House Ltd. and Moka House Franchises Ltd. for libel. We will be fighting this because, as our lawyer said, “truth is the ultimate defense” . Maybe you could drop Moka House a line and let them know what you think about these bullying tactics.

Bicycle Austin.info: No Justice for Cyclists: What’s wrong with this picture?
This section of Bicycling in Austin details how motorists frequently hit-and-run cyclists, and how even those motorists who stay at the scene rarely receive penalties. The flipside of this issue is that cyclists often get arrested for minor traffic infractions, even when they don’t hurt or kill somebody. In other words, it seems that it’s easier to go to jail for riding a bike on the sidewalk than it is for running over and killing a cyclist with your car.

Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin: Jessica Bullen Memorial Fund (US)
Crashes are not accidents. No one else has to die. Click here to contribute to the Jessica Bullen Memorial Fund. Funds that the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin collects in memory of Jessica Bullen, a bicycle advocate who was killed in a crash with a motor vehicle, will be applied towards a motorist education program. Thank you to everyone who has generously donated in Jessica’s memory so that we can work to prevent other needless deaths. Also visit StreetShare.org for similiar programs throughout the state.

The intent of this website is to give bicyclists a place through which to lobby politicians, cycling advocacy groups, law enforcement agencies, road commissions, and national and state highway authorities to increase the safety of bicyclists on the road through better education of automobile and truck drivers about the rights of cyclists on public thouroughfares and by increasing the penalties for killing a cyclist on the road to the same level as those provided for highway road workers in Michigan and many other states.

Ken Kifer (US)
The purpose of Ken Kifer’s Bike Pages is to share what I know about cycling and to encourage others to bicycle as well. All articles are written by me and reflect my knowledge and personal experience, not something someone else said. Although having a strong philosophical streak, these bike pages include practical cycling information, statistical analysis, personal accounts of long trips and local experiences, photos, and humor.

Note: Tragically, Ken Kifer was killed by a drunk driver in September 2003. He is missed more than words can say.

Ghost Bikes
The intent of the Ghostcycle project is to raise awareness for everyone regarding bicyclists on the streets of Seattle. Our city is one of the most bike-friendly cities in North America, but things can always improve. We began to use this website to collect data from cyclists in the Seattle-area who have been involved in an accident while bicycling.

Ross Dillon (US)
Cyclist Ross Dillon was struck from behind by an inattentive driver on June 3, 2002. Since Ross was hurt, the second or third question we are asked by those who hear Ross’s story is: “What is going to happen to the driver?” We have not had a good answer to that question, indeed we still do not.

Tony Boiardi was hit by a car with only 2 days remaining in his ride across the US for Leukemia.

Broken Bikes Broken Lives (US)
A few pictures of memorials placed around St. Louis documenting where cyclists have been hit by cars.

TIMES UP! (US)

A somber procession of bicyclists pedaled from Park Slope in Brooklyn to City Hall. The memorial ride of more than 100 cyclists was born of a combination of anger, frustration and activism. So far this year, nine bike riders have been killed in collisions with motor vehicles. In the past six weeks alone, three riders were killed. In the shadow of these tragedies and the seeming disregard of city authorities to this ongoing problem, an unusual alliance of bicycle groups organized to make their voices, and their demands, heard.