Doctor Jailed for Road Rage Against Cyclist
LOS ANGELES, California (derailedonline.com) - In a landmark case heard around the world, an LA Doctor has been sentenced for five years after intentionally hitting a cyclist on a street in Los Angeles area. The court case has been watched by the cycling community around the world and maybe will stand out as a warning to belligerent motorist who seek to do harm to cyclist.
Dr Christopher Thompson intentionally caused harm to the cyclists by slamming on his brakes in front of the cyclists as he screamed past them in his car, causing serious bodily injury to two cyclists - one individual requiring emergency surgery to reattach his nose. Found guilty in November, compelling testimony from the reporting police officer and a recording of the 911 call were two of the major contributing factors to the guilty verdict of the doctor.
Throughout the trial, the former emergency room physician denied deliberately causing the crash. Deny as he might, when the court was played the 911 call back it was clear. As Thomson said to the operator, "I slammed on my brakes", and a traffic investigator related how Thompson had told him: "I passed them up and stopped in front to teach them a lesson."
At sentencing, the nature of the crime and Thompson's very apparent disdain for the proceedings during the trial helped to convince the judge to place a harsh sentence on Thomson. Thomson received a sentence term of five years in prison. Many hope this will remain in peoples memories and help prevent other such road rage.
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Posted on Jan 12, 2010 08:20:15 -0400 by Brady.