US cyclist who killed pedestrian guilty of vehicular manslaughter but escapes jail

Tragic. A man died.

It was, above all, in my opinion, very forgiving of his son. I admire this son. A lot of people would want retribution (or in other words, perhaps, revenge) but this son did not (my heart goes out to your forgiveness).

Any sort of criminal record can do really bad things to a life. If the cyclist lost his job, for instance, I think it will be difficult for the cyclist to be re-employed. So, combined, with the 1000 hours of work, this is not a small sentence.

But a man died.

I see two issues.

The issue of this culprit and this individual case. Perhaps the 1000 hours is punishment enough.

But what is even more at stake, imho, is the issue of repeatability, and its deterrent. It seems to me that racing on public roads, using this and similar website/systems, is going to be, in the future a problem. I foresee that there will be other deaths.

I think that in some point in the future, at least, it would be a good idea to come down hard, with a stiffer sentence, as a deterrent.

Legislation limiting the ability to access a system showing an asynchronous, geostationary race, at least in built up areas, might also be appropriate.

It is, or will be, possible, to see, on the screen of a smart phone, where one stands in respect of other virtual, asynchronous competitors as one rides. That is to say that one could, in terms of the technology available, see the position of oneself, and the riders that one wants to beat (oneself and or others) on the screen of a smart phone as one rides, like Mario Kart in real time on the virtual road. At least, this will become possible. It will become possible to see a whole peleton of competing, virtual, asynchronous riders as one rides. Thus, as well as the motivation towards recklessness -- riding as if one were on a road that has been cordoned off for a road race -- it also encourages riders to watch their smart phone screens rather than the road.

I have just started using an asynchronous race system of this type. It is very powerfully motivating, good for my health, and I love it. It's affects are also somewhat dangerous.

At the advanced age of 37 it is pretty shameful riding. I hope for that light sentence he admitted fault.

Nope, because if his story is right, he didn't run a red light on the junction where he hit the ped

To me, without knowing anymore than I have read above. It sounds like the lights changing timing was ALL wrong, that could be the only case against the city.

If he was cycling through at amber and going at a rate of speed to kill someone. The lights for the ped's had changed to allow them to cross to soon in my eyes...

The only difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits... The punishment fits and there are not any stipulations for being stupid. It's sad to have a citizen lose his or her life to an oxygen thief... Perhaps he could better serve the community out of jail, that remains to be seen. Additionally, this was just the criminal action, a civil case will likely follow against the guilty party and potentially the city of SF.

Not going to jail means one less mouth to feed by the state.

Seems to me he should get a "ban" from cycling (not sure how that could be enforced) in the same way drivers should get a ban from driving when they cause death through carelessness. Not sure how putting them in prison will do anything for anyone. I don't see trying to beat your strava record in city streets as particularly dangerous, so long as you don't do stupid shit like jumping red lights and otherwise flouting the laws of the road... which this guy did, and if he didn't kill someone he might have been killed himself.

I think justice has been served here. The family did not want him to go to jail, his punishment of 1000 hours is quite a tariff to pay, and all the while he will still be having to work, pay tax etc. rather than being a drain on tax receipts and being permanently criminalised (thus why it can be downgraded from a misdemeanour).

At the end of the day, what he did was stupid, reckless and negligent, but it wasn't malicious. While road.cc has plenty of the 'lock 'em up and throw away the key' brigade, with respect to drivers, I can't see how that benefits anyone in the cases of negligence or incompetence. Fines, community service and lifetime/long term driving bans, yes. Prison, no. And the same as other rules of the road apply to us as cyclists, so should the penalties; and of course enforcement has to be equal too...

Rants and raves?

1. He admitted to a felony rather than blame the pedestrain for moving too slow or that he looked up and don't see the pedestrian, unlike most of the car drivers.
2. The son asked for him not to go to prison.
3. 1000hr is a bloody long time to work for nowt. Unlike prison, free board and three meals a day.

Justice was sort and served in this case. What is there to rant about?

How do you ban someone from cycling for life when the police/courts can not physically stop a banned driver from driving?

Oh sorry, I am feeding the troll?

If its "Rants and raves" you want, I read about this in the Guardian, the comments were extremely anti cyclist, starting with red light runners through to why oh why dont they just have number plates. The thing I noticed is that the commenters mostly fully believed that cyclists are causing death and destruction in a rampage of anarchy, which was a bit depressing

I personally don't bother with inner-city segments. I ride to/from Manchester every day and the amount of lights I hit and traffic/pedestrians there are means the only time they're worth trying to KOM is at 2am... not for me thanks.

"the law is an ass me Lord"

Critchio is right. If this was a driver we'd be demanding his bollocks be nailed to the wall.

This guy should be in prison. Along with all the drivers who carelessly or recklessly kill cyclists and pedestrians. No excuses.

Where's all the rants and raves???

I know its a different country to the UK, different laws, different attitudes perhaps, but I find it rather sad that you guys have not responded with the same venom, anger, rage and witch hunt mentality that has been offered previously when a car driver takes the life of a cyclist.

I also get that vehicle drivers, under UK law, have a higher duty of care towards vulnerable road users, be it foot pedestrians or cyclists. After all, car drivers are in a 1.5 ton metal cocoon surrounded by airbags.

But, this cyclist behaved in a deliberately dangerous manner while under the obsession of a Strava segment and he killed another person by slamming into them at 30mph. he should have gone to prison and be banned from cycling for life, surely?

Then I see the lack of (unpleasant) rants and raves about how the punishment was weak, the justice system being crap, how we should appeal the sentence en-masse, and the bad taste jokes about licensed assassination's, free kills, etc.

I'm disappointed. You guys are a fickle lot.

Mmm...Mr. Bucchere was clearly negligent resulting in the death of a pedestrian. He was racing on the road, a stupid ting to do by any estimation. He was not considering anyone else other than himself. Just as careless as Mr. Cox in the Dowling case, and it is that carelessness that has cost a life, again.

Sounds like a fair judgement, with a remarkable degree of charity and pragmatism on the part of the victim's son.