Quote:
Originally Posted by phil235
It's pretty clear from the driver's comments to the press (a bad idea for so many reasons) that the kids were biking along the sidewalk and simply continued across the ramp. There is nothing impeding the vision of drivers there for a long stretch, so in my view it is pretty careless of any motorist not to be ready to stop when they see kids on bikes, regardless of right of way.
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What's more, his story indicated that two of the kid's friends passed in front of his car before he hit the third. This tells to me he had at least some time to brake, and if he had slowed down upon seeing the kids on the sidewalk approaching the ramp he might have been able to stop in time.
But honestly, I don't blame the driver. I blame the design, and not just the ramp (obviously unsafe) but also the whole design of Orleans, which encourages (some might say forces) a 79year old to drive from his home onto the highway to go get some food in the evening. Maybe he loves driving and wants to drive, but realistically as you get older your reaction time decreases and vision worsens. In a well-designed city that guy would have had other options, but in north Orleans he does not - and that lead to a child dying and this man's life being ruined for a moment of inattention.
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