No grips? You're nicked son

There is currently a shrine at the Shell garage up the road from me. Loads of kids laying flowers, hanging around with sad faces. A 12-year-old boy hit a van there and died last Friday. Like the deceased, none of the mourners had any lights on their bikes.
Darwin Awards?

Where is this? Do you have a press reference?

How do you know the boy hit the van rather than the other way around?

One thing I do know is that JoAnne Good, the hipster-hating presenter from BBC London's radio breakfast show, posts on this forum as 'overdrive'.

You are quite right!

Where is this? Do you have a press reference?

How do you know the boy hit the van rather than the other way around?

It's the word on the street. Obviously the details won't come out until the inquest, but the driver has not been charged, and according to friends in the force, he won't be.
Briefest of detail here:
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2008/11/02/chester-schoolboy-12-killed-while-riding-his-bike-59067-22167307/

Sorry to be pedantic, but the name is actually Italian if the footballer himself is French. He comes from Italian roots.

Ok, ok.

Ok, ok.

;o))

It's the word on the street. Obviously the details won't come out until the inquest, but the driver has not been charged, and according to friends in the force, he won't be.
Briefest of detail here:
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2008/11/02/chester-schoolboy-12-killed-while-riding-his-bike-59067-22167307/

Thanks for that. What a horrible tragedy!

The reason why I asked was because it is newspaper reporting standard to say 'the cyclist collided with the car'. That's not pre-judging the issue before the inquest (although all speculation should obviously be strongly discouraged before the full facts are established there), but usually just sloppiness and undoubtedly in some cases a subtle reflection of press prejudice. The above article chooses the neutral 'involved in a collision'. Much better. Without more detail, it is impossible to say anything more on this one. I do hope that there were witnesses. Even their presence does not guarantee that legal travesties, such as the one recently in the case of time trial champion Jason MacIntyre, can be avoided.

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread3048.html

Concerning the police work, it is also always worth reminding ourselves that unfortunately the legal framework for dealing with driving offences that result in death or injury is woefully inadequate and unjust. This leads to many drivers not being charged, or being let off with small fines etc. The recent Road Safety Act 2006 was a major missed opportunity for improving the law.

It is known that the lack of fairer legislation, such as placing the burden of proof for discharging civil liability on drivers (as is the case in many European countries to varying degrees) has a particular impact on casualty rates among children in the UK, where they are disproportionately at risk compared to other countries.

My thoughts go out to the victim's family and friends. I'm sure the driver will also be suffering. None of the above is to attack the driver in particular. Rather, it is about the measures that should be taken to prevent collisions like this in the first place, and deal with the consequences if prevention fails, which would be less often if the arcane 'Road Safety' mindset ('managing' danger rather than reducing it), was overcome.

Just in case anyone gets the wrong impression from this, cycling is actually a very safe activity. But we still have a way to go if we agree not to tolerate a certain level of casualties on our streets and roads. We must have high standards, and, in the words of the Transport Select Committee's recent report, 'end the scandal of complacency'.

Either that or it was a gerund. We always have a need for gerunds.

Isn't there a long running Italian radio series about a farming community that features a family called the Gerundis?

Malheureusement, je ne parle pas 'Ealing'.

10 / 10 Monsieur Platini

Thanks for that. What a horrible tragedy!

The reason why I asked was because it is newspaper reporting standard to say 'the cyclist collided with the car'. That's not pre-judging the issue before the inquest (although all speculation should obviously be strongly discouraged before the full facts are established there), but usually just sloppiness and undoubtedly in some cases a subtle reflection of press prejudice. The above article chooses the neutral 'involved in a collision'. Much better. Without more detail, it is impossible to say anything more on this one. I do hope that there were witnesses. Even their presence does not guarantee that legal travesties, such as the one recently in the case of time trial champion Jason MacIntyre, can be avoided.

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread3048.html

Concerning the police work, it is also always worth reminding ourselves that unfortunately the legal framework for dealing with driving offences that result in death or injury is woefully inadequate and unjust. This leads to many drivers not being charged, or being let off with small fines etc. The recent Road Safety Act 2006 was a major missed opportunity for improving the law.

It is known that the lack of fairer legislation, such as placing the burden of proof for discharging civil liability on drivers (as is the case in many European countries to varying degrees) has a particular impact on casualty rates among children in the UK, where they are disproportionately at risk compared to other countries.

My thoughts go out to the victim's family and friends. I'm sure the driver will also be suffering. None of the above is to attack the driver in particular. Rather, it is about the measures that should be taken to prevent collisions like this in the first place, and deal with the consequences if prevention fails, which would be less often if the arcane 'Road Safety' mindset ('managing' danger rather than reducing it), was overcome.

Just in case anyone gets the wrong impression from this, cycling is actually a very safe activity. But we still have a way to go if we agree not to tolerate a certain level of casualties on our streets and roads. We must have high standards, and, in the words of the Transport Select Committee's recent report, 'end the scandal of complacency'.

very well put.

thoughts to the family and friends.