Motorist Shoots Cylist!

[gttim!]

This is great! Good logic! Story Here.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- A driver, now identified as an Asheville firefighter, shot a bicycle rider because he was angry the man was riding with his child on a busy road, Asheville police said.

Makes perfect sense!

Officers said the victim was riding with his wife and had his 3-year-old son in a child seat attached to his bicycle when a driver approached him.

Police said the driver, Charles Diez, claimed he was upset that the victim was bike riding with his child on the heavily traveled Tunnel Road.

See, it wasn't safe for the child. So the guy...

Diez pulled a gun and opened fire, hitting the victim in his bicycle helmet, according to police.

Genius!

 

[psychlist]

Good thing he was able to do this before Obama took away his guns.

I am really embarassed to be an american sometimes.

 

[Marva32]

according to the article, the bullet only went part of the way through the helmet. Now that is a great advertising angle

 

[quadsRme]

the firefighter has more problems than what appears on the surface. so now guns are a way of clearing the roads of cyclists

we live in a very twisted society in America when we witness these types of occurrences. you just can't be safe enough, and then a guy with a gun shows up.......

 

[shawnrohrbach]

In Seattle last week two cyclists were hit with blow gun darts, and I believe one of them was hospitalized. What was so unnerving about the incident was the typical meat head response from readers of The Seattle Times like "they deserve it for running stop signs all the time". I actually did a survey back in 2006 when I was writing a book on cycling of Washington State Patrol and Seattle Police officers and hands down they all concurred motorists are the most flagrant violators. I guess the guy who shot the cyclist proved that. I think there is a traffic law somewhere that says you cannot shoot at people while driving.

 

[uphillstruggle]

America sounds nuts for this kind of thing. We get a lot of the aggression towards cyclist over here in the UK; people getting out of car and punching cyclists, lorries nearly wiping you out for riding two abreast and not moving quickly enough; the 'old single file' being shouted out when they have loads of room to get around but nothing like the violence I have heard about in the US via this forum. Some poster in another thread said a guy hit him with a two by four!.

I think a lot of the problems arise from the fact that motorist have no understanding of a cyclist right to be on the road - they actually think we, at best are allowed to ride at the side of the rode. Mainland Europe is completely different, in France they wait patiently behind you until the other side of the road is free and give you metres of space when they over take. I know a guy who races in Belgium and apparently over there when the schools finish the roads are taken over by school kids going home - the racers don't train at that time there's so many, bikes rule the roads! Sounds good eh.

I was getting angry thinking about all the idiot motorists while I was writing that. Hope the guy gets sent to prison and meets a 'special friend' when he's there.

 

[TRDean]

Well, it is unfortunate!! I ride in the state of NC with my son and to be honest, I have had only one bad instance in the past 3 years!! And it was not so bad at that. Something like this gives Americans, and gun rights advocates a bad name.

Living in the Netherlands in the 80s they even have a bicycle rush hour...it is amazing.

But alas, two riders shot while in the Tour...

This type of thing knows no bounds!!

 

[ASimons]

This is my story

I am the bicyclist they are talking about,As for this is a ongoing case I wont say to much about it,I can say that As of this afternoon there was a bond hearing and the judge has decided to drop the bail from 500,000 to 250,000..Go figure. I am not sure why this happened We were doing nothing wrong and just enjoying a sunday morning ride with very little traffic. I did see a post in here about the bullet getting lodged in the helmet,,,Thats not true the bullet did go in around the back of the left ear padding out the top,Just clearing that up.although i guess it would make a nice ad for the manufactuer lol..

As for myself and my family we are fine,my left inner ear is sore and swollen internally but we are treating with antibodies for right now,I can hear out of it but it is a bit muffled.We will keep riding as for we did nothing wrong,My son had a helmet on and a approved riding seat.This man had no right to bother us like he did that day.He was so concerened for my childs life that he was going to take his father away from him.Now where does that make sense?

We have been avoiding the media like the plague for the last three days,for I have nothing to say to them that they can pick up from the police report..My son is my wifes and myself best friend and we will protect him always.Please think good things for us,and please dont think that all are public servants are like this man.I certainly do not.. Alan R. SImons

 

[ASimons]

me again

jjust found this out a few minutes ago,,would have been nice if i would have got a call warning me or something
go to the asheville citizens times, the guy is released on bail now! What justice and the bad thing is he still gets paid for right now. grrr

 

[Marva32]

I was the one who posted about the bullet not going all the way through, I read it someplace regarding the case. I wishyou and your family the best, my thoughts are with you, as are, I'm sure many of the others here.

 

[ASimons]

Its ok marva,its just there a few things that are not right in the media.I am still having a hard time with no one warning us that he was released .,I had to read it on the news website..crazy

 

[gttim!]

I am the bicyclist they are talking about....

Glad to hear that you and your family are OK and still riding! I wish for the best outcome with all this legal stuff!

 

[Cobber]

I am the bicyclist they are talking about,

Glad you are OK! I hope everything goes in your favour regarding this guys trial.

 

[shawnrohrbach]

"This man had no right to bother us like he did that day"

Oh, yeah, no more true words were ever written in all of human communication! I can think of many people who would loved to have uttered or written those words after some nut job used a gun outside of the parameters offered up to us by the NRA in defense of gun ownership. "We use guns for hunting and self defense" and NOW it is acceptable to use guns to terrorize families RIDING A BIKE!!!!!!!!

 

[psychlist]

Glad to hear you are relatively OK. Please give us an update as things play out.

 

[TRDean]

Mr. Simmons...very glad to hear that you are well. I hope your son has not lasting issues. You have a lot of people in your corner!!

 

[TRDean]

"This man had no right to bother us like he did that day"

Oh, yeah, no more true words were ever written in all of human communication! I can think of many people who would loved to have uttered or written those words after some nut job used a gun outside of the parameters offered up to us by the NRA in defense of gun ownership. "We use guns for hunting and self defense" and NOW it is acceptable to use guns to terrorize families RIDING A BIKE!!!!!!!!

This isn't about the NRA or gun ownership!! Keep it to topic. I am an NRA member and a dedicated shooter...I don't condone this type of behavior and neither does the NRA!! How many people are killed on bikes by moving cars every year? Maybe we should outlaw cars too!!

Sorry, this is really off topic...I just hate when groups are lumped together. Mr. Rohrbach must be a better person than everyone who owns a gun.

 

[Johnny Colnago]

I am really embarassed to be an american sometimes.

Just sometimes?
(note to the stupid Alpe D'Huez I'm looking at you, this is called a joke!)

 

[Johnny Colnago]

This isn't about the NRA or gun ownership!! Keep it to topic. I am an NRA member and a dedicated shooter...I don't condone this type of behavior and neither does the NRA!! How many people are killed on bikes by moving cars every year? Maybe we should outlaw cars too!!

Sorry, this is really off topic...I just hate when groups are lumped together. Mr. Rohrbach must be a better person than everyone who owns a gun.

So, Just how many multi-colored led flashlights do you own? lol

 

[ASimons]

Follow up

Just wanted to do a little update post,not much to report I am still a little upset that man was able to be released. We have decided to leave Asheville for a few days to get away from it,however we do have our bikes and we will continue to ride. I did want to say thanks for the support we really can use it after ready some of the negative comments in the local media blog pages.This man will have his day in court and we will be there!Thanks again and stay tuned Alan Simons

 

[The Falcon]

what a farking lunatic.

Glad you came out of it OK.....well, relatively intact physically at least.

I'd be seeking counsel as to whether its wise to be posting any more on public forums until the case is resolved however.

Good luck!

 

[BigBoat]

Wow if the quotes on here are accurate this is totally crazy! There could be some other motive besides the guy being a nut case.

Incredible somebody who tried to shoot somebody randomely would be let loose! Pretty liberal decision! LOL