Update: March 11, 2008 — Memorial bike ride set Saturday
Friends and teammates of fallen cyclists Matt Peterson and Kristy Gough are planning services and bicycle rides in their memories. A ride for Kristy is being put together for the Napa Valley and a memorial service is in the planning stages for Matt later this week in the San Francisco Bay area.
You can visit a new website, Remembering Matt, to find details on the service and leave a comment about him.
After reading and writing about the senseless tragedy that took Matt and Kristy, I headed out on a ride to remind myself that cycling is supposed to be fun. I had just oiled up the bike and rode harder than I usually do. The exertion helped blow off the anger and frustration that I felt about the situation for cyclists using our roads.
Deputy
Meanwhile, news about the the Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputy's driving record is emerging.
The deputy, 27-year-old James Council, was convicted in 2001 of being involved in a speed contest, according to DMV records dug up by the Mercury News.
“At the time, he was also charged with two drunken driving counts: driving while intoxicated and having a blood-alcohol content greater than 0.08 percent, court records show. He accepted a plea deal, however, and records show that Council was convicted on Oct. 29, 2001 of engaging in a speed contest on a highway on Sept. 15, 2001. He received 24 months of court probation – a punishment that had ended before he was hired by the sheriff's department.”
Witnesses to first arrive on the scene said Council, whose father is also a deputy on the force, was pacing around and told at least two people he must have fallen asleep.
The CHP, which is investigating the deaths, said there is no evidence that Council fell asleep. He'd been on duty since 6 a.m. He killed the two cyclists about 10:30 a.m.
Considering his background, I wonder if a sobriety test was administered. (Update: March 14 — No blood-alcohol test was administered, although the sheriff's department did take a blood sample.)
Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith reportedly was crying as she talked to reporters.
“I am more than sorry.Our whole department is sorry,we feel terrible for this incident, for the families, for the victims. It was a tragic accident. … I don't know if he dozed off. It's fair to say at this point that we know that we caused the accident. I understand, well, I believe that we will be found at fault for this accident.”
Good stories about them at CyclingNews and VeloNews, also more eyewitness reports and details on dozing deputy a the Chronicle.
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