Charges possible after driver seen on video swerving into motorcycle

[Reter]

Source: CBS

GRANBURY, Texas -- A driver seen on video swerving into a motorcycle, sending its driver and passenger tumbling onto the pavement, may face charges in the crash, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The video recorded Saturday by another motorcyclist, and which has more than two million views on Facebook, shows rider Eric Sanders crossing double yellow lines in an apparent effort to pass a car on Texas's Tin Top Highway.

The car can then be seen sideswiping Sanders' bike, on which Sanders' girlfriend was also riding.

Two were sent tumbling along the pavement and to the side of the road.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/charges-possible-after-texas-driver-seen-on-video-swerving-into-motorcycle/

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This is disgusting. As a rider, I see hatred on the road all the time for motorcyclists.

[Duckhunter935]

1. totally wrong on that driver

but the bike was also passing in a no passing zone and as a bike rider I am ashamed of the sport bikes that constantly violate the traffic laws and film it for fun.

[ffr]

2. It's worse than that. It's dehumanizing of others.

Humanization is based mostly on weight. So look out bicyclists & pedestrians. You're even more more unloved.

And you're right it's getting worse. I see drivers all the time who either don't yield to faster traffic in the passing lane on the freeway or who swerve over into other lanes at inopportune moments for the express purpose of blocking someone else and remaining in front of them.

Drive right, pass left means nothing. Courtesy is a dying art that few practice and far fewer appreciate when it's presented to them.

[pacalo]

3. I hope to see a follow-up on this.

The girl is in ICU; I hope she makes it.

The awful, pathetic man who doesn't "care" should be in jail.

[Drahthaardogs]

11. So should her boyfriend.

Stupid ass tried to pass two cars in a line in a no passing zone. Dumb fuckery abounds. Both men need a little jail time.

[pacalo]

12. He was wrong, too, but he wasn't the one who said, "I don't care".

[Drahthaardogs]

14. I disagree.

The instant the fuck head decided to pass TWO cars in a line in a no passing zone, he pretty much said "I don't care". Kinda of lived it actually. He needs to be charged too for endangerment or reckless driving resulting in harm, something for that shithead too please.

[Duckhunter935]

15. Yep

[Reter]

19. Going over the yellow line to pass a car is just a ticket and some points

It's not anything that sends people to jail. We've all done it at least once in our lives.

[Drahthaardogs]

21. No, it Is incredibly dangerous

I almost got in head on collision last week because some dumb fuck tried to pass on a double yellow. Came over the hill and there he was in my lane. Drove into the ditch to avoid him. If you think it is just a ticket you need to get the fuck off the road yourself.

It is double yellow because the lane is blocked from the other drivers vision.

The cyclist risked his life and his girlfriends as well as any driver who swerves to get out of his way.

[Reter]

25. I'm not disagreeing with you

It it dangerous. He did it to pass cars that were going normal speed. Where I disagreed was the jail time. It's a points violation and a ticket. I'm not saying what it should or should be, I'm just saying what it is.

[pipoman]

31. If someone is injured while committing a crime the person committing the crime can be charged

in the injury....

[Drahthaardogs]

35. I suspect there is more to it.

Why was the guy with the Go Pro filming from the wrong lane too? Were they stunt riding? Something was going on with the cyclista too.

[LisaL]

32. But he wasn't interfering with this guy's driving.

The guy who hit him didn't have to do anything to avoid him.

[Deuce]

4. Really looks intentional...so much hate in some individuals.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. Yes. I want to.know.He has been arrested

[joshcryer]

6. I saw this video last night.

Open and shut case. Guy admits he did it on purpose right in the video.

[Not Sure]

7. I hate to see anyone get hurt, especially motorcyclists and their passengers

but I see motorcyclists show blatant disregard for traffic laws daily during my commute to and from work. Passing cars in stop-and-go traffic, racing (including in active construction zones), stunt riding in heavy traffic, etc. are common behaviors to witness. I see the hatred toward motorcyclists, too, and I'm not saying I condone the hatred, but I understand where it comes from.

Passing in a no-passing zone is extremely dangerous, especially when the move is executed so close to the other vehicle. Whether or not you want to believe the driver who claims the swerve was the result of having been stung by a wasp, the accident could not have happened had the motorcyclist avoided passing in this area. The driver could easily have swerved to avoid a skunk or armadillo or he could have dropped a cigar in his lap. If you aren't planning for the drivers around you to behave this way, you're planning to have an accident.

[Fuddnik]

8. Death or dismemberment for violating a traffic law.

Yeah, that will teach them.

Asshole in the car should be charged with attempted murder. He's the vehicular equivalent of George Zimmerman.

[jtuck004]

16. "Asshole in the car...attempted murder. He's the vehicular equivalent of George Zimmerman." < This

deserves repeating.

[bullwinkle428]

20. +1000. Lots of bullies on the road, trying to show what big, tough guys

they are to anyone riding a motorcycle, cyclists, and even those driving smaller vehicles. Pisses me off to see apologists for their actions, but it happens every fucking time we have one of these threads at DU.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. Wow

We seem to have a lot of motorcycle deaths here in and around KC.

What an awful thing for someone to do.

[Judi Lynn]

10. His immediate answers to the person who took the video were repetitions of "I don't care."

His "wasp" excuse didn't come up until after multiple claims about not caring.

Clearly he intended to harm them. It's a miracle they weren't killed.

[coyote]

13. The driver of the car has a long history with the law:

William Crum sends Granbury motorcyclists to the ditch, not his first encounter with law enforcement

http://www.yourglenrosetx.com/article/20151019/NEWS/151019367

[Auggie]

17. The driver, Crum, faces up to 40 years in prison:

Driver William Crum, 68, was charged on Monday with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to The Associated Press. Each count has a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/driver-swerves-hits-motorcyclist_5625abbee4b0bce3470208c8

At age 68, 20 years would be enough.

[Judi Lynn]

27. Great news! Found his photo after seeing your link:

[center] [/center]

[BlueJazz]

18. Most of us see lousy car drivers and a few lousy cycle drivers. I try to stay out of their way.

Other than that, I let them be.

[bigworld]

22. Yes the motorcyclist was reckless but Darwin has a way of dealing with those people sooner or later.

The last thing you should do is try to scare them or intimidate them into compliance. There were no winners from this incident -- just a couple of losers.

[Lychee2]

23. "Darwin"? :)

Are reckless motorcyclists a species? Well, OK. But remember that Darwin takes a long time. Motorcyclistus Reckliosus (Temerarius) may wreak a lot of havoc over eons before the species finally dies out.

The more I think about your comment the more ridiculous it gets.

[pipoman]

33. Have you really not heard of "Darwin Awards"?

The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheekhonor, originating in Usenet newsgroup discussions circa 1985. They recognize individuals who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilizationby their own actions.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_Awards

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

24. Three people could be in trouble

Grouchy-vigilante-geezer of course could face many charges, from crossing the yellow line to attempted murder.

Road-rash-guy can be cited for passing multiple cars, passing in a no-passing zone.

Camera-guy was also passing in a no-passing zone, his camera obviously on the wrong side of the road.

Cops could have a field day with this.

[Warpy]

26. At least the people who hate bikers see them

Which is more than I can say for a lot of the oblivious drivers out there.

I hope they pad the charges all to hell on that driver. Road ragers need to be off the road permanently.

[bkkyosemite]

28. How many tons does the car

weigh vs the bike. The biker was stupid and passed when he shouldn't have however him passing that car did nothing to the driver of the car. The driver of the car knew he could kill them and did it anyway. It was done with intent. There is a difference, a big one. The car driver needs to be in jail and if she (the one in ICU) doesn't make it, it's murder.

[DirtDart1319]

29. As an avid motorcyclist

I log many thousands of miles on my motorcycle every year. At least half of those miles are with my wife on the back. I wish I could ride year round but Ohio weather makes that difficult. I try my very best to follow all traffic laws and to pay as close attention as possible to drivers and road conditions around me. I don't speed, stunt, or otherwise put my/our lives at any greater risk than already there just being on a motorcycle.

With that being said, I understand that I have better acceleration, breaking, handling, and visibility than nearly any car out there. Cars and trucks have all kinds of safety features to protect you in the event of a crash. The only protection I have on my motorcycle is protective clothing, helmet, my ability to ride and my ability to avoid a crash. If need be, I will "bruise" a few traffic laws in order to put myself in the best/safest possible position on the road. If I pass you in a no passing zone while you were going the speed limit, it's not because I'm being a reckless show off. I may have noticed the driver in the car behind me texting and I don't want to be killed because they didn't see my break lights. It may seem reckless to you, but remember I have the visibility and performance to do it safely. I may take off a little fast from a light once in a while. This doesn't mean I'm trying to race you. Something just made me feel that I needed a little extra room to live at that time.

As far as this rider is concerned, I don't know why he chose to pass when he did. From the initial news reports I read, the car was going 20 mph under the limit. Perhaps he felt that he was at risk of being rear ended. Maybe he was just an impatient dumb ass. From watching the video, it appeared that he could have done it safely had the driver not tried to kill them. Did the rider put himself at increased risk by passing when he did? The non-rider would say yes. The experienced rider would say probably not. He did break the law and there is proof so he should get a ticket. But the attempted murder by the driver of the car was not warranted and he should be punished accordingly. To hear people minimize the actions of the driver because of the actions of the rider are unbelievable. This would be like me riding around on my motorcycle and shooting everyone I see texting and driving. Yeah, it's a crime but not punishable by me and certainly not punishable by death or serious bodily harm.

[liberal_at_heart]

34. good point about the texting and driving. Car drivers look down upon motorcycle drivers but

really shouldn't because most car drivers ignore many safety protocols themselves. We should all do our best to be as safe as possible and that includes doing the speed limit, passing safely, not texting and driving, and certainly not dolling out vigilantly justice on the road.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

30. Hey Guys- IT's TEXASS what do you expect???

[kentauros]

36. The word is actually "Taxasperated"

And incidents like this happen all across the country (and likely the world, but I usually only see these kinds of stories taking place in this country.) For example:

Rich Vail Fund Manager Hits Cyclist And Runs, Gets Off Because Charges Might "Jeopardize His Job"

Yeah, that happened in New York City. Should I find a similar story from California?