A Teenager Hit Six Cyclists While Trying To Roll Coal And Was Not Arrested

[indianajo]

Tried to donate to gofundme for victims linked to in post 94, my computer is too old. I'm "insecure". $34000 so far. Have to bribe President Xi periodically to make charity contributions online in the US.
Waller county is next county west of Houston. Bus 290 where assault occurred is a 4 lane highway replaced by a parallel limited access freeway. ~30' of pavement in each direction to pass bicyclists.

 

[retiredNH]

Tried to donate to gofundme for victims linked to in post 94, my computer is too old. I'm "insecure". $34000 so far. Have to bribe President Xi periodically to make charity contributions online in the US.
Waller county is next county west of Houston. Bus 290 where assault occurred is a 4 lane highway replaced by a parallel limited access freeway. ~30' of pavement in each direction to pass bicyclists.

Only 30 feet? I understand Texas trucks are pretty big...

 

[PatriciaK]

So the kid is related to a Waller county official ... what a surprise.
The Waller county police didn't handle the initial management of the accident/crime scene properly ... another surprise.

Legal brief/blog on the accident by some of the cyclist's attorneys - https://www.bikelaw.com/2021/10/waller-bike-crash/

Excellent article, thanks! I'd best be more careful when cycling in North Carolina!

 

[PedalUma]

The defense attorney had a case of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon dismissed. He represents molesters. Not cheap.
A botched crime scene will lead to an appeal to dismiss. But, it was botched on purpose, that is also a crime.

 

[Gordon71]

No problem with you disagreeing with me at all. I just hated to see Texas bashing by several people, not just you. The only fact I know for sure is every state has issues. I tend to be conservative politically which I’m sure you have assumed by now. For the record I see a couple of things going on in Texas I don’t like either. Its painting law enforcement on the take cutting the kid loose and the general bashing that bothers me.

I predict the kid will face some ramifications for what he did. I just hope it’s enough.

Every state may have issues but Texas does seem to go above and beyond when it comes to doing stupid bad things. I thought about your post this afternoon when I stopped in on yahoo news and of the top five stories four were about Texas. 1. A new challenge to their abortion law. That was a good story about a horrible thing Texas is doing to women. 2. A new bill banning trans athletes from competing. 3. A couple of stories about officials raping/molesting kids in detention centers 4. (most bizarre) A Texas school district administrator told teachers that if they have books about the Holocaust in their classrooms, they should also have books that offer “opposing” or “other” viewpoints on the subject. Kinda makes me think "rolling coal" is one of the least bad things they do there. I’m not sure I’d set foot in that state if they paid me.

 

[Comfortably Numb]

Every state may have issues but Texas does seem to go above and beyond when it comes to doing stupid bad things. I thought about your post this afternoon when I stopped in on yahoo news and of the top five stories four were about Texas. 1. A new challenge to their abortion law. That was a good story about a horrible thing Texas is doing to women. 2. A new bill banning trans athletes from competing. 3. A couple of stories about officials raping/molesting kids in detention centers 4. (most bizarre) A Texas school district administrator told teachers that if they have books about the Holocaust in their classrooms, they should also have books that offer “opposing” or “other” viewpoints on the subject. Kinda makes me think "rolling coal" is one of the least bad things they do there. I’m not sure I’d set foot in that state if they paid me.

Wow....what other viewpoint on the Holocaust is there? What, like the Nazis were doing the rest of the world a favour? CN

 

[Mulezen]

Wow....what other viewpoint on the Holocaust is there? What, like the Nazis were doing the rest of the world a favour? CN

That’s a storyline gaining currency in some circles. Tiki torches anyone?

 

[PedalUma]

That’s a storyline gaining currency in some circles. Tiki torches anyone?

 

[Jason Knight]

And the music…don’t get me started.

I may have a lot of issues with the State of Texas and their immoral faith-{expletive omitted} "conservative values",...

...but Austin City Limits isn't one of them.

The day is long and the land is dry
Go to the river on the Texas side
Hot Sun working on my mind
I can't forget my border girl

I mean FFS, they gave us Stevie Ray Vaughan AND Kim Wilson.

 

[PedalUma]

Austin is the blueberry in the ketchup. https://matadornetwork.com/life/8-differences-austin-rest-texas/ Weird, smart, creative, free and healthy, and little d-democratic are accepted there as well as topless swimming for all in nature. Austin has a ten mile bike path.

 

[Gordon71]

Up until this morning I had not heard about a conservative named Charlie Sykes but I do like this quote attributed to him: “I know that Republicans in Texas have been conservative for a long time but there was a time when conservative Republicans in Texas were not absolutely batshit crazy,”

 

[Mulezen]

‘conservative’ used to stand for something entirely different until it was taken over by Fox News and cultural ‘conservatives’

 

[Pulsar]

I’m a born and bread Texan, proud of it. Don’t hold it against me. I‘m not a redneck, don’t drive a truck, wear a cowboy hat or own a horse and until this whole thread started had no idea what roll coal even meant? Do believe in the 2nd amendment and for those of us who have passed some training and background checks to be able to carry on my body while away from my house. The little s*it bag messing around in his truck and hitting folks, accident or not should have some consequences so he learns something. If he is connected, hopefully a DA will have some balls and still see this through and its not just swept under the rug. My dad taught me there are no real accidents, there is inattentiveness, being stupid and plain just having ones head up your ass. Yes, seen plenty of diesel trucks blow black smoke before and figured most had the engine chipped. Not sure how they pass state inspection though? Yes, Texas has made the news far too often lately for our governor is a dick on all kinds of issues (Covid as example) and even though I’m republican, do not agree with new laws that recently took place from the Texas legislature. Don’t hate on Texas for some of the stupid stuff being done for no state is perfect. We still provide more oil and gas to the country than any other state so we do carry our on weight. When hurricanes happen or other national disasters happen in the country, Texas is there to lend a hand. Texas Baptist Men is but one of many organizations you will almost always see helping. Many states step up so not dissing on anyone here.

 

[Mulezen]

Rolling coal is not just a Texas problem…I’ve had it done to me twice in rural Virginia…same MO…youngsters in overgrown pickups used as toys. I also support the 2nd amendment just not as implemented. As one distinguished Justice complained “Can’t they (conservatives) read English?”

 

[gumpahead]

So, he accidentally hit six cyclist while attempting to 'only' assault them with exhaust and the authorities let him go. WTF!?!

A Teenager Hit Six Cyclists While Trying To Roll Coal And Was Not Arrested

A 16-year-old pickup driver hit multiple cyclists on Saturday morning near Waller, Texas, a city just west of Houston. The teenager struck six cyclists in all, and two of them were airlifted to local hospitals to treat shoulder, neck and back injuries; one cyclist suffered head trauma, according...

jalopnik.com

I sorry but what does roll coal mean?

 

[Mulezen]

It is a device in diesel trucks that diverts some unburned fuel into the exhaust producing a thick oily noxious smoke. Some Tesla drivers have been treated to this nasty trick, and they have posted videos of it.

 

[Comfortably Numb]

It is a device in diesel trucks that diverts some unburned fuel into the exhaust producing a thick oily noxious smoke. Some Tesla drivers have been treated to this nasty trick, and they have posted videos of it.

I didn't know what it was until this thread. I've not seen it but we have our share of children in big trucks so I have no doubt it's a thing here too. CN

 

[Mulezen]

More Texas coal rolling

 

[mclewis1]

An example of the prosecution of a different car - bike accident.

Driver expected to plead guilty to hit-and-run collision with industry veteran Bernstein

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The driver involved in the hit-and-run collision that seriously injured an industry veteran while cycling is expected to receive a stipulated sentence of two years in prison, mandatory parole, and restitution when he is arraigned Friday.

www.bicycleretailer.com

One aspect that doesn't sound right to me is the driver's comment about not knowing that he'd hit anything. Given the cyclist's extensive injuries this clearly wasn't just a clip from a mirror or other contact knocking the rider off of the bike ... this was a serious impact (throwing him into the ditch) and just short of being run over.

I also wonder how the case would have gone if the cyclist hadn't been such an industry veteran who had the ability to generate visibility and knowledge of and ability to afford legal counsel that really knew how to handle a bike related accident case. I'm not saying the local DA wouldn't have prosecuted it, just that perhaps the defendant wouldn't have pleaded guilty?

One thing to keep an eye on as the Waller county accident prosecution progresses is this potential sentence in the more bike friendly Boulder county CO. vs. the apparently less so bike friendly Waller county TX.

Edit/update: I was going to just leave this as a simple example of a different car - bike accident ... but a little reading has left me feeling a little different about this one. 20 years ago I lived very close to the accident site. A little more background reading and I realized that I'd ridden that route many many time on various training rides, and clearly just how this could have easily been me. The reading that really got to me was Andrew's article in Outside magazine last year. https://www.outsideonline.com/outdo...sc=116788889.4.1634913426961&__hsfp=805704957

It sure goes way beyond the simplified description of injuries (and their ongoing impact) mentioned in the overview of the accident.

 

[mclewis1]

And the sentencing ... He gets 2 years plus 2 years probation for leaving the scene of the accident but nothing for the dangerous driving aspect.

Driver pleads guilty and is sentenced in Bernstein hit-and-run

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The driver who struck industry communications professional Andrew Bernstein in 2019 pleaded guilty to reduced charges on Friday and was sentenced to two years in prison. Stephen Grattan, 49, told the court he took "full responsibility" for the action and apologized to...

www.bicycleretailer.com

From the article ...
In a statement to the court, Bernstein said, "I do feel that the punishment agreed to today is warranted and appropriate, but it is also not adequate to help me, while also doing little to prevent him from inflicting further harm on others. ... I can only hope that incarceration helps him become a better driver and a better person." In his statement, Bernstein noted that because Grattan fled the scene, investigators will never know if he had been driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

District Judge Norma A. Sierra echoed Bernstein's comments after she sentenced Grattan. "I believe everyone acknowledges that given the issues that are involved in the case, the sentence that is imposed falls short of the losses experienced by Mr. Bernstein who, even long after Mr. Grattan has completed parole, will continue to experience consequences of this incident," Sierra said.