A little justice

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UCSON, Arizona (AP) -- A judge sentenced a woman to nearly the maximum prison term for negligent homicide after hearing a recorded jail conversation in which she made light of the bicyclist she killed.

Melissa Arrington, 27, was convicted two months ago of negligent homicide and two counts of aggravated DUI in connection with the December 2006 death of Paul L'Ecuyer.

She could have gotten as few as four years behind bars, but Superior Court Judge Michael Cruikshank sentenced her Tuesday to 10½ years -- one year shy of the maximum.

Cruikshank said he found a telephone conversation between Arrington and an unknown male friend, a week after L'Ecuyer was killed, to be "breathtaking in its inhumanity."

During the conversation, the man told Arrington that an acquaintance believed she should get a medal and a parade because she had "taken out" a "tree hugger, a bicyclist, a Frenchman and a gay guy all in one shot."

Arrington laughed. When the man said he knew it was a terrible thing to say, she responded, "No, it's not."

Assistant Public Defender Michael Rosenbluth told the judge his client has never been "cold, callous or flippant" about L'Ecuyer's death and has always felt remorseful.

Arrington said words couldn't express how she feels, and that once she's out of prison, she hopes to share her story with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

L'Ecuyer, 45, was riding his bike the night of December 1, 2006 when Arrington swerved off the road, hit him and then continued for 800 feet before stopping, according to Deputy Pima County Attorney Jonathan Mosher.

Arrington's blood-alcohol content was .156 percent, nearly double Arizona's .08 legal limit. She had been driving on a suspended license for a prior DUI.

wow, thats sad. good thing shes behind bars.

These types of idiots make me very fearful of riding on the road. To improve my probability of survival, I:

- don't ride at night;
- especially don't ride late when the drinkers are likely to be out;
- try to ride multi-lane roads where possible, where said roads do not have high speed traffic.

Of course, that doesn't help with the old folks, people pre-occupied with other stuff like their cell phones, and drivers who think it's fun to give cyclists a scare.

I'm really glad that driver is going to rot in jail for a long time.

These types of idiots make me very fearful of riding on the road. To improve my probability of survival, I:

- don't ride at night;
- especially don't ride late when the drinkers are likely to be out;
- try to ride multi-lane roads where possible, where said roads do not have high speed traffic.

Of course, that doesn't help with the old folks, people pre-occupied with other stuff like their cell phones, and drivers who think it's fun to give cyclists a scare.

I'm really glad that driver is going to rot in jail for a long time.
And add to the list, that when riding either early morning or late afternoon, to avoid riding into the sun, which can blind drivers coming up from behind you.

These types of idiots make me very fearful of riding on the road. To improve my probability of survival, I:

- don't ride at night;
- especially don't ride late when the drinkers are likely to be out;
- try to ride multi-lane roads where possible, where said roads do not have high speed traffic.

Of course, that doesn't help with the old folks, people pre-occupied with other stuff like their cell phones, and drivers who think it's fun to give cyclists a scare.

I'm really glad that driver is going to rot in jail for a long time.I've found multi-lane roads to be the worst... in certain situations. The widths for each lane are less. If you get cars side by side... you're in for a close pass. And I nearly got taken out by an 18 wheeler in the right most lane who passed me about a foot away with his tires on the bike lane margin line.

These types of idiots make me very fearful of riding on the road. To improve my probability of survival, I:

- don't ride at night;
- especially don't ride late when the drinkers are likely to be out;
- try to ride multi-lane roads where possible, where said roads do not have high speed traffic.
I began using those first two a long time ago. I read that more than 60% of bicycle fatalities are either children or occur at night. I survived the first category, no reason to tempt fate with the second. Riding after six or seven at night on Friadays or Satudays is risky, especially if there is a university nearby.

I am not sure about the last one. Where do you have the greatest chance of getting hit: Being a lone cyclist on a low traffic road where the driver may not be expecting a cyclists to be and does not need to pay attention much to the road? Or a high traffic road where the drivers have to keep an eye on the cars ahead of them and they are more used to seeing cyclists? I have been thinking about that question for a while.

To elaborate on the multi-lane road I mentioned.....I commute to work, and I have no choice but to take a multi-lane road. The speed limit on this road is between 50 km/hr - 60 km/hr, and the drivers seem to obey the limit - mostly. The lanes are fairly wide, and I feel reasonably safe because there is ample room for people to pass me by moving to the other lane. That being said, I was hit last year by a trailer being towed behind a pickup truck - the driver said he saw me, but when he signalled to change lanes no-one would let him in. Apparently he didn't think of slowing down.

Note that there are many, many, multi lane roads I avoid because the cars are going just too fast and people are in too much of a rush. My real preference is for low use country roads with no traffic lights, which are single lane roads. On the negative side, I've had more incidents with lunatic teenagers flying by in their cars screaming and blowing their horns on these roads than anywhere else.

There is no really perfectly safe place to ride. I wish the authorities would do more to raise driver awareness of cyclists - can't say I've ever seen any public service broadcasts on cycling where I live.

I really feel for those people who don't survive their bike ride because of some idiot driver.