manslaughter on a bike

What a tragedy, and it was all so avoidable. From this AP article.

A bicyclist was charged with manslaughter after he ran through a stop sign and struck and killed a 71-year-old woman, police said Monday.

Jean Calder died at Good Samaritan Hospital after she was struck Friday night as she crossed a street at an unmarked crosswalk, Corvallis police Capt. Ron Noble said.

Christopher A. Lightning, 51, was charged with manslaughter and reckless driving.

"A car and a bicycle are both vehicles and if they are operated in a way that could be criminal, then charges are filed equally in both situations," Noble said. "He was going right through a stop sign."

Well said, Capt. Noble. One of the few things which really irritates me is seeing some thoughtless jerk on a bicycle run through a stop sign, just expecting all the cars and pedestrians to yield to him. It happens all the time here in Chicago. I hope this Oregon man serves enough jail time so that he can adequately think about what he has done, and I hope other cyclists observe the consequences of arrogantly pretending that stop signs don't apply to them.