In the News–August 30, 2013–From San Francisco
The wheels of justice are finally turning in the case of the female cyclist who was killed in a right-hand turn by a truck driver. But it has been no thanks to the San Francisco Police Department who lied when they said they had searched and not found video of the crash.
Smart-thinking folks from the San Francisco Bicycling Coalition working on a hunch decided to go look for video themselves, and discovered it one day before it was to be erased.
Now the driver of the truck may be facing charges based on the contents of that video, according to San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr.
Amelie Le Moullac, 24, was cycling to work in the bicycle lane on Folsom Street shortly around 7 a.m. Aug. 14 when a truck making a right turn onto Sixth Street collided with her.
Le Moullac later died from her injuries at San Francisco General Hospital. The driver — who has not been identified — was interviewed at the scene but not cited, prompting criticism from bicycle advocates.
“After a review of the surveillance video, it appeared the driver was at fault,” said SFPD spokesperson Albie Esparza. “With that being said, our investigators will present the case to the District Attorney’s Office along with our recommendations. The DA’s Office will review the case and recommendations and will then decide whether or not to file charges.”
California vehicle code states that making a right turn from an “improper position” is a violation, reported the SF Examiner today.
District Attorney George Gascón has not yet announced whether he will be pursuing charges against the driver, and on Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Alex Bastian said that the office had yet to receive the case.
The video from the incident is in the possession of the police department and the lawyer who has been retained by Le Moullac’s family Micha Star Liberty . The family has yet to determine if it will file a civil lawsuit, which could follow any criminal charges, Liberty said.
