Driver painting nails kills biker at stoplight.

[FutureVentures]

Not sure if this is already an ongoing thread but, sad news to report about a local biker, just a few miles from where I live/ride.

 

There are some incredibly dumb people out there, be careful.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30558822/

 

Another article with her photo here:

http://mobile.chicagotribune.com/inf/infomo;jsessionid=FD8A0179013AD9793388.2193?view=breakingnews_article&feed:a=chi_trib_1min&feed:c=latest_breaking_news&feed:i=C92EC7656B65D117A75BFECF7D993041&nopaging=1

 

 

Here's the text of the article.

 

A motorcyclist was killed over the weekend after being struck by a car driven by a woman who was painting her fingernails at the time of the crash.

 

Anita Zaffke, of Lake Zurich, was wearing a helmet when she was hit from behind by a Chevy Impala at a stop light Saturday evening at Route 12 and Old McHenry Road, the Chicago Tribune reported.

 

"It appears to be a tragic accident and it appears (Zaffke) did nothing wrong," Lake County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Scott Morrison said. "She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and she could not have done anything to avoid it."

 

Her son, Greg, told the Tribune that his mother was wearing a bright yellow biker's jacket.

 

Zaffke was thrown "a couple of hundred feet" by the impact, the Lake County Coroner said.

 

The driver of the Impala, Lora Hunt, 48, of Morris, told police she was painting her fingernails as she approached the red light at that corner, and she apparently didn't see the motorcycle.

 

Lake County Coroner Richard Keller said that Zaffke died from chest and abdominal injuries about an hour later at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington.

 

Morrison said Hunt was cited with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and could face additional charges. The Lake County State's Attorney's office says it's looking into criminal charges, as well.

 

"We are looking into charges in the case," Assistant State's Attorney Patricia Fix said this morning. "But we are waiting for results of blood and urine tests and waiting for the results of an accident reconstruction, as well as any other technical evidence we can derive from the scene."

[wes0778]

I sure hope they pursue some type of homicide charges!!!

[hipshot]

seems STUPID to me to check the victim's blood and urine, when she was blameless!

woman with the finger nail fetish , should be charged with vehicular homicide.

jmho

jusst jt

[ArcsSparks]

too bad they don't make it a capital crime!!!!!! that woman doing her nails is and was terminally stupid and is wasting the air I need to breathe

Edited May 4, 2009 by Arcs&Sparks
spelling

[SilvrT]

seems STUPID to me to check the victim's blood and urine, when she was blameless!

woman with the finger nail fetish , should be charged with vehicular homicide.

jmho

jusst jt

 

I didn't read the article other than what was posted here but... is it the victim's blood and urine or the person who hit her that they're checking?

[similost]

Very sad indeed. I know they are working to make laws stiffer for people that kill others on the road over stupidity, but that doesn't bring back a life. It doesn't make people think any more than normal when driving either...

 

I see stuff like this every morning when driving into DC for work... Makeup, nails, shaving, reading, texting... It's sad... no one seems to care about anything other than their selves. I even got flipped off by some guy shaving in the mirror because he was doing 15 under the speedlimit and holding up traffic and I honked at him.

 

If they could just understand, having an accident because of neglect not only hurts the family of those injured or killed, but it can and usually destroys their own life. They may not worry about the fact they killed or hurt someone, but it can easily put them in jail, and or cause bad financial hardships that will forever change their life...

 

Is it worth it to take your mind off the road? Or forget you are responsible for YOUR actions?

[utadventure]

To propel the motorcyclist 200 feet, she had to be going pretty fast. Not only did she not she the rider but must have completely missed the fact that there was a red light in front of her.

 

Dave

[louich]

thats a sad thing....hear too many stories of the people stopped at a light being the ones that always seam to get the worst of it.

[loehring]

I know they made the laws in GA tougher on people who are at fault in an accident that causes an injury but it was almost a token gesture. If it was my wife killed in something like this and the lady got a slap on the wrist there would be no guarantee that I wouldn't snap. We just laid a husband and wife to rest here in GA that were killed by a lady turning in front of them. He served 5 combat tours in Iraq and they left 2 young children. 5 COMBAT TOURS AND HE IS KILLED BY A (*^^%$#^&*(*&%@# CAGE!!!!! I think they need to make laws that have teeth. If they would just say that any time you are at fault when there's a fatality it's automatically vehicular homicide with a 20 year prisson term them MAYBE people would start to pay attention after a few were sentenced.

[91nwl]

2nd degree murder.

[Eddie Fulmer]

We keep saying they they they. It's really us us us that make the laws. We must demand them to be changed not just expect that "they" will. The monkey is really on our back when you look at it. And another thing, when the government.........oh I really don't need to go there.

[usnmustang]

Exactly what part of this was an ACCIDENT?! In some places, if a victom is hit by a drunk driver, they are not calling it an accident, it's manslaughter, murder, unlawful death... not an accident. The driver knew she was doing something she shouldn't have and the biker is paying the ultimate price for it. I see the same thing on the road as the other's. I especially like the "I have to do my mascara in the rear view mirror" at 30 mph move. I have gotten the finger too after the 2 steble air horns wake them from thier spa day. Keep your head on a swivle and PLEASE ride safe out there.

[91nwl]

Two weeks ago, I was riding down Highway 5 in California doing 80 mph, cruise control on. A lady in an SUV passed me and then slowed down a couple of times. Last time I passed her I looked over to see what was going on....she was knitting a friggin' sweater.

[AKRefugee]

It's really quite simple

 

KILL A BIKER GO TO JAIL

FOR A LONG LONG TIME

 

[Aussie Annie]

seems stupid to me to check the victim's blood and urine, when she was blameless!

Woman with the finger nail fetish , should be charged with vehicular homicide.

Jmho

jusst jt

 

ditto that from over here!!

_____________________________________________________

never ride faster than your guardian angel :2133:can fly

[Wanderer]

As is usually the case, the driver of the cage will probably face only minimal charges and no jail time. Kill a biker, go to jail! - should be the norm.

[ArcsSparks]

No kill a biker and get a date with a needle

[FutureVentures]

Some new information and update on this.

 

But first, here's your chance to have your voice heard. Contact the State's attorney and voice your frustration, these are elected officials...

 

State's Attorney

Michael J. Waller

18 N. County Street

Waukegan, IL 60085

Ph 847.377.3000

statesattorney@lakecountyil.gov

 

Additional update here:

 

"Lora Hunt was cited with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, Morrison said. She was also hospitalized following the crash for non-life-threatening injuries"

Which is where I hope/think, her blood/urine was tested, not the victims.

 

"There's a lot of analysis they still have to work out on the vehicle involved in the crash to determine speed and braking," Morrison said Sunday evening. "The investigation is ongoing, but there should be charges against the woman in the very near future."

 

 

 

A new article here with much more info:

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/05/motorcyclist-killed-by-driver-painting-fingernails.html

 

 

Ironically, on my ride home yesterday, I had one of my closest calls yet. After turning right onto 4 lane road, guy in left lane who also just turned, decides to come into my lane with me. I had to accelerate wide open to get past him before he hit me. Thankfully, this beast has some power.

 

 

 

Safe riding all.

[similost]

I just can't get over the mentality of all this... especially after reading some of the comments... This one comment standing out especially...

 

"tyler on May 3, 2009 7:16 PM

you take an unnecessary chance riding a motorcycle and it just isn't worth it to appear cool."

 

It's people that make comments like that the I fear the most on the road, because they don't think about anything and do as they please, and usually pay attention to nothing other than their own warped little worlds.

[SaltyDawg]

2nd degree murder.

 

It's can't be murder because it wasn't premeditated. The charge should be Manslaughter.

[ArcsSparks]

It's can't be murder because it wasn't premeditated. The charge should be Manslaughter.

 

and why not any person with 2 brain cells should know that painting your nails while driving could lead to this. and whats the difference if I take 38 and blow your brains out or a 4000 lbs automoblie and kill you just as dead

[RandyR]

someone who blows thru a red light and doesn't see a motorcycle could just as easily have killed a 10 year old girl in the crosswalk going to the school playground.

 

A motorized vehicle IS a deadly weapon.

[KarlS]

Multi-tasking while driving just has to stop. When I was doing medical transportation and driving more then 250 miles a day I saw drivers being run off the road, get hit, and some just drive off the road because someone was doing everything except driving. Just today I saw a young girl run a red light while talking on the phone and you could tell she had no idea of what she had just done. States including Michigan keep passing laws about accidents and moving violations while talking on cell phones and other distractions while driving but with the great art of plea bargaining nothing but a fine for the state and a slap on the wrist for the driver ever happens. Not saying anything will bring the victim back, but maybe jail time, large fines and loss of drivers licence will stop the same person from doing it again. Sorry just a pet pev I guess, a friends wife was killed after being hit head on while the other driver was searching for radio stations. To me doing something other then driving is no excuse for murder. It's not an accident, it's a risk they are willing to take at the expense of others. Time to shut up now.

Edited May 5, 2009 by KarlS
spelling

[FutureVentures]

Anyone in the Waukegan IL area, Lora Hunt, the woman who killed Anita Zaffke is going to trial on Monday, 9am, at the Waukegan courthouse.

 

Read this excellent post with more additional information:

 

http://www.ldrlongdistancerider.com/bikers_rights_motorcycle/rightsriders0133.php

 

If you're in the area and can be there, a show of solidarity might help shine more light on this tragic, preventable case. Certainly, Anita's family would probably appreciate the support.

[Sailor]

Imagine the outcry there would be if she had hit a kid instead of a motorcyclist. Our government spends a lot of money making motorists aware of cyclists and school kids but spends nothing on awareness for motorcyclists. Time to create our own outcry.

Is it possible that woman could be sued in civil court?