Usually, when a motorcycle is involved in a traffic accident, the rider has the greater chance of serious injury. But when the other party is a pedestrian, that person is even more vulnerable to reckless behavior.
Last month, a cable car operator who had been in a coma for seven months passed away. His coma was the result of getting hit by a drunken motorcyclist while on a work break, the San Francisco Examiner says.
The victim was on the job when he stepped off his cable car for a cigarette. In that moment, a motorcycle ridden by a 22-year-old man came by and struck the victim. He suffered a brain injury and skull fractures. He was in a coma and on life support when he died.
The rider was arrested at the scene and later charged with two counts of driving under the influence and causing injury. It seems probable that the charges will increase now that the victim has passed away. A spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said that officials were considering their next move.
This terrible incident and another one similar to it led to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency making changes to cable care safety measures. They posted signs on cable cars directing vehicles not to pass, and a public awareness campaign is planned.
None of knows what the future holds. But we owe each other a duty not to negligently put others’ lives at risk. Those who choose to drive drunk fall below that standard of behavior and should be held accountable, both by the law and by their victims.
