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Conviction would warrant prison time for cyclist's death

It's outrageous that this woman was driving Oct. 24 when bicyclist David Sherman was struck and killed on North Church Street.

Her license was revoked, and she still had charges pending from more than two years ago for other alleged violations. Where's the accountability?

If she's convicted on the new charges, she should receive a significant prison sentence, as did Timothy Lane Meadows of Greensboro last week for a similar incident.

Meadows pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and felonious hit-and-run for an accident in High Point that killed Maria Victoria Maldonado and injured eight other people. He was sentenced to 34 to 41 months in prison.

That should be in the ballpark for Grayson Warren Dawson of Eden.

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Posted by Doug Clark on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 8:46 am

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Mad Dog

November 3, 2009 - 10:06 am EST

Doug,

I have to agree with you 100%. BTW, who owns the vehicle? I thought you could not get insurance unless you have a driver's license. My DL & my spouse's are listed on my car insurance policy. And, if it's not her car, wouldn't it be illegal to allow someone with a revoked license to drive your vehicle? Maybe the HP should be looking at charges against the owner of the vehicle.

Interested

November 3, 2009 - 11:06 am EST

Actually, I hardly consider 34-41 months a "significant" sentence for a hit-and-run, especially considering one person died and eight others were injured. The woman involved in this most recent "accident" deserves a much harsher sentence.

We have yet to hear why she had no license, but the fact that she would leave another being lying in the road to die speaks volumes. I was outraged that she was released on a $5000 UNSECURED bond considering her long history of traffic violations and the fact that she has prior 'failure to appear' charges related to said traffic violations. Someone has already died courtesy of this woman's issues; what more will it take to keep society free from her harm?

Rocky

November 3, 2009 - 2:48 pm EST

I agree with "Interested" it is an outrage she was released on a $5000 UNSECURED bond. If she had obeyed the law when her license was revoked Mr. Sherman would be alive. What is to stop her from driving again and endangering others. I guarantee you in a couple of weeks when she has a hair appointment or needs something from the store she will drive again. But what really bothers me is that she hit someone with her car and did nothing. She had to know he was seriously injured from the damage to her car. In my mind Dawson deserves no compassion or leniency for what she did.

Persevering 1

November 3, 2009 - 2:40 pm EST

Every day, we try to teach our children to "Do the Right Thing". Wear a bicycle helmet. Watch out for traffic. Buckle up. Be careful. It's a privilege to drive, not a right. Pay your insurance. Get a designated driver. Watch where you're driving. If someone gets hurt, help them. This woman obeyed none of the basic laws of society and showed none of the common courtesy that we teach our children, and that we uphold in our community. She needs to be sent to jail for a very, very long time, so that we can use her as an example and show our children what happens to someone who breaks the law. She should have already been in jail for her prior charges, then maybe none of this would have happened.

PDX cyclist

November 3, 2009 - 6:36 pm EST

It is difficult for me to refer to a deadly assault as an accident. It is impossible for me to understand how someone who knowingly drives illegally, murders someone and runs away, is then allowed to roam the streets freely. I think the judge and the community needs to evaluate how the criminal justice responds to deliberate acts of violence and the consequences of those who commit them. If the community at large is willing to allow cyclists to be murdered without consequence then what is important to this community. Or is it that cyclists are just second class citizens who are easily expendable?

Doug

November 3, 2009 - 7:40 pm EST

Thanks for the comments. One thing to watch in this case is whether the DA prosecutes on all possible charges or agrees to dismiss some in exchange for a guilty plea to others. That did happen in the Timothy Meadows case.

State law was toughened a couple of years ago to more effectively deal with motorists who kill while driving drunk, but it may be that hit-and-run isn't dealt with seriously enough. After all, it allows a driver who has been drinking to escape alcohol testing until the alcohol has dissipated. Maybe a fatal hit-and-run should be treated as the same as a DWI fatality.

The lack of liability insurance here also is very significant. The victim's family will deserve to recover big-time damages, but who's going to pay if the responsible party doesn't have sufficient personal resources?