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Editorials: Sad, tragic, outrageous

Friday, November 6, 2009
(Updated 3:00 am)

 

The more we know about the senseless hit-and-run death of a Summerfield bicyclist, the uglier it gets.

We know now that the motorist involved in the incident, 48-year-old Grayson Dawson of Eden, turned herself in Monday and was charged with felony hit-and-run and death by motor vehicle.

We know she continued to drive the silver Dodge Durango that allegedly struck and killed 55-year-old David Sherman for days afterward, explaining away the hair and the spattered blood and the smashed windshield as the results of hitting a deer.

We know she stuck to that story when visited by a state trooper and a Rockingham County sheriff's deputy. "I am so sorry," she told them according to a search warrant. "I really thought I hit a deer."

Dawson is entitled to her day in court and she will get it. But it's hard to believe she mistook a man on a bicycle for a deer. And, from beginning to end, her explanation squares neither with the accounts of eyewitnesses nor law enforcement.

Those eyewitnesses say they saw the Durango make a U-turn and leave the scene after the impact, which instantly killed Sherman.

They also say the vehicle had swerved to the left of the center line when it hit Sherman head-on.

Finally, we know that Dawson was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond, which seems incredibly lenient given the nature of her alleged crime and the time she allowed to pass before coming forward. In fact, it's not clear if she would ever have come forward at all if the evidence hadn't led to her driveway and her doorstep.

Even worse, she was driving with a revoked license at the time of the incident and had other pending charges that date back two years. In other words, she should not have been on the road in the first place.

Thankfully, citizens played a critical role, as they often do, in solving this case: the eyewitnesses who described the vehicle; a country store clerk who alerted law enforcement, through her firefighter husband, about Dawson's suspicious explanation for her damaged SUV and provided the license tag number of the Durango.

Among the things we don't know is why Dawson steered the vehicle into Sherman's path. Was she distracted? Were other factors involved?

Meanwhile, the tragedy has rekindled an ongoing debate about cyclists and motorists and their often-uneasy co-existence on local roads.

Sadly, even as some motorists express their sympathy for Sherman and his family, some of them also suggest that cyclists shouldn't be allowed on roads like North Church Street. But many of these accidents have much more to do with impatient or distracted drivers than cyclists' choices of routes.

Aside from interstates and busy thoroughfares, such as Bryan Boulevard, where cycling is rightly banned, most roads are safe when drivers and cyclists follow the rule of law -- and the rules of common courtesy.

Comments

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igliigli

November 6, 2009 - 7:20 am EST

There should be strict enforcement of traffic laws for drivers and for cyclists. And both drivers and cyclists need to strictly follow traffic laws. For drivers, this includes giving a 2 foot space when passing (3 feet is even better), not passing cyclists and then making an immediate right turn, not passing cyclists when it is unsafe to pass, honking or throwing things at riders, etc. For cyclists, this means riding on the road, not on the sidewalk, riding with traffic, not against traffic, stopping at all stop signs and traffic lights, using lights at night, and signaling turns, etc. When drivers and riders follow traffic laws, their movements become predictable. It is usually when a driver or cyclist make an unpredictable move or violate traffic law that collisions occur.

Get A Clue

November 6, 2009 - 7:23 am EST

Let's see what the local "usual gang of idiots" (apologies to Mad magazine) who are quick to blame all Greensboro-area problems on minorities have to say about this horrible tragedy. You know, the people for whom all minorities are prone to not taking responsibility for their actions, nor obeying the law, nor ever stepping up to do the right thing.
I'll give this woman her day in court while siding with this editorial's point of view. It doesn't look good for her...and why was she even behind the wheel to begin with?

J.M.W.

November 6, 2009 - 1:33 pm EST

The main reason this tragedy happened was because Dionne Warwick does astrology commercials.

jstevenh1952

November 6, 2009 - 8:05 am EST

The loss to this family is tragic and certainly the accused will recieve a portion of justice our enraged community demands. I say a portion, because this will probably be plead out and the answers to the questions raised here may never be answered completely.

Sharons

November 6, 2009 - 11:13 am EST

How does this accident and its handling compare with the one Tolly Carr had a few years ago? He was not driving on a revoked license and his previous record was clean. He admitted to being impaired by alcohol when he killed a pedestrian. Ms. Dawson only admitted to being unaware enough of her surroundings that she couldn't tell the difference between a cyclist and a deer, in daylight. She drove away from the scene, and did not take responsibility for her actions.

Tolly Carr's bond was set at $100,000. He chose to stay in jail. I'm not saying his actions were perfect, but he accepted punishment for his mistake.

Though she had other pending charges and a revoked driver's license, Ms. Dawson was released for $5000. What prevents her from getting behind the wheel of another murder weapon? She clearly disregards the law, and no wonder, when her violations are treated so leniently! How can we make our roadways safer when a revoked license does not prevent such a driver from killing people?

mamaboilermaker

November 6, 2009 - 12:08 pm EST

I agree. Carr also killed someone, but he was enough of a human being to recognize he had done wrong. Her low bond is a joke, and a slap in the face to her victim's family and to all North Carolinians who value innocent human life and the right to be a law-abiding citizen on a bicycle. Clearly she is being enabled by an attorney with no concern for the public safety and by whomever is paying for her attorney.

Panacea

November 7, 2009 - 8:22 am EST

I can't blame the lawyer; he's doing his job.

But I agree bond should have been much higher given the fact she's facing charges for FAILURE TO APPEAR on yet another charge of driving while revoked.

The judge who set her bond should be ashamed.

spa30

November 6, 2009 - 12:18 pm EST

Our District Attorney's name is Doug Henderson. An archived version of his campaign website shows an "Advisory Committee", one of them is Locke Clifford. Who is Locke Clifford?... the attorney for the defendant, Grayson Dawson.

Does that help explain the inconsistencies in the bond amount?

tledford

November 6, 2009 - 12:49 pm EST

Oh, man, good job! And very interesting information!

MDS213

November 6, 2009 - 1:23 pm EST

Interestingly, both Doug Henderson and Locke Clifford have been president of the Greensboro Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

wrangler

November 6, 2009 - 5:15 pm EST

Yep, good stuff spa30. No surprise, of course. $5,000?

JKLM

November 6, 2009 - 10:09 pm EST

I disagree with the writer of the article that bikes can share the road with cars. No matter what additional bike lanes are installed and what the laws are, bikes and cars are not capatable.

SocietasEruditorum

November 7, 2009 - 12:52 am EST

JKLM: You are apparently unfamiliar with the bicycle-friendly culture present in North American cities like Davis or San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, Tucson, AZ, Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, Madison WI, Boulder, CO, or Canada's Montreal, QC and Ottawa, ON. Unlike Greensboro, and much of the southeastern US, these communities value and respect bicycling as an important part of the entire transportation system. You are apparently also unaware that in many European cities, bicycling is the dominant mode of transportation for short (under 3 miles) trips. In cities like Amsterdam and Groningen in the Netherlands; London, England;' Berlin and Munich, Germany; Paris, France; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Barcelona, Spain -- bicycles are not simply tolerated, they are absolutely everywhere. Those motorists who actually are out on the roads understand that roadway traffic would be exponentially worse if not for the road space saved by the sheer number of people on bicycles instead of on cars. Bicycling is acknowledged as a major part of the solution to urban transportation and resource conservation challenges, rather than a part of the problem. Greensboro is going through some growing pains right now -- the number of bicyclists on the road has increased (due to increased fuel costs, incremental improvements in bicycle infrastructure, growing environmental awareness, etc.) while at the same time the number of motor vehicle miles traveled has actually logged a decrease probably for the first time since the mid-70s. And it's not just the number of bicyclists that is growing -- the Greensboro Transit Authority has nearly doubled its annual ridership levels in just 5 years! Clearly the tide is (slowly) turning away from single-occupant motor vehicle travel as the "logical" or "preferred" option for Americans to get from point A to point B. But there's a steep learning curve involved. Most motorists on the road today have no idea how to safely interact with anything other than a traffic stream composed of 100% motor vehicles (and in many cases, even that much is a stretch -- although it's hard to put all the blame on their shoulders, since the driver's license exams rarely include any mention of bicycles). Unfortunately, a large number of bicyclists also are unaware of and untrained in safe bicycling practices (these are the folks who pulled the dusty Huffy 10-speed out of the basement for the first time in 20 years, or the non-English speaking immigrant trying to get to work, who can't afford a bus pass, much less a car). Compounding the problem are the bicyclists who are well aware that all traffic laws apply to them, but choose to ignore, or selectively obey the law, or who ride erratically or aggressively in a mis-guided attempt to claim their "right to the road." When you really get down to the root cause of the conflicts between motorists and bicyclists on Greensboro streets, it is not a matter of inadequate traffic law enforcement, it is not a matter of inadequate bicycle facilities (per se), it is not a matter of safety education (per se), and it's not a matter of whose rights to use the road are superior. The real problem is that we're all way too focused on claiming, asserting, demanding, and maiming or killing each other over our "rights," when instead we should all be examining, understanding, and fulfilling our responsibilities as road users. Responsibilities include using the road in a safe and prudent manner at all times, and ensuring that no other road users come to harm as a result of one's own carelessness or selfishness. Is it justifiable for a motorist to mow down school children as they exit a stopped school bus, because they're in the way? No. Is it justifiable to a motorist to endanger the lives of bicyclists by attempting to pass them in an unsafe manner or in an unsafe location? No. Is it justifiable for a bicyclist to run red lights or change lanes without signalling, causing attentive and careful motorists to brake or swerve suddenly, in order to miss the bicyclist, and potentially being struck by the next car back? No. These are all selfish, irresponsible, and immature behaviors, that do not merit a "right" to use the road. So, getting back to your statement that "bikes and cars are not capatable," [sic] I strongly though respectfully disagree. It's all a matter of widespread behavior modification through safety awareness and education, stricter and more consistent enforcement of traffic laws, improved bicycle infrastructure, social marketing that emphasizes responsibilities over rights, and . . . time. And a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens would be a big help, too!

J.M.W.

November 7, 2009 - 2:26 pm EST

What you're leaving out Mr./Ms. GOD ALMIGHTY, is the dumb/southern/redneck sandbox mentality here. You can lead them to enlightenment, but they'll still kill you on a bike.

SocietasEruditorum

November 7, 2009 - 9:29 pm EST

J.M.W.: I'm not sure what you're trying to assert by addressing me as some sort of deity, but thanks for the too generous complement! I can assure you that I'm an agnostic at best; but more likely a Born-Again Flying Spaghetti Monster-ist. Religious views aside, I feel that my previous comment does account for the "dumb/southern/redneck sandbox mentality" you very rightly express concern about. I said that changing motorist and bicyclist behavior would depend on a combined regimen of "safety awareness and education, stricter and more consistent enforcement of traffic laws, improved bicycle infrastructure, social marketing that emphasizes responsibilities over rights, and . . . time." None of these approaches will suffice on its own to get all our bicyclists and motorists to share the road safely overnight. But if implemented together over a significant stretch of time (like 25 or 30 years), we could reasonable expect to see a bicycling culture in Greensboro on par with that of today's Tucson or Madison. How many more bicyclists will die on our streets, before we, as a community decide to take serious proactive measures to change motorist and bicyclist behavior? Let's hope the answer is zero.

appalled and dismayed

November 7, 2009 - 10:29 pm EST

Love your posts! They speak volumes and are a breath of fresh air. Thank you!

appalled and dismayed

November 7, 2009 - 10:30 pm EST

The above was intended for J.M.W.

danagain

November 7, 2009 - 10:41 pm EST

Have you ever considered use of paragraphs?

patrick

November 7, 2009 - 1:03 am EST

This story makes my stomach churn. A driver without a valid license hitting a cyclist head on and driving away, leaving the victim to die in the road. David Shermans family left with an emptiness, it will never be filled. This was exactly my story in 1991, except the driver was drunk and I lived. I never knew what his bond amount was, I was in a coma. The facts as presented in the N+O are straightforward. A $5000 bond is not commensurate with the crime

Zippy

November 7, 2009 - 11:03 am EST

May God lend his healing hand to the Sherman family. May Ms. Dawson have her day in court with TRUE justice being served and her liability being punished appropriately.

Sally

November 7, 2009 - 11:12 am EST

I am sickened by our judicial system.

Spartison

November 7, 2009 - 2:02 pm EST

So who's the judge? We'll vote him/her out next election. Bad decisions have consequences.

Tridavis

November 7, 2009 - 3:08 pm EST

Amen to that. We need to let all Judges know if they do not throw the book....THE WHOLE BOOK ....at her they will have a tough time being re-elected.

appalled and dismayed

November 7, 2009 - 7:50 pm EST

Why would you retain a lawyer for hitting a deer?

SocietasEruditorum

November 7, 2009 - 9:30 pm EST

Although Ms Dawson claims she thought she hit a deer, she has in fact been charged with several crimes: felony hit-and-run, crossing the centerline, driving with a revoked license, and death by motor vehicle, not to mention outstanding arrest warrants for failure to appear in court on previous driving with a revoked license charges. This is why she has hired defense attorney Locke Clifford. She has probably kept Mr. Clifford on retainer since her previous run-ins with law enforcement.

appalled and dismayed

November 7, 2009 - 9:54 pm EST

If Mrs. Dawson had had Mr.Clifford on retainer he surely would have dumped her for skipping a court date two years ago wouldn't he? Maybe they are close personal friends and she can get him to jump at a moments notice. My point was that you don't hire Mr. Clifford after hitting a deer, revoked license or not. If the reporting is accurate the timeline is incriminating.

jedge242

November 9, 2009 - 1:33 pm EST

Anybody that says that bikes don't belong on public roads or that bikes on roads are inherently dangerous must not have confidence in their ability to drive. Before you start blaming others for your inabilities and shortcomings, maybe you should start to take driving seriously. Put down the phone, the mascara, and/or the cheeseburger and watch the road. You'd be surprised at how infrequently things seem to "appear out of nowhere" when you're actually paying attention to where you're pointing your car.

Also, what company insured this woman's vehicle? Why does somebody with a history of driving while revoked (and failure to appear) still have a car?

cyclingartist

November 9, 2009 - 10:23 pm EST

SocietasEruditorum,
Thanks very much for your enlightened views. I agree whole-heartedly. I had a bike crash @ 48 kph with an uninsured motorist who failed to yield the right of way. I lived & she got a slap on the wrist, for a neglligent act that could have killed me, here in the MO hometown of Rush Limbaugh. I'm just saying.
Keep speaking the truth & eventually more will believe it.

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