Scruit

The Not-Guilty plea should not be seen as a "I didn't do it" or anything like that. Her only other options were Guilty or No Contest - either of those would mean it was all over.

Anyone facing a charge this serious will always plead not guilty just to give themselves some time to think. This time can also be used to further examine the evidence to see if there are mitigating factors etc. Or it may just be time to organize a plea deal.

I would suprised if the hearing goes ahead - watch for a continuance request - check the website that morning if you need to, or call the court to confirm. Of course if the defense gets a continuance they have to "waive time" (by delaying the trial they are giving up their right to a speedy trial), this gives the prosecution more breathing room too. It's all a big game at the end of the day.

In this case nobody is suggesting there was a specific intent to do harm to this man, so that would have factored in to the decision to charge at the M2 level rather than felony etc. More and more, though, cellphone use is being seen as such a high risk that it's starting to be considered as "more than negligence" in these types of crashes - just like deaths in DUI crashes are sometimes charged as murder because drunk driving is universally considered to be extremely dangerous and not just 'risky'. There will soon be a time when driving while using a cellphone is considered more than just 'risky'.

I think if someone ever steals my bike I don't want it back. I'll just file the report, pay my deductible and, wait for my insurance company to pay it off. The thing that would bother me more than not being able to watch someone work on my bike would be knowing that someone else had my bike and did who knows what with it. Think of it like letting a friend borrow your wife for a night - after you get her back sure the ride feels the same.... but is it really?!?

Difference is that your bike isn't gonna sneak off back to the repair shop behind your back because it prefers the way the tech rode her.

Lojack for Laptops is a fundamentally different concept than lojack for cars/bikes. Chalk and cheese.

Lojack for laptops (LFL) is software (with BIOS hooks in some laptops). It communicates via the internet with LFL HQ and identifies the IP address that the computer is connecting to the internet with (or the closest NAT, at least). LFL then has to track the IP down using subpoenas etc until they find the physical address, after which they direct the police there.

LFL is embedded in the BIOS of new Dell laptops. It will survive reinstalling the OS, formatting the HD and even installing a new HD. I tested this recently when I formatted my HD and installed XP in place of Pis.. I mean Vista. I did nothing with the LFL install, didn't try to finx it or reinstall it or anything. 3 days laster I checked the LFL website to make sure my laptop was still doing it's daily "Phone Home". Yes, it was. Just as their advertising states, their software DID survive a format and install of a new/different OS on my computer.

Like I already said - I have been burned enough times by supposedly "professional" mechanic/techs doing a crappy job that it's made me unable to trust the vast majority of professionals who take pride in their work.

Anyone who knows me or my car will know why I struggle to trust my vehicle with a tech without me keeping an eye on it.

It's not a commentary on any tech I haven't met. It's just about the risk to my and my family created by those few people I've caught doing crappy work in safety critical areas, joyriding the vehicle etc.

I know there's no way to word this without insulting the good techs out there, so I give up trying to word it nicely and just ask that you understand that that's not my intention.

Anyone who drives for a living should understand that traffic convictions will impact them more than those who don't.

Anyone who works in a position of trust should understand that they are held to a higher standard than the rest of us.

I hate to see anyone lose a job, especially in this economy, but we have no choice but to defer to those who are in the position to make that call. The only person who is responsible for this is the person with his hand on the throttle.

Let's keep this in context... He's lucky the worst that happened is losing his job - many people riding much more safely than that have lost their lives.

So the disclaimer about watching the install just means that if your bike is not recoevered then you won't get your install cost back, right? Will Lojack still take all recovery measures for an 'observed' install that they will for a 'secret' install? They are worried that someone may find where it is if we know about it?

i thought highsmith was fired from the GPD.

Jason Highsmith was the State Trooper in this incident, and he still is a State Trooper (Was a bike cop, was kicked off the bike squad). Chris Thomas was the Gahanna officer, and he was fired (was a swat officer but was on worker's comp from a fall - no apparent action taken by BWC re: being able to ride in the stated manner but unable to work).

I do all my own work on my bike/cars/trucks unless it requires tools that cost more than my car.

Nobody works on my car/bike/truck unless I am there to watch. I have been burned too many times by "professional" mechanics who don't give two hoots about the quality of the job they do.

Time to pick at this old scab again...

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/09/24/story_trooper.html?sid=102

Trooper In Officers' Traffic Stop Could Face Discipline

The state trooper who pulled over two law enforcement officers traveling at speeds more than twice the posted speed limit could face discipline for his handling of the traffic stop, 10 Investigates' Paul Aker reported on Thursday.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Trooper Bryan Lee broke policy by turning off his recording device as he talked with the officers along the side of the freeway.

Dunno about nowadays, but back when I worked for Chase there were monthly layoffs and moral was in the toilet.

I'll take a rear-ended over a t-bone any day.

(That's what SHE said...)

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/08/24/story_speeding.html?sid=102

The Gahanna (149mph) officer was fired yesterday. The Trooper (147mph) was recommended for termination but the OSHP and Union came to an agreement on a 5 days suspension and reassignment (not sure if this is the reassignment announced a few weeks ago from "motorbike cop" to "traffic duty", or a further reassignment.)

Termination Letter: http://www.10tv.com/live/export-content/sites/10tv/local/stories/2009/08/25/ThomasLetter.pdf

She's been charged with Vehicular Manslaughter.

OK, here's what I got... She's been dinged for ORC2903.06A4 (M2/Vehicular Manslaughter) and ORC4511.42 (MM/Failure to Yield). Next hearing is a pretrial conference before Judge Mark R Bogen on October 5th at 1pm at Lebanon Municipal Court.

And she's not blond.

EDIT: Duh me. There's a news story on it. http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/crime/woman-charged-in-fatal-crash-256238.html

By Justin McClelland, Staff Writer

Updated 4:52 PM Wednesday, August 19, 2009

A Maineville woman was charged Monday, Aug. 17, with vehicular manslaughter following a fatal motorcycle accident last week, according to the Lebanon Municipal Court.

Kristina Tedesco, 35, 294 Bannock Drive, Maineville, was charged with one count of vehicular manslaughter, a second-degree misdemeanor following an Aug. 6 accident that took the life of Bradley Bachelor, 34, of Lebanon.

According to Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Rob Waulk, Bachelor was driving a 2003 Suzuki motorcycle shortly before 10:30 a.m. south on Stubbs Mill Road in Turtlecreek Twp. when Tedesco, who was heading north on Stubbs Mill Road, attempted to turn left onto Cook Road and pulled out in front of Bachelor, causing him to collide with her 2007 Chevrolet Equinox.

Bachelor was transported by ambulance to Bethesda Arrow Springs Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Waulk said Tedesco told troopers she was talking on her cell phone with her husband when she struck Bachelor. Tedesco told police she was coming from the Clarksville area and had gotten lost due to Ohio 123 being closed east of Lebanon, Waulk said.

A bond hearing has been set for 2 p.m. today, Aug. 20 at the Lebanon Municipal Court.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgFfKiQz2Co

I hate when people pull up into my driveway for no apparent reason. One time I was woken up at 1am by headlights lighting up my bedroom window. I looked out and saw a blacked out car parking halfway down my driveway (which is 100' long). The car saw me twitching the blinds and backed out of my drive, wheelspinning all the way down the street.

I'd say they were casing the bike. Now that they know what kind of security you are using, change it. They know what equipment they need to bring to actually get away with your bike now (bolt cutters etc). Make it so that equipment isn't enough.

Motion activated lights work good. I'd also get a driveway monitor that alerts inside your place if someone approaches. Example http://www.rewci.com/widralsy.html (I have have good luck with this brand of monitor - Not an endorsement of the vendor)

You can shift a car without a clutch too. On upshifts you let off the gas and pull the stick into neutral, wait for the rpms to drop to match the next gear, then apply a little pressure to the shifter into the next gear. If you do it right it pops into gear with no harshness.

On downshifts you have to blip the throttle to bring the RPMs up. Again, just pullit out of gear, blip the gas then apply pressure on the shifter towards the next gear.

You have to know how far apart the gears are in RPM when you're first starting out, but after time you just get used to it. 1-2 is about 1500rpm, 4-5 is only 500.

Do I do this all the time? Heck no. It's a cute little party trick, but for regular driving I just use the clutch instead. I *DO* blip the throttle on downshifts while using the clutch, though, to reduce the rpm diff between the flywheel and clutch thereby reducing clutch wear.

Same with the bike. I always use the clutch, and I blip the throttle to smooth out downshifts. I ride a cruiser, though, so I'm never anywhere near the performance limits of the bike. If you're pushing the envelope around the track on a sport bike then your shifting and weight transfer/balance characteristics are different than mine need to be.

I'll stick the helmet on top of the sissy bar if I''ll be able to see the bike. Fast food/tim hortons etc. I park the bike where I know I'll be able to see it.

If I'm out of sight of the bike then I take my helmet/gloves/jacket with me. I don't want to have to ride home without it. Murphy's Law: THAT is when I get in an accident.

What amuses me is all the bikers I see riding down the road with a helmet attached to the side of the bike, and nothing on their head...

I was born in England and learned to drive there. Roundabouts are just a part of driving just like yield signs or traffic lights. They make for very fluent driving.

Introducing them to a population that didn't learn about them in driver's ed? Troublesome to say the least. They need to get the word out better.

So, I wonder what they are actually going to do to him about that? Anybody know whats going on?

The court already gave him a fine and 6 month suspension as stated above. The Highway Patrol is now starting an investigation into his conduct. 10TV says he "can drive for work".

I'd hate to be paying his insurance premiums...

Wait, how do you text on a bike? My gloves are too thick to even pick up one of these tiny little modern phones, never mind pressing buttons...

Well, the judge didn't tack on reckless operation to the mix, it looks like it was just the speeding. I guess 150 doesn't constitute reckless driving, I suppose it will be a matter of time before that precedent gets tested in court.

I tell you what though - the next person to get a reckless operation ticket from Highsmith had better have been going 200 in a school zone...

Can you imagine being at the side of the freeway getting a reckless ticket from him for 90. "Wow, maybe I should have sped up to 147 then it wouldn't have been reckless driving."

I'll text at red lights, but I'll drop the phone on the passenger seat in mid-sentence when traffic starts moving again. Not while moving, that's too distracting.

Seriously, if you are leave negative as my reputation, please, have the stones to leave your name and give a reason.

+1

Someone gave me negative reputation for my earlier post #262 with the comment 'tool'. ( http://www.ohio-riders.com/showpost.php?p=281757&postcount=262 )

Seriously, when people leave negative rep they should be man enough to put their name down. Why is the rep system anonymous anyways?

Highsmith entered a guilty plea. 6 month suspension (but he gets limited driving privileges... I wonder if that lets him drive a cruiser?) and a $150 fine that wound up being $326 after court costs.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/08/10/story_highsmith.html?sid=102

i don't think this was a cover up, i think this was a case of someone taking discrestion and a supervisor in the upper ranks putting the kybosh on that. That is why internally it came faster for the trooper than it did for the gahanna officer.

The discretion never should have happened to begin with.

100%

Christopher Thomas (the Gahanna officer) entered a plea of guilty to speeding today and was fined $150 with a further $137 in costs. His license was suspended until 2010-02-01, although he has filed a motion for driving privileges.

Jason Highsmith (the state trooper) has is trial set for 2009-08-10, although his attorney has been going through continuances faster than most folks can go though Pringles.

Notably, Thomas faced the same judge (W. David Branstool) as Highsmith faces. This judge is reported to have threatened Highsmith with a 3 year suspension, so it would appear that the judge is easing off that now. The judge had allegedly qualified his "3 year" remark with words to the effect of; "if it turned out to have been reckless". Apparently Thomas' attorney was able to convince the judge and/or prosecutor that he didn't deserve 3 years.

Not sure if "Work Driving Privileges" (apparently filed for by Thomas) would him to drive FOR work, or just to and from. Anyone know?