Does No One Care?

[c5babe]

I sent an e-mail to Mr. Engstrom, but haven't had a reply yet. I just get angry at the seeming indifference that society, as a whole, has when any person, not just a motorcyclist, is mowed down by a drunk or distracted driver. It sickens me to read something like this, as though a dog is more important than a dead man. I've seen too many times, the killer being comforted instead of the family. This is just another instance.

[xmonger]

Sorry for your neighbor's loss.

Unfortunately, journalism in America is long dead.

[hooliken]

Come on man? What do you expect from the media.

The same media that thinks it is national news when an obese news reporter is told she is a bad roll model.

[ragtoplvr]

You need to contact the police chief, sheriff etc and make sure the woman is charged. Letter from the family would be best.
Then once charged, letter to the DA asking for prosecution.

Go to the court proceedings. Get help from the paper.

Rod

[Precis]

Up front, let me say I'm a journalist.
Okay, those of you that are still here:
That has to be about the worst piece of journalism I've ever seen. I'm in two minds: weep for the death of my craft in your country - or apply for a job there and resurrect it.
Because? A halfway decent journo would pin the two stories together and pose the question:" What's the odds that this dumb woman crossed onto the wrong side of the road because she had the damn dog on her lap?"
And Fido, knowing its owner was an idiot, fled in the hopes of a better life in the cornfields.
And also, a quarter-way decent journo would be asking the question several posters already did: "What's to investigate, if she was on the wrong side of the road at 3.00pm?" She's not been dazzled by oncoming traffic; she might have fallen asleep in the 3.00pm dip or she might have been distracted by an unrestrained canine.
What is the Po-leece concealing?

And I wonder if her "church family" uttered a single prayer for the innocent father and husband she mindlessly killed - or were they too busy god-bothering for her mutt?
Seiously, you guys deserve better newspapermen.

[Drufus]

I am so angered by this I really don't know what to do with myself.

Drivers are just not held accountable for their actions. Its pathetic.

[dbuzz]

I am flabbergasted ... I'm not what to say except I'm so sorry for your loss and that of the riders family and friends.

That would have to be the most fvcked up reporting I've seen in a long while. I think it's time the worm turned and we spoke out loud about this crap. Twitter it, facebook it, stage a protest? Gotta start somewhere.

[Precis]

Well, as a fellow-journalist, I've swapped a string of emails with the writer today and covered a lot of ground; raked it, actually. He claims the Minnesota State Police don't like the media and the SUV-driver refused to comment, that lots of readers phoned him about the missing doggy - and, talking to me, he concluded: "Sir, you are full of shit."
But I think he'll be paying a bit more attention to what he writes in future; interestingly, he's a bicyclist and agrees that drivers and police often give minimal care & attention to two-wheelers.
Sadly, he's just one - what about all the others?

[DAKEZ]

Jon who?

[rogerc]

This is why I ride. I am so upset with the media and our response as a country to different situations I just have to get out and ride.
This story makes me sick.
I am going to try and email this station and rip them a new hole.
Not professional and we won't even talk about defining journalism in this country.
Take a look at the cover of the US Newsweek and then compare it to other countries cover.
You will notice they get hard news we get fluff, crab, and nonsense about "famous" people.
Have to go ride now.
RC

[c5babe]

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

Jon who?

Jon Geibe, the dead motorcyclist.

And Precis, you are no more full of shit than any one of us, sickened by the incompetence and carelessness of some journalists. Thank you.

[JohnnyK]

I'm speechless.

"A 2001 Jeep Cherokee, driven by Mandy Kauffman, 34, of Waseca, Minn., had been heading southbound but collided with the motorcycle in the northbound lane."

"The motorcycle rider died, and who is at fault remains under investigation, according to the Minnesota State Patrol."

Seems pretty cut and dried to me. Should be manslaughter at least.

God bless Jon and his family.

[Danjal]

My condolences to the family and friends for their loss.

Your local paper (if you have one and its not a megaopolis paper) should've covered the story. But by far as others pointed out,the media doesn't care, they want ratings. Just like politicians, if you want something to get attention throw a kid or an animal in the front line.

[Danjal]

Originally Posted by c5babe

Jon Geibe, the dead motorcyclist.

And Precis, you are no more full of shit than any one of us, sickened by the incompetence and carelessness of some journalists. Thank you.

Most in the media don't care about accuracy. I go through this quite often on boards for my other hobby. 99% of stuff related to firearms in stories is way over sensationalized. And they way they write it makes it sound like military grade arms were used in every shooting or confiscation. Very few, if any, go correct the story or care about their mistakes.

I'd have to dredge it up (if I feel inclined), but one paper reported a kid was under the influence of drugs when he was in a wreck killing the other driver. He was on prescription meds...that happened to just be in the vehicle at te time of the accident. Death threats later it turned into a law suit when no correction or apology was made.

[WVhillbilly]

A driver who survived a fatal crash last weekend had lost her Chihuahua for six days until she recovered the pet on Friday morning on a farm two miles north of New Richland.

Survived a fatal crashed she caused, and lived because she hit a motorcycle head on with a Jeep.
She was most likely messing with the dog in her lap or under her feet and not paying attention.

There was a rider killed at home a few years ago in a crash very like this.
A woman crossed the line in a turn and hit him head on, Tahoe vs cruiser.

No amount of safety gear would have helped him, she was charged with some minor traffic violation and went free.