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Wed 4 Nov, 4:00 pm UTC

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Comment: Conviction of road rage doctor is landmark case

By Bruce Hildenbrand

The conviction of a Los Angeles driver who injured two cyclists in a road rage attack is a landmark ruling that could open the door for many more similar cases.

In previous incidents involving cars and bicycles in the US, the driver often got off the hook by claiming 'plausible deniability' – that it was an accident with no intent to harm.

Indeed, the driver in this case, Dr Christopher Thompson, had been involved in two previous incidents involving cyclists near his home in Mandeville Canyon Road. In both cases, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office did not find enough evidence to prosecute.

However, this time, key witnesses were able to prove that the former emergency room physician had deliberately tried to make the riders crash, and they were backed by several other cyclists who came forward to relate stories of harassment by Thompson.

'I did it to teach them a lesson'

Asked if he had slammed on his brakes after passing the pair, Thompson told the jury: "No, I did not slam on my brakes." But the court was then played a 911 tape where Thompson could clearly be heard telling the operator: "I slammed on my brakes."

This was backed up by traffic investigator Robert Rodriguez, who told the court Thompson had told him: "I passed them up and stopped in front to teach them a lesson."

The fact that intent was proven in this case should encourage other cyclists who have been the victims of road rage to come forward. However, riding defensively and avoiding needless confrontation is still the best way to avoid such incidents.

The case related to an incident on 4 July 2008 when cyclists Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr were descending Mandeville Canyon Road in Southern California.

As Thompson drove past in his car he yelled at the pair to ride in single file. One of them flipped him off, which prompted the doctor to pull in front of the cyclists and slam on his brakes.

Cyclist 'flipped off' driver

Stoehr hit the back of the vehicle and was flung over the side by the impact and onto the pavement. He suffered road rash and a separated shoulder.

Peterson flew face first into the rear windscreen. His nose was sliced off – it took 90 stitches to reattach it – and he lost several teeth.

Thompson called 911 to report the incident and admitted: "I slammed on my brakes." He told the operator: "They'll [the cyclists] tell you they are seriously injured but they're not."

When Rodriguez arrived on the scene, Thompson told the investigator: "The bicyclists flipped me off and yelled back. I passed them up and stopped in front to teach them a lesson. I’m tired of them. I’ve lived here for years and they always ride like this.”

The doctor was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. When several other cyclists came forward to relate stories of harassment, the DA's office decided to charge him with six felony counts including assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury, reckless driving causing specified bodily injury, and mayhem.

'Bicycle is inherently unstable'

Defense attorney Peter Swarth argued that the incident was just an unfortunate accident and that there was no intent behind the doctor's actions.

He spent a lot of time trying to prove that the cyclists had contributed to what happened, and even argued that a bicycle is inherently unstable and that is why the riders crashed.

He tried to paint the picture that the two cyclists had taken over the road and, because one of them had flipped Thompson off, were looking for a fight.

Swarth also questioned the cyclists about the condition of their bikes and brakes, and the distances involved. Accident reconstruction specialist Roman Beck testified that it would have taken Peterson only two seconds to come to a complete stop from the 30mph he was traveling at at the time of the incident. The defense contended that this was more than enough time to avoid hitting the back of Thompson's car.

When Thompson took the stand in his defense, he re-iterated his attorney's claim that bicycles are inherently dangerous because of their instability and unpredictability.

He told the court that he made an "arc-like" pass of the cyclists and then stopped to take a picture of them because they weren't riding in single file. He maintained that only after he had put the car in park and removed his seatbelt did the riders hit the back of the vehicle.

The jury of 12 men and women took less than a day to return a verdict of  guilty on all counts. Thompson was ordered to be held without bail until sentencing. He could receive a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison.

User Comments

There are 27 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 27 of 27 comments

  • woo hoo

  • throw the book at him bloody idiot

  • Hope he gets 5 years with no parole. What a tit.

  • I am sure there were other incidents with Thompson and it is fantastic to see justice prevail! Thompson should have a lot of time to reflect on his temper and how it affected his career and the lives of the cyclists and their family. Hopefully, Cyclists and drivers will surely behave better in the canyon. A precedent has been set and with good attorneys cyclists may be better recognized in future precedings. Congrats to the cyclists that were able to go the distance on this instance of road rage!

  • man gets convicted of assault only after admitting to assault and several previous victims of his repeated assault stepping forward to testify that they too were assaulted by him shocker

    I hate to scream discrimination, but this is exactly the sort of treatment (not enough evidence, situation was aggravated by the victim, one person's word is worth more than the other's) that women used to get when they claimed harrasement (and even worse) and indeed non-whites got pretty much for everything (and in some cases, continue to. Crap, I'm a white middle class male and I'm in a minority group.

    what was the consquence though; jail? Fine? Comm service? article doesn't say.

  • About time! Yep, 5 years would be of benefit to other riders in the area and Mr. Thompson's sorry ass. Hopefully this case will perhaps awaken others to the rights of cyclists. Has to start somewhere and sooner the better!

  • I think he should be made to commute by bike. Every day. For 5 years. Yes, that includes shopping, going out for the night, etc.

    Treatment and education, not punishment.

  • Perhaps the whole incident was based on machismo - 50/50%... Perhaps RON PETERSON did everything in HIS power out of pure vindictive assault on the doctor because of other driver incidents HE HAS HAD. PERHAPS Peterson is a "hot head" too; assuming the doctor is... Peterson admitted on the stand that when the doctor first yelled out the window - "Single file", because Mandeville is a narrow canyon road; he (Peterson) responded F--k you!!! Is that the proper response of a purportedly respected coach, who should be aware of the dangers of bikes and cars sharing the road...??? PERHAPS the doctor was weary after a night shift in the ER... PERHAPS, rather than the charge of MAYHEM, he abruptly stopped to voice his disdain back at Peterson; NOT TO INTENTIONALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. PERHAPS the bikers should have backed off when they felt that a "situation" might be forthcoming, instead of following on the heels of the vehicle - Testosterone flowing...

    PERHAPS Ron Peterson is looking for a large cash payout as well... - since he has refused to settle, as the other biker did....

    PERHAPS Ron Peterson and the young jury really didn't rule with BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT in mind.... Perhaps they didn't examine the consequences of their unfair action. YES, IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE ACCICENT... But, did it deserve a life sentence to prove a point for the biking community??? The doctor, a 30 year ER veteran, will never be able to practice medicine again... The loss of their home to foreclosure, and the financial inability to remain in California has also seriously damaged his INNOCENT, SWEET WIFE and damaged her career in California - SHE, TOO, WILL BEAR THE BURDEN OF THE JURY'S DECISION FOR LIFE...

    PERHAPS Ron Peterson should examine his rage!!! PERHAPS the Prosecutor, should feel a little guilty for her interpretation of the incident and her theatrics to demonstrate it to the jury - yes, she was replete with props, including doctor's coat and baseball bats... PERHAPS the jury shouldn't have been so biased to what they perceived to be fact, and should have spent more than a few hours deliberating so they could make it home in time for dinner and not inconvenience their day...

    PERHAPS PEOPLE'S LIVES SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED FOR THE "CRIME" OF AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT. WAS THIS REALLY A FELONY - OR A MISDEAMENOR THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AS RECKLESS DRIVING AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN TARGETED MONETARILY???

  • PERHAPS csalapats you need to have a LONG LIE DOWN in a DARKENED ROOM!!! And then make sure that in future YOU DON'T FORGET TO TAKE YOUR MEDS!!!

  • Only 5 years!! I thought the US of A was tough on crime and deluded psychopaths?

    When I saw the headlines and saw USA I thought htis guy will have got 20-25 years. Then I read further and shocked to see his sentence was only 5 years. This is far too lenient by far for this offence and the harassment he has caused other cyclists.

    Anyway the 2 cyclists will sue him for millions of $ which I hope they get. This driver was supposed to have been a doctor - some one who preserved life not tried to take it away. In fact as the guy is psychotic doesn't he qualify for a labotomy or even execution in the States?

    Hopefully this case can be used as some sort of precedent in the UK as there are just as many pyshcos just like him here.

  • Perhaps people need to take responsibility for their actions csalapats. Really struggled to understand most of your rant, but this wasn't an accident as proved in a Court of Law.

  • Cyclist riding on the pavement next to a busy road encounters a padestrian and slows. Padestrian hurls abuse at them saying to get on the road.

    Padestrian walks down the road, gets into their car, drives off and is passed by a cyclist.

    Padestrian, now motorist slows next to cyclist and hurls abuse at them, telling them to get off the road.

    B******s like this should be banned from driving for the rest of their lives, so they may experience the glorious situation we cyclists deal with EVERY day we go riding. Ive been knocked off by 7 cars so far and as many of you will know it doesnt get any nicer! Next time they knock me off im going to quote this case, and sue the f**k out of them, donate the money to a new bike and the rest to charity and watch as the idiot rots in jail where they belong.

    MOTORISTS LIKE THIS DISGUST ME!!

  • Looks like he'll be getting rear ended by more than just a bike for a while. In fact he'll probably become the prison bike "Anyone want a go on Thompson?"

  • ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

    Haha, spot on.

  • Cyclists are legal to ride 2 abreast in California. The stipulation is that they must ride in one lane. They should not impede the general flow of traffic.

    In this case one of the riders was wearing a Garmin GPS that showed at the time of the accident they were doing the legal speed limit. Thus the doctor had to exceed the speed limit to pass them. Riding the speed limit they could not impede the legal flow of traffic.

    When he passed them he was very close to them and was the first to holler at them. He got the same response that I would have given him.

    I will defy anyone to stop their bike in 2 seconds from 30 mph especially going down hill. The so-called expert did not take into consideration the reaction time (distance traveled) before the brakes could be put on.

    csalapatas your rant makes it sound very much like you share some of the doctor's issues. How much of a threat can a cyclist and bike pose to a 3500 pound car? When you take the Hippocratic Oath you promise to "first do no harm" and doing great bodily damage by using your auto as a deadly weapon would seem cause for him to not practice medicine in the future. The jury did what it should, judging the evidence that was submitted by both the defense and the prosecution. Personally the 10 years that he faces (his clean record will cut that in half) and time for good behavior will have him doing 2 or 3 years at most, certainly not enough in my eyes. Perhaps you should join the maddening crowd and join the cycling fraternity to see exactly what it is like when a person with anger management problems threatens you with a car. Perhaps you will whistle a different tune.

  • As much as the doctor is guilty of road rage, I feel that the cyclist who flipped him off should also be punished in some way. The cyclists after all were guilty of not riding single file and of inciting his road rage by shouting at him and flipping him off.

    I know this is a bicycle forum, but that is not acceptable behaviour and one day a cyclist is going to get killed by someone who is upset about the way cyclists in general behave.

  • So, thinking back to James Martin, celebrity cook or should that be celebrity co*k.......... would the cyclist that he admitted knocking over in a similar road rage incident consider pressing charges? Could well improve prison food for a while!

  • "The cyclists after all were guilty of not riding single file and of inciting his road rage by shouting at him and flipping him off."

    Riding two abreast is not actually against the law in the California and as someone else has pointed out their GPS showed that they were riding at the legal speed limit so this pr!ck of a doctor had to exceed the speed limit to overtake and shout at them.

    Don't you think that having your nose sliced off is probably punishment enough for giving someone the bird?

    "I know this is a bicycle forum, but that is not acceptable behaviour and one day a cyclist is going to get killed by someone who is upset about the way cyclists in general behave."

    Nice.

  • To all the pyschos supporting Dr. Thompson's actions: The guy is a nutcase. If you genuinely condone his behaviour in this and his other attacks on cyclists you also deserve to be in prison with him or in an asylum.

  • The fact that the defense lawyer was trying to say that the brakes weren't good enough on the bikes makes me laugh....

    Just imagine leaving a 5ft stopping distance and then the car in front does an emergency stop... I'd love to see a car driver react that quickly.

  • The cyclists were riding at the speed limit for the road? So, they couldn't have been holding anyone up.

    Frankly, flipping someone off is not something that is going to get punished by the Law, but surely losing a mouthful of teeth is not justified retribution for viewing someone's middle finger.

    We so like to pigeonhole our enemies. Drivers, cyclists, hoodies, Muslims... ignorant people drive the sames things we do, wear the same things we wear and might even have the same religious views. The real enemy is ignorance. I'm sure there are some good drivers out there; we just never notice people doing the right things because we expect them to. Same with people who dislike cyclists... they only notice the ones who don't ride with consideration.

  • The USA has the concept of freedom of speech. It does have some limits, but it seems that swearing and displaying a finger would be completely legal actions. There is no equivalent of an ASBO in the USA either.

    I think it's a pity they didn't charge/convict him of attempted murder, but at least he will be off the streets for a while. I think the big win for cyclists is the deterrent value - this was a very high profile case, and so it will hopefully make other drivers think twice about their own actions.

  • It's OK. He's going straight to hell.

  • What a kn*b. May he encounter many more rear endings in the clink.

  • I agree with bomeresque, what this case clearly demonstrates is just how much the justice system is stacked against cyclists (this was in the US but it's the same in the UK), and just how much evidence it needs to actually get a conviction. If you deliberately assault someone with a motor vehicle you practically need to admit to it, have several witnesses and maybe arrange for it to be filmed in advance by a police officer before there is any chance that you will be convicted for it. As soon as someone sits on a bike and rides it on the road, they become a member of a minority group and a likely victim of INSITUTIONALISED PREJUDICE.

    The attitudes of the establishment (supported by public prejudice whipped up by the gutter press) towards cyclists in the UK were well demonstrated by the recent government committee looking at road safety that focused more on the perceived threat to pedestrians from cyclists than the danger to cyclists from motor vehicles, despite the fact that only about 1 person a year is killed by a cyclist and hundreds of cyclists are killed by motor vehicles.

  • My attitude is that all drivers are potential murderous it then leaves you with the advantage of been on your toes. The stupidity of some drivers beggers belief makes you wonder how the hell they get by in life.A 1 tonne plus vehicle against a cyclist who is going to come of worst but when people do this they know what they are doing no excuse and no common sense anymore.

  • "Peterson flew face first into the rear windscreen. His nose was sliced off – it took 90 stitches to reattach it –"

    Would be some irony if Dr. Thompson's ex-colleagues repaired the consequences of Dr. Thompson's actions.

    "He told the operator: "They'll [the cyclists] tell you they are seriously injured but they're not.""

    If he doesn't consider a severed nose to be fairly serious, it's probably just as well if he stops practising as a doctor.

  • 1

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