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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Getting There

Swerving in front of a motorcycle to prove a point

A video making the rounds shows what every motorcyclist (and cyclist) fears most: a driver intentionally swerving to hit them

According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram (via the Washington Post), the driver in the video, 68-year-old William Sam Crum, faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for his part in the collision that occurred last Saturday. Crum told the Texas reporter (from jail) that he accidentally swerved when an insect bit him.

Uh. Right.

Still, and this is absolutely no excuse for Crum, the motorcyclist was passing on a double yellow. He was cited for illegally passing another vehicle and driving without a license. But is this a good reason to try to kill him?

As the Post says:

Some drivers not only fail to see motorcycles, they downright dislike them, especially when they believe motorcyclists are pushing or breaking the rules. Some drivers even seem get their jollies using an enclosed, 4,000-pound hunk of metal to intimidate someone cruising along in the open on a contraption that weighs a little more than a 10th of that.

I don't ride a motorcycle, but as a cyclist I've had drivers swerve at me, dangerously cut me off and just plain drive like jerks. More than once. Were these intentional? Not all, I'm sure. People can be idiots, regardless if they're behind the wheel, on a bike or walking. But some were on purpose, and that's not cool, no matter how much you hate people who choose not to drive.

Any thoughts? Was the motorcyclist in the wrong? Should the driver be allowed behind the wheel again?



Nicholas Deshais
Joined The Spokesman-Review in 2013. He is the urban issues reporter, covering transportation, housing, development and other issues affecting the city. He also writes the Getting There transportation column and The Dirt, a roundup of construction projects, new businesses and expansions. He previously covered Spokane City Hall.

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