The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday it charged Lori Everett with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for hitting and killing cyclist Joseph Shami with her vehicle in Lafayette on the morning of April 13, 2021.
Just before 7 a.m. Shami — who authorities say was an “incredibly experienced cyclist” — was lawfully riding in the traffic roundabout at Pleasant Hill Road and Olympic Blvd.
The district attorney’s office said in a statement that Everett didn’t yield as she entered the roundabout, hitting Shami, who was wearing a bright helmet and colorful clothing and already riding in an established travel lane.
Authorities ask motorists to be active, attentive drivers and to be mindful of pedestrians and cyclists when sharing the roadways.
From the description above, misdemeanor manslaughter is to light of a charge, in my point of view.
Failure to yield.
That should be criminal when a life is lost.
Why do you think it is not criminal?Manslaughter is a criminal charge.
It was an accident that resulted in a person’s death. It was unintentional at low speeds and it sounds like roadway engineering might have played a part in the collision.
Misdemeanor Manslaughter without gross negligence appears to be appropriate IMHO.
That roundabout has a ton of visual pollution. I can see ways a cyclist with a small cross section might go unnoticed.
So an accident? I hope she pleads not guilty. Sad loss of life and terrible situation, but let’s not take away the fact the city decided to make that intersection an abomination. I bet if it weren’t a well known cyclist this wouldn’t be going to court.
It doesn’t matter how the road is laid out. It’s still a crime! She failed to yield to the bicyclist. Like so many car drivers, she obviously wasn’t even paying attention. The fact that this was a well-known and experienced cyclist has nothing to do with whether a DA charges somebody. She committed a crime!
Have you driven on that roundabout ? Confusing especially the first time – most bay area drivers arent too familiar with them. Not to victim- blame but if he was so experienced he would have realized bicyclists need to practice defensive awareness even if they have the right of way
Well stealing from target is a crime as well. So why are the DA’s not filing on those since it was a crime? Exactly. They pick and choose and this one was political due to the involved and the location. Probably the city trying to cover their butts as well because they know it’s a flawed design and using the driver as a scapegoat because they can. I hope you’re Mr. (or Mrs) Perfect on your drives as well and have never made a mistake or anything with the way you defended your answer.
It took 7 months???
Like the Roundabout had nothing to do with it. How many cyclists were hit and killed when it was a four-way stop?
Three-way stop. Whatever.
Ah yes, Lafayette and their Love affair for Roundabouts.
That New roundabout is a total clusterphuck……I’ve almost been hit there by a cyclist who was trying to squeeze through there without slowing down.
Once again, that roundabout is Garbage.
That’s why they call them accidents. That intersection is terrible. It should have never been made a into roundabout. The stop signs worked. How many of us have not seen a bike rider while driving? They’re harder to see than motorcycle drivers.
Roundabouts work but they must be clearly marked entering motorists YIELD. Some people are not familiar with them.
Sounds like navigating a roundabout needs to be included in driver’s training. I sense there will be more of them in the future.
Cyclists know the risks when on the same road as cars and they choose to be there anyway.
They must be more alert to their surroundings or stay off the road and use trails. It’s too big a risk!
It is difficult to share the road as is. Cyclists should probably walk their bikes through a round about. Early morning hours and the sun can play a huge factor in clear visibility.
It is difficult to share the road as is. Cyclists should probably walk their bikes through a round about. Early morning hours and the sun can play a huge factor in clear visibility.
I usually drive extremely slow in a round about or parking lot. 5mph or less. A round about and you have to see the entire wide field view to be able to assess access . So a yield sign also can mean a full stop before entering the intersection.
More often than not, I have observed bicyclists to be oblivious of their surroundings, some brazenly riding their bikes in the middle of the road, causing traffic back-ups behind them. I witnessed a bicyclist fly through cars not moving get hit by a car turning left (cyclist clearly at fault). I cannot know the circumstances of this specific event, other than the brief description, but perhaps cyclists should not be riding in the roundabout made for automobiles, maybe use a crosswalk outside the circle of the roundabout. This is a true shame, the loss of life.
Doesn’t matter if the cyclist knows the risk or not, the driver of the car didn’t pay attention to the signs, this she is responsible for the accident. Having said that she probably feels terrible and l’m not rooting for her to spend time in jail. Perhaps a suspended sentence and a fine, and maybe no driver license.
I used to pedal that way often, not so much anymore cuz age is slowly killing me. But I remember when they built that roundabout, I was like, “why?”. In my opinion it was MUCH safer before.
I agree. The first time I came upon it, I wasn’t sure to whom I was supposed to be yielding, which way they were going, and when they were going to get there. Instead of yielding to the right at a stop sign, you have to check in several directions to determine who is where in the que, unless someone is bearing down on you, that is. In fact, you might be looking another direction.
Depending on whether the weeds have been cut on some of those roundabouts, visibility is impaired. This one, one on Walnut, and another on Oak Grove past the Library are difficult to navigate when you have to make a more complex assessment upon arrival than at a four-way (or in this case three-way) stop.
They woman lives in Lafayette. Her husband is the moneyaker… They have money and her father-in-law has tons of money. She will get a good lawyer and skate with a slap on the hand. I hope not. Hopefully she as a less taught to her..
I always got agita when approaching that roundabout going west on Olympic with the intention of making a right on PHR. The 3-way stop that used to exist there was a no-brainer. I think that’s what you want when you’re driving
That roundabout is horrible absolutely horrible! I’m a truckdriver and go through it mon- Friday…very dangerous and confusing
I’m not at all surprised by the victim blaming here…
But consider this- he had the right of way. She ran him over.
Would you feel
The same way if it was your kid, mother, brother, sister in a crosswalk? Because it’s exactly the same thing.
If you don’t have the ability to safely navigate that traffic circle, you are either going too fast or should not be driving. It is not at all difficult or dangerous.
It certainly appears that she is at fault, and if so, she should face the consequences. Nevertheless, it is in the best interest of pedestrians and bicyclists to be aware of the idiots on the road around them.
I remember a PSA from the days when I was learning to drive to the effect of “you may have the Right-of-Way, but don’t be dead right!”
I suspect most here have never been through that traffic circle. It is a visual potato salad with over 50 (yes 50) traffic signs from the different directions. Clearly whoever designed this knew a circle would be new and confusing so tried to micromanage the instructions, but instead of being instructive is a mental contest for the driver of selecting what to ignore while watching for cars, pedestrians and bikes. If I were on a bike I would walk my bike on the pedestrian crosswalks but even that would feel unsafe. Just because something is legal does not make it safe and I would never ever be caught on a bike in that circle. That’s nuts.
TDL is right. It’s bad enough with a clash of timid vs aggressive drivers as it is, but add a bicycle to the mix and it’s like a daredevil stunt.
Driving around a roundabout is easy. In the USA you yield to the traffic that’s already in the roundabout to the LEFT. In the UK, you yield to traffic to RIGHT. That said…putting those two roundabouts in Lafayette was stupid. Lafayette wanted to put on on Mt. Diablo Blvd but the Fire Department informed them that there was no way their fire trucks could go around a small roundabout.