A Norfolk, Virginia (VA), police officer who killed a bicyclist in a traffic accident has been convicted of misdemeanor reckless driving earlier this month, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
The crash occurred in July 2010 near the 1600 block of Brambleton Ave. in Norfolk. The officer struck the bicyclist, while speeding in a patrol car, to respond to a non-emergency call in the Tidewater Gardens area after 1 am. Another officer in the same area was also speeding in a separate car when the bicycle crash happened. The bicyclist suffered severe head injuries and died two months later.
The officer who killed the bicyclist remained on the Norfolk police force but had been on administrative duty since the accident. He was scheduled to appear in court in July 2011 for sentencing hearings. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped an involuntary manslaughter charge and a second reckless driving charge.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of the victim. It is difficult to think that, in an instant, a man’s life passed forever. This VA accident depicted the damage that can occur in a car-bike accident.
LC