Back up and Use a Little Common Sense

[XLFD]

EVERGREEN, Mich. (WOOD) Monday 4-30-2012 9:57 AM - An SUV driven by a man accidentally struck his 8-year-old son riding a bicycle, police said.

Glen Stump, 40, was attempting to leave a residence on S. Town Hall Road north of Sidney Road in Evergreen in Friday evening.

He noticed one of his sons riding a bicycle in the road. With intentions of telling the child to stay off the road, Stump put his vehicle in reverse and began backing up at a high rate of speed, police said. But he was unaware his other son, who was injured, had just entered the road on another bicycle, according to a news release.

Stump's vehicle hit the second boy, 8-year-old Ethan Stump, who was ejected from his bike and temporarily knocked unconscious, according to the Montcalm County Sheriff's Department.

Stump took Ethan to Sheridan Community Hospital following the 6:23 p.m. incident.

The boy was then transferred to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids for treatment to non-life threatening injuries.

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/montcalm_county/driver-acciden...

 

This is the type of "accident" that really should never happen.  Here is a look up Town Hall Road north of Sidney Road in Evergreen (NW of Grand Rapids).  It is a dirt road with no sidewalk, a typical rural route you see all the time in the eastern parts of the county. 

A father goes to back up out of a driveway, knowing that his one kid is out in the road already, and one would surmise he knew that at least his other boy is out riding bicycles with that brother.  Maybe there's even more kids.  He admittedly backs up real quick and hits & seriously hurts his other son, who he, also admittedly, doesn't notice until his car enters the roadway.  Remember,he was unaware his other son had just entered the road on another bicycle. 

 

Effectively, he hadn't yielded to a "vehicle" on the roadway (a rider of a bicycle has the same rights as a vehicle driver), so legally he should be given a ticket.  I know if I was the responding officer and he told me he backed up at a high rate of speed to get out to the road, and hit his son on a bicycle, I'd dress him down, and ticket him after reading him the riot act.  If he was so concerned about his other son in the road, he should have put his car in park and let him know in no uncertain terms that he should not be in the road. 

Mr. Stump, I'm glad your boy is alright, but I hope you do get ticketed, so that you may think twice when someone I care about is out in the road as a Bicyclist, Motorcyclist, or Pedestrian (BMP) and you decide to back up without making sure the way is clear.