Driving behind cyclists...

[_CY_]

Sand Springs woman sentenced to 24 years in bicyclist fatalities

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Borland

Published: 10/28/2010 2:17 PM

A Sand Springs woman was sentenced Thursday to 24 years in prison in a manslaughter case linked to the deaths of two bicyclists.

Tausha Borland, 39, pleaded guilty Sept. 13 to two counts of first-degree manslaughter. She waived her right to a trial, andshe had no plea agreement with prosecutors regarding her punishment.

Prosecutors asserted that Borland, while under the influence of alcohol, drove a sport utility vehicle into three people who were riding bicycles on Oklahoma 51 near 161st West Avenue west of Sand Springs on June 9, 2009.

Christa Voss, 33, of Owasso and Matthew Edmonds, 34, of Tulsa were killed.

Borland also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI count linked to the injuring of bicyclist John Moore, who said he sustained a concussion, cuts to his back and elbow, and bruises.

The bicyclists were hit from behind while riding on the road’s shoulder, according to prior testimony in trhe case.

A lab analysis of blood drawn from Borland after the crash indicated that she had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.09, which is more than the 0.08 level that constitutes driving under the influence.

Borland also pleaded no contest to a felony offense of leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

On Thursday, Tulsa County District Judge William Kellough sentenced Borland to two consecutive 12-year prison terms on the manslaughter counts. Borland received a five-year suspended sentence on the leaving-the-scene offense, and a one-year suspended on the
DUI misdemeanor, a total of six years probation.

Borland has been in jail since Sept. 13. She had been free on bond prior to entering her guilty pleas to the manslaughter counts.

The range of punishment for first-degree manslaughter is four years to life in prison. That crime requires a defendant to serve 85 percent of any prison time imposed before being eligible for parole or release.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=14&articleid=20101028_14_0_ASandS826374

 

[HiImSeth]

That sentence seemed a little weak to me, but what do I know. I'm also slightly biased, I suppose.

 

[Neil]

MaddSkillz- you do understand that roads are for cars and parks are for bicycles, right?

 

[HiImSeth]

MaddSkillz- you do understand that roads are for cars and parks are for bicycles, right?

lol, wait.. I thought the roads were for traveling and parks were for picnics, disc golf, basketball, birthday parties, BBQs, etc.

 

[SGTLT]

About time she went to jail,it has been about two years since she hit thouse people.

 

[pepper]

Question for you cyclists...I am driving down a busy four lane city street, approaching two cyclists in the middle of the right most lane. I and many other drivers are backed up behind them waiting to merge into the next lane in order to pass them. Once successfully passed I merge back into the right most lane and proceed down the street to the traffic light. I am now sitting about 10 deep at the light with aprx 10 drivers behind me. I have shared the road with the two cyclists, but now while waiting for the light to change in our favor, the two cyclists pass everyone on the shoulder. What gives them the right to bypass us? We now have to repeat the entire process of getting around the punks. I have now made it a habit once I have passed a cyclist and am approaching a stop to hug the curb when present to prevent this practice. I have been yelled at several times by cyclists for doing this. Am I really in the wrong? I can't be the only one that finds this annoying

 

[grwd]

Tell me where Im wrong:

I give all the rights of the road to all cyclists, whether motorized or not. I just get slightly annoyed that the older/middle-aged Edmond cyclists use Eastern OK County as their personal biking fiefdom.

"let me put on my orange and yellow sassypants and let me ride out into the "country" and look at the cows and other scenery because a treadmill in the gym with an ipod just isnt good enough"

ah; thats funny!

90% of what I wrote was really just satire. Maybe Im just jealous of the dedication they have..

 

[SGTLT]

The fact that you think of them as punks is a large part of the prob in this backword part of the country. I guess your time is so important that the extra miniute it takes to get around them is such a problem.

 

[pepper]

The fact that you think of them as punks is a large part of the prob in this backword part of the country. I guess your time is so important that the extra miniute it takes to get around them is such a problem.

It is not an issue of time...it is an issue of them wanting the rights to the road, but not following the rules of the road when it applies to traffic signals and rights of way. Do you think that if you passed me in your car and then I proceeded to jump the curb in my jeep and move to the front of the line in front of you to only repeat the same scenario 1/2 mile later you would not be upset?

 

[grwd]

Pepper, I hear what youre saying, and Im guessing your under 30; because you just get to a place in life where you have to turn off the adrenaline when youre in the car and find a happy place with fluffy clouds.
-otherwise every little thing on the road will annoy you; youll go nuts and have a heart attack before youre 40.

Driving is driving; what you find is what you get.