The driver in this video who intentionally swerved to hit a motorcycle on a rural Texas road has been sentenced to 15 years in jail.
William Sam Crum, 68, has already spent a year-and-a-half in jail since his arrest.
Crum was found guilty of two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Luckily rider Eric Sanders received minor injuries, but his pillion, Debra Simpson, was hospitalised with a broken arm.
Crum had previously been convicted in 1994 for unauthorised use of a motor vehicle and in 2007 for reckless driving and making a “terroristic threat”. The threat was related to threatening to run little boys over with his car.
We’re glad that maniac is now in jail and off the road. Compare this Texas justice with the minimal fine a river got for an unsecured load hitting an Ipswich rider.
Benefits of a helmet camera
There are plenty of road ragers out there and this video clearly shows the safety and legal value of wearing a helmet camera.
Meanwhile, Victorian and South Australian police are still fining riders for non-compliant helmets if they attach a camera.
In February, Adelaide rider Erica Aria went to the Sturt Police Station to submit helmet camera video of drivers cutting him off in traffic.
However, he was surprised when he was instead given an official warning for an “illegal helmet camera”.
Eric Aria (Photo courtesy Channel 7)
While some may suggest a bike camera would do the same job, this second part of the Texas video provides evidence of Crum’s intention.
It shows the rider’s friend approaching the driver who can be heard to say “I don’t care”. Clearly he intended to purposely hit the motorcycle.
A bike-mounted camera would not have shown that.
While the rider should not have passed over double yellow lines, there is no need for drivers to take the law into their own hands and act so irresponsibly.
It is sheer luck that the rider and pillion did not fall under the wheels of the SUV following the road rage driver’s car and suffer greater, or even fatal, injuries.
Had the rider or pillion been killed, Crum would be facing a lot longer in jail.