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Yahoo!Now that Ernest Botello has been effectively acquitted by the District Attorney's decision to not retry the manslaughter case against him, what have we learned? In a word, nothing. All agree that Jake Boysel, the bicyclist killed by Botello, was not at fault. The road is not at fault; its design and striping adhere to all regulations. And we can't blame some unexpected, momentary condition like a bird flying into the windshield; the sun, Botello's excuse, has always and will always shine down that stretch of road at that time of year and time of morning.
So if there is nothing and nobody to blame, then nothing will change. The only conclusion we will draw from this episode is that such tragedies are unavoidable, an occasional price to be paid for our car-oriented lifestyle.
The prosecutor was quoting as saying, "I truly believe that this [mistrial] was the community's decision." Well, it's not my decision, and I hope it's not yours, either. The slaughter of our children riding to school is avoidable. We just have to want it enough.—Greg Janee
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I had a letter published in this paper on the Jake Boysel death shortly after it happened.
I said that my fear was that his death would just become another footnote in Santa Barbara's history and based on the fact that the vast majority of people who drive in this area still speed and follow way too closely to the vehicle in front of them, my not-too-difficult-to-predict prediction has come true.
Bottom line: Peope here don't care, they're in too much of a hurry piloting their vehicles (Often big SUV's and pickup trucks) at a breakneck speed to even notice.
Rest in peace Jake, I'm sure you won't be the last to die in this manner.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
May 25, 2007 at 7:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Last week when driving by the spot where Jake was killed I saw a car stray across the yellow line while the driver was distracted by all that stuff hanging from the fence, nearly causing a head-on collision. It's very sad that Jake died but that shrine is a traffic hazzard. Couldn't all those items be transferred to his grave?
taz (anonymous profile)
May 28, 2007 at 7:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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