Dr. Thompson: Put Him Behind Bars, Shred His Driver’s License
by Judd WileyJuly 15th, 2008, 11:20 am
If you’re at all interested in the escalating tensions between drivers and bicyclists, you’re probably aware that, on July 4, a physician, Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson, 59, jammed on his brakes in front on two bicyclists on Mandeville Canyon Road in Los Angeles, during an angry shouting match.
The sudden impact slammed one bicyclist through the car’s rear window and flung the other to the pavement. Thompson was charged with two felony counts each for reckless driving causing injury and battery with serious bodily injury.
Similar to the Alice Swanson incident in Washington DC, we’ve held our fire on Dr. Thompson since July 4, pending further details about what exactly happened on Mandeville Canyon Road.
Over the weekend, however, more details about this Dr. Thompson lunatic emerged. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Dr. Thompson was apparently involved in a very similar crash a few months ago, which was well-documented, and removes all doubt that his actions on July 4 were intentional.
Here’s what happened on March 11. Two bicyclists riding on Mandeville Canyon Road alleged that Dr. Thompson ran them off the road while shouting at them. LAPD Capt. William Eaton described the March collision as a “road rage incident with two cyclists” that had “strong similarities” to the July 4 crash.
Patrick Watson, one of the bicyclists in the March crash, apparently sent an e-mail on March 12 to fellow bicyclists describing the incident:
[He] “ran me off the road and as I jumped back onto the pavement he slammed on his brakes right in front of [us].” [emphasis added] Watson said he skidded to the right of the car as the other cyclist skidded to the left, “right into on-coming traffic.” The motorist drove right at the other cyclist, who then punched the car, Watson said. “He then drove straight at me.”
Watson said in an interview with the LA Times that he and the other bicyclist had narrowly avoided hitting the rear of Dr. Thompson’s car after Dr. Thompson suddenly braked. However, the LA city attorney’s office declined to file charges against Thompson, presumably for lack of evidence.
This is a complete outrage. The fact that this maniac pulled the same maneuver five months ago, independently documented, removes any doubt in my mind that Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson, 59, is guilty of trying to kill these bicyclists and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
I don’t care how annoying bicyclists are. I don’t care if they ride all over the road and on the sidewalk and narrowly miss hitting pedestrians and cars and other bicyclists. I don’t care if they blow through stop signs, red lights, go the wrong way, or do any of the other stupid, idiotic nonsense that they do on a consistent basis.
No one, including this jerk Thompson, has the right to slam on the brakes in front of two cyclists, sending one through the rear window and the other flying to the pavement. I heard an interview with one of the victims on the radio. His nose was basically sheared off, and the surgeons had to pick pieces of glass out of the spot where his nose had been.
A car weighs 2,000 to 3,000 lbs. A bicycle weighs 15 lbs plus the bicyclist. There’s no competition. The bike will always lose. And when the bike loses, the bicyclist can get seriously injured, and can even die. Anger at stupid bicyclists who break laws and put themselves and everybody else in danger is one thing. Trying to injure or kill a bicyclist is another thing.
Dr. Thompson is lucky he didn’t kill one of these bicyclists, because if he did, we’d be screaming for the death penalty. We’d haul him off to San Quentin and plop him down right next to David Westerfield and Scott Peterson and all the rest of the murderers.
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Posted in Bicycles, Road Rage, Traffic Accidents |
I’ve been nicked by a car or two on my way home from work — it’s enough to send my heart rate through the roof — but nothing intentional like this uber-jerk. If these cyclists ride a carbon-fiber frame bike like I do, then their relatively pricey means of conveyance were also either completely destroyed or rendered totally unsafe to ride by the collision. Intent to harm life and property. It’s the Wall of Shame for Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson of California.
Who deleted the links to “A Trip Within the Beltway” and “Cosmobile Cosmopolitan Transportation?”
Is there someone form the other side with control over Commuter Outrage?
Another outrage: Dr. Thompson is currently free on $30,000 bail.
Does this mean that this lunatic could be driving around this very instant, looking for more bicyclists to maim and kill?
What is the status of his driver’ license?
I haven’t been able to figure out if this maniac still has a driver’s license. As soon as I find out, I’ll post an update.
Also, if you’re interested in taking a look at what Thompson did to Ron Peterson, the cyclist who slammed into his rear window, click the below link.
The surgeon must have put Peterson’s nose back in place before taking these pictures. On the radio Peterson said it was basically detached from his face.
Peterson apparently lost some teeth too.
WARNING: GRISLY PHOTOS
http://californiabicycleracing.blogspot.com/2008/07/this-is-what-doctor-christopher.html
This guy Thompson is a real hero.
Throw him in a dark hole and forget his sorry ass.
This is nothing new. I used to race, and about 25 years ago, I was out training and rode past an intersection that had a stop sign for the cross traffic only. As I rode past it, the car that had pulled up waited until I passed in front of him then hit the gas and hit me. He then drove away laughing while I was on the ground. I also have had plenty of (glass) bottles thrown at me while I was riding. I never did anything to these people: I always obeyed the rules of the road and never blocked traffic. For some reason these morons just hated cyclists and wanted to kill us all.
Things haven’t changed.
With tens of thousands of road miles under my wheels, I can comfortably say most drivers are really great, very accomodating, and extremely nice people. I would not be here if they weren’t. You would be suprised how nice most motorists are. But, there are a small minority of drivers who are reckless and dangerous in the extreme, whom should not hold licenses for motor vehicles. Sadly, some of the most wealthy drivers in the most scenic of areas fall into this group, the “what are those bikers doing on my road” types who think “those bikers shouldn’t even be here” while surrounded by tons of high horsepower automobile. Fortunately, this case will strip those tons of high horsepower automobile protection away from a sick and dangerous person, while inside a courtroom, in front of the law, which will hopefully strip his driving rights away forever. The bad doctor should never drive again, and should spend time doing community service for bicyclists in the poorest emergency rooms in Los Angeles, commuting by bicycle to get there. That’s justice.
wow - Dr.Thompson clearly deliberately sought to injure if not kill the bicyclists by stopping suddenly particularly on a downhill slope. He should be charged with attempted murder and is clearly a danger to society. Its AMAZING how many posts actually attempt a defense of the doctor by saying that he was just “trying” to get the bicyclists to drive single file and failed - first off hes done this precise same thing before with a biker driving alone and it makes no difference what he was trying to do , its still obviously would result in injury or death and its still assault and its still rage : the man is clearly a person who cannot control his anger impulses and must be put away from the rest of society until he learns to respect other human beings lives as to be as precious as his.
This absolutely sickens me. How he’s even out on bail is beyond me. Is it because he’s an M.D? or because of the way motorcycles and bikes are viewed by the public.
I have been there. People throwing things out the windows at your while riding, trying to ride you off the road. One time even had some guys stop and shove me off! Humans are humans whether on two wheels or four. Why does life seem to be cheapened depending upon the form of transportation one takes.
Have to say though….LA drivers are some of the worse out there. I’ve been all over the country and lived in several states. Nothing compares the rage, anger and callousness of these drivers. The most vivid memory was when I first moved here from another state. Was with three children in a SUV and broadsided by fast moving car. Remember one guy driving slowly by laughing and another calling us idiots. Only one person offered help out of all the people who went by……
Road rage needs to stop! throw the book at this guy!!!