In March of 2010 a dump truck driver in Phoenix Arizona plowed into the back of a group of motorcyclists stopped at an intersection. 4 of the riders were killed. 6 others were injured. Lucky, a blogger in Phoenix, posted about it here. Depending upon your view of justice, it was served in November of 2012.
According to the AMA, the driver has been sentenced to 26 years in prison. Michael Jakscht was sentenced on November 26, 2012 after being convicted on several counts in a crash at a Phoenix stoplight in 2010. Following a trial in the summer of 2012, he was found guilty of four counts of manslaughter, five counts of aggrevated assault and four counts of endangerment. Jakscht was allegedly under the influence of methamphetamine when he plowed into a group of motorcyclists stopped at a traffic signal.
The sentence does nothing to make up for the lives ended, the pain of loss, and the agony of injury and recovery. It is good, though, to see the driver held accountable and facing a long prison term. It seems too many drivers have faced little to no consequences for actions that resulted in severely injuring and / or killing riders.
Please be careful out there. Be vigilant. Keep your mental and physical skills sharp. It seems we need these skills more and more as time goes on. Enjoy the ride but don't let your guard down.
Dan