Driver Pulls Gun on Cyclists This Morning
- Thread starter ciclismo
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That line from a few good men by Jack "You can't handle the truth"....I love that line...and it is so true...some people can't handle the truth....but I think everyone deserves nothing less than the truth
the truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.-Gloria Steinem
Grayt siggy line!
I read yesterday's article in the Defuniak/Breeze, and was surprised to learn that a SoWaller found the orange truck, the driver admitted that he's an @sshole (my interpretation), and that he was driving WITHOUT HAVING A LICENSE.
Here guys.......
Cyclists accosted by motorist
By LEAH STRATMANN
Due to quick thinking on the part of a cyclist and community involvement, a motorist who waved a gun at early morning cyclists has been identified and a complaint again him sworn out.
On Sunday, Aug. 10, Craig Baronowski and his cycling team, wearing team shirts as they do every morning, were traveling west at 6:30 in the morning. According to a post Baronowski made on SoWal.com, here is what happened:
“This morning at 6:30 am I was riding my bike with three friends down 30-a heading west. There were absolutely no cars on the road and we were passing through WaterSound where they have the medians in the middle of the road. A mid-sized pick-up truck honked and then violently swerved around us passing us very closely. My friend gestured for the driver to come back and talk with us. There was no reason for his aggression so early in the morning. The driver of the metallic orange pickup truck hit his breaks [sic] and pulled a black handgun out of his driver’s side window and started waving it at us. He then sped away.
“I immediately called 911 and we met with two very nice Walton County Police Officers and filed a complaint. The officers were very nice and took the situation very serious and said they have all officers in the area looking for the car. "If anyone sees a mid-sized metallic orange pickup truck with a male driver, please notify the police. "In all of my years riding I have been yelled at, honked at, spit at, had things thrown at me, been run off the road into a ditch, been intentionally hit with a car's mirror, had a Harley sneak up on me and rev his engine to scare me and then laugh at me, two weeks ago had a driver laugh and cheer when we had a cyclist crash...but I have NEVER EVER had a gun pulled on me for riding a bicycle on a Sunday morning. "I am from the west coast and still learning about Southern culture. I am still trying to figure out this whole aggression thing towards cyclists...but I am sure this was not a friendly southern gesture.”
After this was posted, an alert citizen spotted the truck at the driver’s home and called sheriff’s deputies. Baronowski said the deputies went to the home and the driver admitted to the incident. The deputies told Baronowki the driver “showed no remorse” whatever over the incident, saying the cyclists had no business on the road.
“When the incident happened it was less than one-eighth of a mile from his house. There was no one on the road and he lit out that fast from his home. He literally pulled out into the street and we were there and he freaked out. I sponsor a cycling team and we ride respectfully. We are not just random tourists and we are out there every day in our uniforms,” Baronowski said.
“We will press charges. We were in our team uniforms and we ride that road every morning. If he had been the least bit remorseful, I might have let it go, but this guy needs to have his gun taken away,” Baronowski said.
The affidavits have been filed and local law enforcement is waiting to find out whether or not the state’s attorney will file charges. According to Lt. Derral Skinner of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, it may be late this week before local officials know about the next step. The driver was driving with a suspended license and Baronowski said deputies told him waving the gun and general aggression constituted assault.
Cyclists in the county have long complained about the failure of motorists to share the road, and ignorance of the law is rampant. After posting his comment on the SoWal Website, the following response was posted, by someone using the handle FLORIDAGIRL.
“I suspect he thought you were shooting him a bird. Not a friendly move. This is an unincorporated area; people can carry weapons if they want. Secondly, the county went to a lot of trouble building a "BIKE PATH" for the tourists that like to ride bikes. Most native Walton countians don't ride bikes, too many miles just to get anywhere. Most vehicles that drive on highways have to be street legal, ie, lights and the ability to drive the speed limit. Highway 30A is a narrow road without any shoulder, and riding a bicycle in the middle of the highway is dangerous, inconsiderate, and very irritating. When I see a cyclist in the middle of the road, I think, why did the county put in a bike path? What, do they think they own the road? They have to [sic] much leisure time on there [sic] hands! And when they don't move out of the way, they have just made a statement that they don't care about anyone else on the highway, or where the vehicles have to go. They are on vacation, and to heck with the rest of the world!”
Citizens in south Walton County identified the writer of the above post as Adrienne Walline Campbell, a fact she confirmed Aug. 19 at a meeting of the South Walton Mosquito Control District. Campbell is a candidate for the board seat currently held by Jim Crawford.
The path referred to is a multi-use path and not just a bicycle path. The path, named the Timpoochee Trail, has long been a source of consternation to users. Many impediments exist making it difficult for anyone to use the path. Development along CR-30A has created subdivisions which motorists must block to view traffic and exit neighborhoods. See sidebar and photos.
Also........
Bike Safety Sidebar
Dan McClary, a member of the Friends of Timpoochee Trail and an avid cyclist, has identified the following key points regarding safe cycling in Walton County.
“The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and public works has failed to:
"Remove unsafe and illegal parking spaces adjoining the path and located in the in the right-of-way (ROW) (Lily Pads, Easter Lake Landscaping).*Vehicles block sight lines, park on the path, and make travel unsafe.
"Remove real estate signs, garbage bins, dumpsters and other fixed objects in the ROW and adjacent to the path that hinder visibility and make the path less safe.
"Prevent business owners from parking their vehicles on the path.*
"Deploy the safety signs we requested in March 2006.* For example, we believed Commissioner Meadows in May 2008 when she told us the project would be finished by August 2008.*But we have not seen any work on the sign foundations since then.
"Properly maintain the path and routinely remove sand, gravel and other debris from the path.
"Stripe crosswalks at intersections and development entrances as promised as part of the signage project.
"Properly clear sight triangles as promised this spring.**
“The BCC released a 'draft ordinance' that is ill conceived and unenforceable.*It would require cyclists traveling more than 8 mph to ride on the road yet allow motorized vehicles used for 'maintenance' to use the path.* I guess they are choosing to ignore the recently approved xeriscape ordinance which requires drought-tolerant plants.* The county is telling us that plants are more important than people when it comes to the path.”
*
Cyclists accosted by motorist
By LEAH STRATMANN
Due to quick thinking on the part of a cyclist and community involvement, a motorist who waved a gun at early morning cyclists has been identified and a complaint again him sworn out.
On Sunday, Aug. 10, Craig Baronowski and his cycling team, wearing team shirts as they do every morning, were traveling west at 6:30 in the morning. According to a post Baronowski made on SoWal.com, here is what happened:
“This morning at 6:30 am I was riding my bike with three friends down 30-a heading west. There were absolutely no cars on the road and we were passing through WaterSound where they have the medians in the middle of the road. A mid-sized pick-up truck honked and then violently swerved around us passing us very closely. My friend gestured for the driver to come back and talk with us. There was no reason for his aggression so early in the morning. The driver of the metallic orange pickup truck hit his breaks [sic] and pulled a black handgun out of his driver’s side window and started waving it at us. He then sped away.
“I immediately called 911 and we met with two very nice Walton County Police Officers and filed a complaint. The officers were very nice and took the situation very serious and said they have all officers in the area looking for the car. "If anyone sees a mid-sized metallic orange pickup truck with a male driver, please notify the police. "In all of my years riding I have been yelled at, honked at, spit at, had things thrown at me, been run off the road into a ditch, been intentionally hit with a car's mirror, had a Harley sneak up on me and rev his engine to scare me and then laugh at me, two weeks ago had a driver laugh and cheer when we had a cyclist crash...but I have NEVER EVER had a gun pulled on me for riding a bicycle on a Sunday morning. "I am from the west coast and still learning about Southern culture. I am still trying to figure out this whole aggression thing towards cyclists...but I am sure this was not a friendly southern gesture.”
After this was posted, an alert citizen spotted the truck at the driver’s home and called sheriff’s deputies. Baronowski said the deputies went to the home and the driver admitted to the incident. The deputies told Baronowki the driver “showed no remorse” whatever over the incident, saying the cyclists had no business on the road.
“When the incident happened it was less than one-eighth of a mile from his house. There was no one on the road and he lit out that fast from his home. He literally pulled out into the street and we were there and he freaked out. I sponsor a cycling team and we ride respectfully. We are not just random tourists and we are out there every day in our uniforms,” Baronowski said.
“We will press charges. We were in our team uniforms and we ride that road every morning. If he had been the least bit remorseful, I might have let it go, but this guy needs to have his gun taken away,” Baronowski said.
The affidavits have been filed and local law enforcement is waiting to find out whether or not the state’s attorney will file charges. According to Lt. Derral Skinner of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, it may be late this week before local officials know about the next step. The driver was driving with a suspended license and Baronowski said deputies told him waving the gun and general aggression constituted assault.
Cyclists in the county have long complained about the failure of motorists to share the road, and ignorance of the law is rampant. After posting his comment on the SoWal Website, the following response was posted, by someone using the handle FLORIDAGIRL.
“I suspect he thought you were shooting him a bird. Not a friendly move. This is an unincorporated area; people can carry weapons if they want. Secondly, the county went to a lot of trouble building a "BIKE PATH" for the tourists that like to ride bikes. Most native Walton countians don't ride bikes, too many miles just to get anywhere. Most vehicles that drive on highways have to be street legal, ie, lights and the ability to drive the speed limit. Highway 30A is a narrow road without any shoulder, and riding a bicycle in the middle of the highway is dangerous, inconsiderate, and very irritating. When I see a cyclist in the middle of the road, I think, why did the county put in a bike path? What, do they think they own the road? They have to [sic] much leisure time on there [sic] hands! And when they don't move out of the way, they have just made a statement that they don't care about anyone else on the highway, or where the vehicles have to go. They are on vacation, and to heck with the rest of the world!”
Citizens in south Walton County identified the writer of the above post as Adrienne Walline Campbell, a fact she confirmed Aug. 19 at a meeting of the South Walton Mosquito Control District. Campbell is a candidate for the board seat currently held by Jim Crawford.
The path referred to is a multi-use path and not just a bicycle path. The path, named the Timpoochee Trail, has long been a source of consternation to users. Many impediments exist making it difficult for anyone to use the path. Development along CR-30A has created subdivisions which motorists must block to view traffic and exit neighborhoods. See sidebar and photos.
Also........
Bike Safety Sidebar
Dan McClary, a member of the Friends of Timpoochee Trail and an avid cyclist, has identified the following key points regarding safe cycling in Walton County.
“The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and public works has failed to:
"Remove unsafe and illegal parking spaces adjoining the path and located in the in the right-of-way (ROW) (Lily Pads, Easter Lake Landscaping).*Vehicles block sight lines, park on the path, and make travel unsafe.
"Remove real estate signs, garbage bins, dumpsters and other fixed objects in the ROW and adjacent to the path that hinder visibility and make the path less safe.
"Prevent business owners from parking their vehicles on the path.*
"Deploy the safety signs we requested in March 2006.* For example, we believed Commissioner Meadows in May 2008 when she told us the project would be finished by August 2008.*But we have not seen any work on the sign foundations since then.
"Properly maintain the path and routinely remove sand, gravel and other debris from the path.
"Stripe crosswalks at intersections and development entrances as promised as part of the signage project.
"Properly clear sight triangles as promised this spring.**
“The BCC released a 'draft ordinance' that is ill conceived and unenforceable.*It would require cyclists traveling more than 8 mph to ride on the road yet allow motorized vehicles used for 'maintenance' to use the path.* I guess they are choosing to ignore the recently approved xeriscape ordinance which requires drought-tolerant plants.* The county is telling us that plants are more important than people when it comes to the path.”
*
Wow! What a statement. At least the bicyclists had the right to be operating their vehicles on the road, unlike the driver of the orange truck.
The thing I find disappointing about the Beach Breeze article is that the guy apparantly implicated himself in "Assault with a deadly weapon" or some lesser version of that AND he was driving without a license, yet it appears that he was not arrested and that the case has been referred to the DA for a decision on whether to press charges.
Seems a little lenient to me, but I'm very uninformed about law enforcement procedure.
Seems a little lenient to me, but I'm very uninformed about law enforcement procedure.
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Does one have to keep a pistol in his lap in order to pull it out so quickly? I cannot even grab my camera fast enough to wave it when passing a bicyclists, unless of course it was pre-meditated, and I was ready just in case I saw a bicyclist.
Who, other than a sheriff, might routinely wear a holster?
So the driver stated that the cyclists have no business being on the road but he was driving with a suspended license. :roll: