Wellesy, MA:     The tragic death of Alex Motsenigos in August, 2012 has highlighted the impact which anti-cyclist bias can have in legal proceedings.  The 41 year old Motsenigos was reportedly on a ride training for a triathlon when he was struck and killed by a tractor trailer.  The crash was captured on video, in which Motsenigos could clearly be seen entering and clearing the intersection before the tractor trailer executed a left turn onto the road Motsenigos was traveling on.  The truck driver struck him seconds later and proceeded to leave the scene.

Despite what appeared to be very strong evidence and damning reports from the police, a grand jury decided not to indict the truck’s driver, Dana McCoomb, on criminal charges; a fact which generated a great deal of anger and cynicism in the community and amongst cyclists nationwide.  Motor Vehicle Department records reportedly show that McCoomb had been cited for 26 moving violations since 1982, including 11 citations for speeding and 7 surchargeable accidents.  Two of those accidents occurred in the 12 months preceding the fatal collision.

The Motsenigos family has recently filed a wrongful death suit against McCoomb and his employer, alleging that McCoomb’s record demonstrated that he was an “extremely dangerous driver who should not have been behind the wheel of a truck”.