A look at the data - Officer Involved Shootings

With the recent national news headlines concerning officer involved shootings, I decided to look at the actual data as provided by the Center for Disease Controls mortality statistics. Using their database and classification system I looked at the data from the years 1999 to 2014. The classification system is know as ICD-10. Within the ICD database. Officer Involved Fatalities (OIF) are referred to as legal interventions and include legal executions.


Given the sensitivity to racial demographics I looked at total data and that for African Americans over the 16 year period.

Here is a link to the data.

In the last 16 years the average fatalities for officer involved shootings in the United states were 360 per year. For African Americans that number was just over 94. Given that the African American population in the US is about 12% of the total we would expect about 41 fatalities per year. The actual number is over 200% of what we would expect, all things being equal.

The ICD based statistics also give numbers for legal executions. On average the execution rate in the US is about 51 per year, which includes about 17 for African Americans. Since we would expect just over 6 executions per year the rate for African Americans is about 280% more than what we would expect.


For further reference:

Trends in Mortality Due to Legal Intervention in the United States, 1979 Through 1997

Silver Creek High School cyclist killed this morning on Capitol Expressway.

RIP: Silver Creek High School
student killed
photo: dbking

Sad news this morning on the streets of San Jose. An unidentified Silver Creek High School student died at a local hospital after suffering injuries from a collision with a car while riding across Capitol Expressway in East San Jose. The crash site is two blocks from the high school and just over a quarter mile from the 101 Freeway.

Silver Creek High School Principal Adolfo Laguna in this morning's San Jose Mercury News, stated "the (student's) death is a poignant reminder of how careful motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists have to be around the school area, particularly during rush hour. We want our students to be safe."

Dangerous By Design

Yes this student's tragic death is a poignant reminder; but asking motorists, pedestrians and bicyclist to be careful as a preventive measure against these types of incidents is completely wishful thinking. This intersection is dangerous by design.

Here are some reasons that make this intersection dangerous for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

The speed limit is 45 miles per hour but given that the the proximity to the 101 freeway entrance, speeds typically can reach over 60 miles per hour.

San Jose City Council member Pierluigi Oliverio has been championing 15 mph speed limits near schools but he is limited by California state law to only two lane streets, not 10 lane expressways.  This expressway also known as" Capitol Raceway" is notorious for impromptu races among race tuned autos.

The intersection was designed to reduce congestion by increasing the speed at which autos can negotiate turns. As you can see in this photo (Google Maps), the intersections uses large radii turns creating a triangular area to place the traffic signal. This design to increase the speed of right turning cars is a safety risk to cyclists and pedestrians.

Given San Jose suburban development pattern this expressway channels a high volume of traffic to the freeway during rush hour, bringing large volumes of traffic and young students together in a dangerous mix. The school, with almost 2,500 students also creates its own commuter congestion with parents rushing to bring their students to school before heading on the freeway to go to work.

Crossing Capital Expressway subjects student, cyclists, pedestrians, and the elderly to a 200 foot crossing with no refuge or rest area in the middle of the intersection.

I am always amazed that we have been lead to believe that the suburbs are by design safe than cities. It is evident in this Wall Street Journal Blog post titled "Is Generation Y a "Game Changer" for housing?"   The article quotes a financial services consultant who recently bought a 2,500-square-foot house in south San Francisco. The 23-year old single woman mentioned that she anticipates moving to the suburbs later in life, stating, "In my 20s, I definitely want to live downtown; I like the whole high-rise, in-the-city feel,” she said. “But, definitely when I have children, I want to live in a single-family home. It’s easier for parking, transportation and it’s safer to live in the suburbs away from the city."

The community should use this tragic incident as a starting point to do something about the lack of safety so close to their children's school.

A side note: When I went to the Google aerial photo of the school a counted 9 bikes (out of a student population of 2,500) in one bike parking location; and I'm not surprised.

Update (San Jose Mercury News): The bicyclist, believed to be 16 years old, was traveling east along East Capitol Expressway around 7:35 a.m. when a white Ford F-150 pick-up going northbound on Silver Creek Road collided with him, Officer Albert Morales said. Emergency personnel performed CPR at the scene and took the injured boy to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:10 a.m.

Bike Party participant and Ultimate Frisbee enthusiast places Ghost Bike to honor fallen rider

Ghost bike for a fallen cyclist.
Charles Schaffer.
RIP

A friend of mine who will call Melanie, is an avid San Jose Bike Party rider and volunteer. She's frequently seen on the monthly ride along with the test rides beforehand. What I didn't know is that she is also a Ultimate enthusiast. This week both of those worlds will come together for here as she places a ghost bike in honor of her Ultimate teammate and fellow cyclist Charles Schaffer. (For more information on Ghost Bikes refer to this Wikipedia enty)

As I mentioned in a recent post;

While riding down Campbell avenue west of San Tomas Aquino on the evening of July 26, traffic was diverted near Kirkwood Shopping Center due to a traffic incident. At the time I did not know a bicyclist was involved. That cyclists turned out to be Charles Schaffer of Cupertino, a 56 year old valley native who was passionate about Ultimate (also know as Ultimate Frisbee).

At a San Jose Bike Party volunteer meeting last night, Melanie mentioned that she is just about finished putting the bike together along with a memorial plaque in honor of Charles.

In honor of Charles, this months San Jose Bike Party ride is planning to pass slowly and silently by the bike in a quiet rolling memorial. Riders may leave candles, notes, flowers, etc. at the scene to remember this fallen cyclist.


View Larger Map

Roadside memorial brings back memories.

Four year memorial for
Maria Acosta DeReyes

While cycling down Santa Clara Street yesterday, I noticed this makeshift memorial at the south-east corner of 7th St. and Santa Clara St. in downtown San Jose. I instantly recognized the corner as one that was the site of a hit and run incident several years ago.

Just after deciding to go car free, friends and family would mention to me how dangerous it is to ride a bike so I started a Google Map highlighting accidents that would appear in the local newspaper.

We often read in the newspaper about the homocide rate. If you go to the San Jose Police Department's website you can even map crime statistics. But you will never see a map that shows fatality and casualty rates, property damage amounts, or the number of hit and run crimes. They seem to be hidden from most city websites.

This was an article I scrapped from a news article at the time;

Woman, 69, killed in hit-and-run crash in downtown San Jose

San Jose police are looking for the driver of a gray or blue sport utility vehicle who fled after striking and killing a woman Saturday morning on East Santa Clara Street at Seventh Street.
Maria Dolores Acosta Dereyes, 69, of San Jose was walking northbound on South Seventh Street when she was struck while crossing East Santa Clara, officer Enrique Garcia said. Witnesses told police she was in the crosswalk when she was hit. She was declared dead at the scene.
The SUV, driven by a man in his 30s or 40s, had been traveling southbound on North Seventh Street and was making a left turn onto East Santa Clara. It did not stop after striking the woman, and was last seen traveling south on South Eighth Street. The car probably had damage to its front end, police said.

At the time I was never able to determine if the hit and run driver had been caught. Do you have any information on this crime. Your help would be appreciated. 

Rest in Peace, Maria.

(The map contains as many accidents resulting in a fatalities that I could track in the Silicon Valley in 2008. Feel free to scroll around the map.)


View 2008 Fatal Vehicular Accidents in South San Francisco Bay in a larger map

Blast from the Past - Thinking of the Current Transportation System as a Health and Safety Issue

This was originally posted on my sister blog - One Less Car in the Silcon Valley. I am reposting here due to the recent increase in pedestrian and cyclists casualties. I hope to have more updates and comments later. Notice the links to fatal Silicon Valley accidents at the bottom of the post. I used to geo-track these statistics to get a sense the most dangerous Silicon Valley roadways.

All I know is that first you've got to get mad.

You've got to say, 
"I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!" 


Three vehicular events in the Silicon Valley area this weekend highlight the fact that we are all subject to property damage, trauma, critical injury and even death from vehicles.  With this weekends death of a solo driver in Los Altos, a hit and run pedestrian accident in downtown San Jose, and a hit and run accident involving two cyclists, we need to stop and seriously consider the pain and suffering these events cause.

I am acquainted with Ashley (Ashleigh), through work and we share several mutual friends.  Ashley was riding with her boyfriend  this weekend when she was struck by a car that drove into the bike lane.  As I have written before, death and injury has visited family members, a favored author (David Hallberstam's tragic death near the Dumbarton Bridge), three high school friends, a college friend, and bike riding buddies.  Many years ago, while riding my bike, I witnessed a accident victim's final seconds as the blood from his head flowed onto the asphalt, on that early spring morning.  I was stunned and helpless.  Unable to move the truck that had just slammed his head to the ground and was now pinning his body to the roadway, all  I remember was the color of  his face, and how it seemed to change color the more his blood drained from his motionless head.

Several years after witnessing speeding and erratic behavior by a driver on a southbound San Diego Freeway, I came upon the prostrate body of the driver in the middle lane; motionless as we drove by, suddenly making the connection that the driver had met his end in his own horrific way.

With almost two years of a car free lifestyle under my belt, people often ask me; "isn't bike riding dangerous?  I'm to afraid to ride my bike.  I think I'll just go to a spin class instead."  First, bikes can be dangerous, but not many people fail to consider the large number of car accidents every year; whether classified as solo vehicular accidents, alcohol related accidents, accidents due to youth and inexperience, or just sheer and utter stupidity.  We seem to just accept, "as if that's the way it's supposed to be.   

"We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, "Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone." 

Ask anyone who rides or walks and they will tell you horror stories of the streets.  Freeing yourself from the cocoon of your car you notice more.  In the two years since my own accident, I have witnessed four accidents involving a car running a red light ( myself  a victem as well).  Of those four, I was the first responder on three of them.  One involved a person trying to flee the scene.  Six victims required medical attention.

 In the two years since giving up my car in favor of a lifestyle involving cycling, walking and public transportation as a means of mobility, I have kept tract of most of the accidents involving cars, whether solo, with other cars, with bicycles, or pedestrians.  Also motorcycle accidents; which seem almost to be predictable in rider age and accident location are document.

We strikes me and also troubles me the most however is the continued increase in hit and run accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists.  I have read somewhere that it may approach 50%.  That would be one out of two accidents involve a vehicle leaving the scene; an absolute disgrace on any measure of moral, ethic, or civic responsibility.

Anyway here are three Google Maps so far that I have put together.
(Blue - Vehicle, Red - Pedestrian, Yellow - Motorcycle, Green - Cyclists) Dot in the marker represents a fatality.

2007

2008

2009

This was not an accident! - Crash Kills Mom, Uncle, One Twin Son, other Twin on Life Support

We are so used to seeing those two words Traffic Accident.  But many times the incident cannot be described as an accident.  Trees falling in the roadway striking a car; that's an accident.  Deer enters the roadway causing a car to loose control; that's an accident.  But the Modesto Bee calls it an accident.

The solo vehicle accident claimed the lives of two of the Terras' adopted children, David, 20, and Sara, 23. Sara Terra's 3-year-old identical twin boys, Jason and Jessie Woodson, were critically injured. One later died.

Here are some reasons it doesn't warrant the term "traffic accident"

1. The car was travelling at a high rate of speed.
   
2. The car was seen to be weaving in and out of traffic.
   
3. The 3 year old twins were not placed in car seats.
   
4. The twins were not restrained in any manner.
   
5. The driver was driving on a suspended license.
   
6. The driver was described as smelling of alcohol (toxicology tests pending).
   
7. The driver was driving on one the most dangerous days of the year (Memorial Day Holiday).
   
8. The driver was driving at one of the most dangerous times of the day (or night).
   

With all of these risks; most of which were obvious to the mother, why did Sara Marie Terra allow her and her family to be driven in such a risky situation.  Three lives lost with one twin unlikely to make it of of life support; this shouldn't have happened.

Gone in an Instant: Modesto family devastated by Oakland wreck- Modesto Bee

Three Year Old Has No Brain Activity - SJ Mercury News 5-27-2009

In Memory of Paul Benabides, 20

In was only just over a week ago, Saturday, that Paul Benabides was killed in a car "accident" near my house. This morning I went to go find any evidence, of the spot where he was tragically killed. I though I might spots flyers, posters, flowers, or candles. Since the newspaper report listed only Lois Ave., which runs North/South for about a mile, I peddled through the neiborhood slowly trying to find something that would remind neigbors ofthe tragic incident.

Peddling at a slow 5 mph I found no evidence of any accident.

Paul Benabides RIP

August 10, 1988 - May 15, 2009

Tragedy in the South San Francisco Bay This Weekend.

This weekend the Bay Area lost two 16 year olds to tragic traffic accidents this weekend; one in Union City and One in Half Moon Bay. Not only is the coincidence of the events striking, but the young age that they were taken from us should not go unnoticed.

Juan Rodelas Jr . was killed and his passenger was injured after Rodelas lost control of his speeding Corvette on Central Avenue in Union City.

An unidentified 16 year old male was struck by a car while crossing Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay just before midnight on Friday (Google Maps ).


View 2009 Fatal Vehicular Accidents in South San Franciso Bay in a larger map

Santa Clara County Sheriff Pleads Guilty in the Death of Two Cyclists

Sentencing Set for June 25

Deputy James "Tommy" Council pleaded guilty yesterday (May 8, 2009) in the deaths of two local cyclists Matt Peterson and Kristianna Gough. 

Thinking of the Current Transportation System as a Health and Safety Issue

All I know is that first you've got to get mad.

You've got to say, 
"I'm a HUMAN BEING, Goddamnit! My life has VALUE!" 


Three vehicular events in the Silicon Valley area this weekend highlight the fact that we are all subject to property damage, trauma, critical injury and even death from vehicles.  With this weekends death of a solo driver in Los Altos, a hit and run pedestrian accident in downtown San Jose, and a hit and run accident involving two cyclists, we need to stop and seriously consider the pain and suffering these events cause.

I am acquainted with Ashley (Ashleigh), through work and we share several mutual friends.  Ashley was riding with her boyfriend  this weekend when she was struck by a car that drove into the bike lane.  As I have written before, death and injury has visited family members, a favored author (David Hallberstam's tragic death near the Dumbarton Bridge), three high school friends, a college friend, and bike riding buddies.  Many years ago, while riding my bike, I witnessed a accident victim's final seconds as the blood from his head flowed onto the asphalt, on that early spring morning.  I was stunned and helpless.  Unable to move the truck that had just slammed his head to the ground and was now pinning his body to the roadway, all  I remember was the color of  his face, and how it seemed to change color the more his blood drained from his motionless head.

Several years after witnessing speeding and erratic behavior by a driver on a southbound San Diego Freeway, I came upon the prostrate body of the driver in the middle lane; motionless as we drove by, suddenly making the connection that the driver had met his end in his own horrific way.

With almost two years of a car free lifestyle under my belt, people often ask me; "isn't bike riding dangerous?  I'm to afraid to ride my bike.  I think I'll just go to a spin class instead."  First, bikes can be dangerous, but not many people fail to consider the large number of car accidents every year; whether classified as solo vehicular accidents, alcohol related accidents, accidents due to youth and inexperience, or just sheer and utter stupidity.  We seem to just accept, "as if that's the way it's supposed to be.   

"We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, "Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone." 

Ask anyone who rides or walks and they will tell you horror stories of the streets.  Freeing yourself from the cocoon of your car you notice more.  In the two years since my own accident, I have witnessed four accidents involving a car running a red light ( myself  a victem as well).  Of those four, I was the first responder on three of them.  One involved a person trying to flee the scene.  Six victims required medical attention.  

 In the two years since giving up my car in favor of a lifestyle involving cycling, walking and public transportation as a means of mobility, I have kept tract of most of the accidents involving cars, whether solo, with other cars, with bicycles, or pedestrians.  Also motorcycle accidents; which seem almost to be predictable in rider age and accident location are document.

We strikes me and also troubles me the most however is the continued increase in hit and run accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists.  I have read somewhere that it may approach 50%.  That would be one out of two accidents involve a vehicle leaving the scene; an absolute disgrace on any measure of moral, ethic, or civic responsibility.

Anyway here are three Google Maps so far that I have put together.
(Blue - Vehicle, Red - Pedestrian, Yellow - Motorcycle, Green - Cyclists) Dot in the marker represents a fatality.

2007

2008 

2009

A Sad, Sad Start to the New Year

Traffic Fatalities continue to plague San Jose City and Santa Clara County. With the sad death of Hsien Tsun Wan, 77, only ten days have passed into the new year with a road fatality victim each represented by a pedestrian, cyclist, auto passenger and driver. There has also been a fatality during the first 10 days which died after being struck by a VTA light rail train.

Now with six road fatalities by the first half of the first month; at this rate the county could possibly reach 150 fatalities by the end of the year far eclipsing 97 road fatalities in 2007. Somehow when we state that We are America's safest big city, we never seem to mention traffic deaths or injuries.

San Jose - America's Safest Big City?

San Jose sells itself and its image as the County's safest large city; or at least it did. But in annual statistics published this morning proves otherwise. 37% of all traffic fatalities in San Jose were pedestrians.

Santa Clara County Roadway Deaths
Year	SC County	San Jose Total	San Jose Pedestrians*
2007	97	42	15
2006	91	24	9

* On San Jose city streets and expressways
Statistics: San Jose Mercury News
Photo:www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

2008 RIP

January
1. January 2 - Jennifer Ann Drummond, 35, of Campbell , E. Dunne & Highway 101, Morgan Hill.
2. January 4, Randy Walke, 50
3. January 9 Estella Bacong, 50 Pedestrian, Capitol Expressway and Quimby Rd.
4. January 10 - Jessica Stephens, 16, Auto Passanger, Hamilton Ave. and San Thomas.
5. January 10 - Hsien Tsun Wan, 77, Bicyclist Saratoga Sunnyvale Road near Prospect Ave., San Jose
6. January 11 - Harold Curler, 42, Auto Driver, Shannon Rd. near Kennedy, San Jose



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