The sentencing marks the end of a case that is particularly resonant in a city where-- because of $4.75 gasoline, $15 parking, 8 m.p.h. Muni rides, and deeply rooted environmentalism-- bikes are increasingly popular.
And a lot of bike riders run red lights or roll through stops. These infractions are rarely enforced. This time somebody died because of it.
Ang was hustling to work on the morning of July 15, 2011, when he cruised through a red light at the intersection of Mission Street and the Embarcadero and collided with Dionette Cherney, a 68-year-old from Washington, D.C., visiting San Francisco with her husband. Cherney tumbled to the ground, the back of her head smacking the pavement. She died a few weeks later.
Considering that Ang's illegal action caused Cherney's death, three years probation and 500 hours community service might seem to many people -- including this paper's editor -- a lenient punishment. The victim's husband, Coke Cherney, is not one of those people. At the hearing, Cherney stated that he did not think Ang should receive jail time. Instead, he addressed the tragedy within the context of an endemic concern within the city.
"Our loss is done," he said, according to a district attorney press release. "This city has a real problem. Unless people start obeying the law or it gets enforced, more people are going to have to go through this."
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