While driving through traffic in Los Angeles, it's possible that you can be very frustrated and want to hurt somebody. But luckily you probably have the willpower to rise above the rage.
An emergency room doctor at Beverly Hospital in Montebello started his sentence on December 3, where he will face the next 10 years in prison, and it's all because he couldn't manage his own anger on the road.
Dr. Christopher Thompson, 60, was found guilty of six felonies and a misdemeanor, when he was convicted of charges including battery causing serious injury, reckless driving and mayhem after he intentionally injured two cyclists with his car in Mandeville Canyon.
Thompson's three week long trial was held earlier last month, where cyclists around the country cheered after his conviction. The Los Angeles Times reported that his incident on July 4, 2008 involved USC cycling coach Ron Peterson and biker Christian Stoehr. While driving in Mandeville Canyon, Thompson was angry with the cyclists for riding side-by-side rather than in single file. He yelled at the two men and abruptly stopped in front of them, causing Peterson to break his two front teeth and nose when he collided with Thompson's vehicle. Stoehr also suffered from a shoulder injury.
Thompson's criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles, Peter Swarth, argued that Thompson stopped directly in front of the two bikers in order to take a picture of them and that their injuries were a complete accident.
- Physician accused of injuring bicyclists (Los Angeles Times)
- Cyclists and motorists on collision course (Los Angeles Times)
- About Reckless Driving (FindLaw)
- Battery Basics (FindLaw)
