REPORT: Politician known for harsh motorist laws arrested in brutal hit-and-run death
Former Ontario, Canada Attorney General Michael Bryant made a name for himself as a tough-nosed lawmaker that took a hard line against street racing. Among Bryant's hard stance anti-racer policies was a law that gave the police the right to crush any car that was modified for racing – even if the vehicle had no complaints against it. If a report from The New York Times is true, Mr. Bryant could ironically spend the rest of his life behind bars for a brutal hit-and-run accident involving a bicyclist. The incident reportedly began as a minor event and quickly escalated. Bryant allegedly brushed the bicyclist while he was driving, who then held on to the driver's side door of his black Saab convertible. Witnesses told a local Canadian television station that Bryant was heard swearing and swerving in an apparent attempt to shake the biker from his door. Bystanders told police that Bryant was driving on the sidewalk near lamp posts at a high rate of speed, in an apparent attempt to knock the biker off.
The incident ended with the bicyclist, Darcy Allen Sheppard, striking a mailbox. Sheppard later died due to injuries sustained from the accident. According to the NYT, Bryant went to a nearby hotel after the incident where he was later arrested for what appears to be a most heinous hit-and-run incident. It looks like Bryant was right when he said that cars could be as dangerous as explosives...
[Source: The New York Times | Image: Wikipedia via cc 2.0]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
John H. 7:03PM (9/10/2009)
I hope they give that SOB the chair.
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Silly Pickle 7:06PM (9/10/2009)
We don't have the chair in Canada. He's a politician...he'll get a 2 week suspension and be back in The House before Christmas. Making more dumb laws.
Azael 7:51PM (9/10/2009)
They should crush his car with him in it. Truly despicable...
commander 10:21PM (9/10/2009)
Try reading some of the local articles about the incident. The NYT article did tell the full story. I am even more disappointed at how little Autoblog did to investigate before posting this misinformed post.
I would be outraged if this is all I knew about the incident as well. It doesn't mention he went to the safety of the hotel parking lot and called 911. It didn't mention the courier was drunk in the back of squad car hours earlier after a domestic disturbance call. It didn't mention that the courier slammed his bag on the hood of the car before grabbing on to the mirror/and or driver/steering wheel. It didn't mention that the courier had the option to let go.
None of the local media have mentioned that last year or the year before a driver in Toronto was stabbed repeatedly in the face and throat after a "minor event" with a courier.
@Silly Pickle - he was out of politics when this happened and wouldn't be making any laws anyway.
g00fba11 10:48PM (9/10/2009)
@commander: you forgot to mention that plenty of news source also quoted police claiming the courier was not drunk, and Bryant, rather, may have had a drink or two (of course, it's been hours until police got to him).
Has it occurred to you that the courier may have been frozen by fear, and it'd have been easier for Bryant to hit the brakes?
kfj 10:57PM (9/10/2009)
commander:
So its ok if the person had a bad night before they got killed in a hit and run? leaving the scene of a crime doesnt make it ok if he called 911 later on.
Matt 8:23AM (9/11/2009)
@Commander.
Thank you. I was hoping when I came into the comments that someone was informed.Here are 70+ people who have no idea what they're talking about, saying someone should rot in jail, be killed, is a hypocrite.
Forget due dilligence, forget innocent until proven guilty. I seriously hope a crazed biker latches onto you all. Then I'll come on here and call you a callous murderer and call for your death.
This is not a hit and run. He called police. He reported the accident. Several eye-witnesses reported that the bicyclist had either the steering wheel or Michael Bryant's neck. The driver was not drunk. The cyclist had a history of beligerence. The car was a convertible, and the driver's wife was inside. Pretty much ALL of the press is saying that this is not as it first seems.
I'm sure all of you would have calmly pulled over when threatened by this guy who is physically assaulting you and putting your life in danger. While driving your convertible.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ACCOUNTS OF WHAT HAPPENED. READ ANY ONE OF THEM AND MAYBE HOLD OFF YOUR RIDICULOUS JUDGEMENTS UNTIL DUE PROCESS TAKES PLACE.
Matt 9:06AM (9/11/2009)
And for the record, the "leaving the scene of an accident" you all claim for was driving an additional 10 Meters down the road, making a right turn and an immediate left into a hotel parking lot to call police.
Hmmm... Maybe that's why he hasn't been charged with leaving the scene. Except by The Autoblog DA that is.
The official charge is criminal negligence causing death.
Rocketboy 8:46AM (9/11/2009)
Anyone on a bicycle who latches onto a car should know that they are VERY apt to die. Doubly so when it's done out of aggression. I'm very willing to believe that the there's a lot more to the story than Autoblog's summary of New York Time's summary.
It's just not normal behavior to attack someone like that, and it IS normal behavior to try to injure someone when there's threat of harm. The man on the bike could have easily let go. If he had done so, nobody would have panicked, and nobody would have died.
(And yes, I am a cyclist, and I do ride my bike to work. I also firmly believe that Mass Effect only exists to antagonize, making the situation worse.)
akboss302 8:59AM (9/11/2009)
The details of this film-type chase scene are assumptions at best. Here's a clip from the Toronto Star, a publication that is more home to the situation that the NYT.
"What seems apparent is that in the hours leading up to it Bryant did lots that was good and proper. So, too, in the confrontation. He probably hasn't walked away from many fights. But that night, by all accounts, he tried to disengage. It's worth remembering that Bryant is a boxer. Whatever his impulse and inclination, he opted out of the bout. The other party didn't."
~ The Toronto Star, Jim Coyle.
Kenjis9965 9:29AM (9/11/2009)
I dont know, around here most of the bicyclists are idiots who ride their bikes down the middle of the street in the path of cars, then bitch when they get hit when they're riding down the middle of a 30mph street, dont pay attention, dont signal or otherwise indicate intent and suddenly come swerving over into the middle of a traffic lane and end up getting hit by someone who likely couldnt have stopped their car in time :/
Then the person who hit them is -instantly- guilty because its a bicycle vs a car, You frankly have little chance to survive
Polly Prissy Pants 9:38AM (9/11/2009)
As with so many road rage incidents like this, everybody has to be a Big Man, puff out their chest and show you what for. Too bad we can't go back and ask the bicyclist "Was it worth it?" Hard to sympathize with any moron who willfully latches on to a moving vehicle and then has something bad happen to him when he just as easily could have let it all go and move on with life.
Cornelius 10:40AM (9/11/2009)
@Rocketboy
Don't you mean "Critical Mass", not Mass Effect (good game, btw)?
Rocketboy 1:19PM (9/11/2009)
Doh! I fully support Mass Effect, but not Critical Mass.
Frank 2:21AM (9/12/2009)
I gues hypocrisy in politicians has gone multinational along with everything else. I thought this magnitude of false character was unique to the US. Somehow, no longer being alone in that regard doesn't make me feel any better.
RSR 2:29PM (9/12/2009)
We're all just quoting different news outlets to make our points, but until what really happened becomes more clear from investigations, it'd be best to wait. Reporters aren't judges.
Paul 11:51AM (9/14/2009)
All you people that are defending him - why didnt he just STOP then floor it??? The biker would have lost his grip in a split second and ended up with some nasty road rash, but not much worse.
It sounds like both parties made terrible judgement calls that resulted in the death of one of them. In the states this would likely be Manslaughter 2 or there abouts and he would serve a few years.
Just because the deceased was an asshat does not mean the living is free of responsibility.
Kevin 7:05PM (9/10/2009)
Can anyone spell irony?
What a douche bag... Stuff like this pisses me off.
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Grammer 7:42PM (9/10/2009)
I-R-O-N-E-E
Kiiks 9:47AM (9/11/2009)
Maybe a good deal of misplaced aggression is directed towards Bryant in light of his recent crime, but he should still be put way for life for his crimes against cardom and automobile enthusiasts in Canada.