[dc-critmass-list] Road Rage Killing of Bicyclist

[Noel Petrie]

Driver sentenced for 45 years in Chicago road rage case

A 31 year old Chicago man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for
killing 26 year old bicycle messenger Thomas McBride in 1999. Late last
year </results/2001/dec01/dec06news.php>, Carnell Fitzpatrick was found
guilty of first degree murder after a jury deliberated for 16 hours over
the case. He was considered for reckless homicide, a lighter charge than
first degree murder, however the court eventually rejected the former
after the killing was deemed to be deliberate. 

Thomas McBride was killed on April 26, 1999, after being run over by
Fitzpatrick in the 5300 block of West Washington Boulevard. The incident
followed an earlier altercation between McBride and Fitzpatrick a few
blocks away, where McBride had rapped on Fitzpatrick's Chevy Tahoe and
abused him after being pushed close to the kerb. Fitzpatrick then
followed McBride and bumped him, running him over. He then drove his car
into a nearby alley to disentangle McBride's bike before driving home. 
McBride died from the accident and Fitzpatrick later turned himself into
the police. The subsequent trial was the first in which a motorist had
been accused of killing a cyclist in a case of road rage. Eyewitness
reports established the deliberate nature of the killing, forcing the
jury to vote in favour of first degree murder instead of reckless
homicide. 

The 45 year sentence was handed down today by Cook County Circuit Judge
Kenneth Wadas, who said that Fitzpatrick's act was "as intentional as it
gets." 


McBride's parents Robert and Ellen said that they felt justice had been
done, while Fitzpatrick submitted a brief statement of apology: "I never
had the intention to hurt or kill Tom. I'm sorry to the McBride family."

The judge was asked by Assistant State's Attorney Lynda Peters to impose
a heavy sentence on Fitzpatrick in order to deter others from committing
similar acts of road rage