The decision by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s
office to charge Rita Campos with misdemeanor vehicular
manslaughter in the death of bicyclist Bruce Finch shows the risks
we all take every day. Campos, who says she was stopped – albeit
over a limit line – at the time of the accident, was on her way to
church the morning of Oct. 5 when she arrived at the intersection
of Uvas and Little Uvas roads west of Morgan Hill.
Obstructed view helps lead to fatal bicycle accident
The decision by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office to charge Rita Campos with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the death of bicyclist Bruce Finch shows the risks we all take every day. Campos, who says she was stopped – albeit over a limit line – at the time of the accident, was on her way to church the morning of Oct. 5 when she arrived at the intersection of Uvas and Little Uvas roads west of Morgan Hill. She was facing east at the stop sign, preparing to make a northbound left turn. After stopping behind the painted white limit lines, she was unable to see any oncoming traffic due to a real estate sign and a PG&E pole, so she slowly pulled further into the intersection, Campos told reporter Michael Moore. As she was looking to the south to see if any cars were coming, she heard an impact on the left side of her car, and looked up to see Finch sliding across her hood.
How does the DA resolve the case?
The question the District Attorney has to answer is: How do you resolve the issue? The family has filed a civil suit that will play out in court. But does Campos really deserve to spend up to a year in jail? Perhaps the thing to do is to give her community service, talking to teens about the dangers of taking to the road.
And, the real estate company and PG&E need to ensure their signs and poles do not obscure views. In addition to the obscured views at Uvas and Little Uvas roads, there is an obstruction at East Main Avenue and Elm Road in unincorporated west Morgan Hill that the county needs to look at.
Bad behavior from both sides needs to be halted, and now
