Bicyclist kills pedestrian in San Francisco...

cabin111
on 11/23/11 2:34 pm

Bicyclist pleads not guilty in S.F. death

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(11-23) 14:45 PST SAN FRANCISCO -- A bicyclist who allegedly ran a red light and struck and killed a pedestrian along San Francisco's waterfront pleaded not guilty today to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

Prosecutors asked that Randolph Ang, 23, be held on $15,000 bail. But Superior Court Judge Donna Little released him on his own recognizance on the grounds he was not a flight risk, said Stephanie Ong Stillman, a spokeswoman for the district attorney.

Ang was riding north on the Embarcadero at about 8:30 a.m. July 15 when he hit Dionette Cherney, 68, who was crossing Mission Street. Ang remained on scene, spoke to police and apologized profusely to Cherney's husband, who was with his wife when she was struck in a crosswalk, said defense attorney Tony Brass.

Cherney, who was visiting from Washington, D.C., died of head injuries at a hospital Aug. 11.

Ang was charged with only a misdemeanor because investigators concluded he had not collided with Cherney purposely or with gross negligence.

"This case just really highlights the need for everyone to obey traffic laws, whether you're a pedestrian, a motorist or a bicyclist," Stillman said. "We really need to be mindful of our surroundings so incidents like this can be prevented."

Brass said Ang graduated from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and had just moved to San Francisco for a job as an assistant media planner for a company South of Market.

"He was just a guy on his bike trying to get to work on time," Brass said. "It's a very sad case."

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