Darell Provencher
Team Rose City's Eric Kautzky lost his life tragically last year on
Saturday, June 18, 2005, when hit by an 18-yr old driver while out on a
training ride on Tualatin-Sherwood Road. Just this past Wednesday the
accused motorist was found guilty and sentenced to 17 months in prison for
negligent homicide. Eric was 56. (see Oregonian article dated April 5, 2006
below)
Drew Carney from Channel 12 FOX TV is interested in covering our May 13th
track race on Friday, May 12 , live during the Good Day Oregon Show that
airs 5am - 9am. What we need to confirm coverage are enough volunteer track
racers willing to come out EARLY that Friday morning (6-8 am) and ride the
track while Drew reports. We may also be able to mount a mini-cam on a fork
to give viewers a real sense of what it's like. We would also most likely
have Eric's son Chris talk, as well as hopefully a representative of the
Bicycle Transportation Alliance to discuss their recent plans for improving
bicycling safety in the Portland metro area.
Let me know asap if you are interested. I figure if we can get a minimum of
10 riders we can get Drew to come out and report.
Thanks,
Darell Provencher
Team Rose City
http://www.obra.org/track/flyers/2006/eric_kautzky_track_race.html
For some very useful information about ongoing BTA plans for bike safety:
http://bikeportland.org/2005/08/08/bta-responds-to-cyclist-deaths/
Driver, 19, pleads guilty in bicyclist's death
Negligent homicide - Joel Flores is sentenced to 17 months for hitting a
retired Tigard teacher
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
HOLLY DANKS
The Oregonian
HILLSBORO -- A 19-year-old Washington man who fell asleep driving to work
after a night of partying and veered into a bicyclist pleaded guilty Tuesday
to criminally negligent homicide.
Thomas W. Kohl, Washington County presiding judge, sentenced Joel Brigido
Flores to 17 months in prison in the death of Eric Kautzky, a retired Tigard
High School teacher. Before a plea deal, Flores had been charged with
second-degree manslaughter, punishable by a mandatory minimum of six years
and three months in prison.
During an emotional hearing, Kautzky's family said a good man is dead, and
Flores' friends and family said a good kid is going to prison. Flores, who
nearly committed suicide over the incident, said no good can come of it
except his pledge to try to spare others such pain.
"I am not standing before you today to ask forgiveness because in my heart,
I can never forgive myself," Flores said, turning to look at Kautzky's wife,
son and sister.
Falling asleep "is not an excuse," Deborah Branderhorst, Kautzky's younger
sister, told Flores. "This could have been avoided if you chose not to
drive. You chose to stay out and party. . . . You took a killing machine and
ran over him."
"He is dead, and I feel dead inside," she said.
Flores apologized to the family and said that what occurred about 6:30 a.m.
June 18, 2005, made him look at how he can change his thinking and that of
others.
"I will speak to high school, middle school, driver's ed classes, anybody
who will listen about this tragedy and how I have to live with it the rest
of my life," he said.
Flores, 18 at the time, went out on a Friday night with friends and got
about three hours' sleep before heading out from Vancouver to a construction
job in Sherwood.
Witnesses said he was driving erratically, weaving on Southwest
Tualatin-Sherwood Road at about 40 mph. He drifted into the bicycle lane,
where his car struck Kautzky from behind, throwing the 56-year-old onto the
hood and windshield. Kautzky, whose dream was to ride part of the Tour de
France route, was wearing a helmet.
Sean Lemoine, Washington County deputy district attorney, said Flores' car
continued onto the sidewalk, back onto the roadway and through an
intersection before a driver stopped him.
Police found no drugs or alcohol in his system. But he told them he was "the
most tired he'd ever been in his life," Lemoine said.
About 800 people, including family, friends and former students, attended
Kautzky's funeral, his wife, Lorna, said Tuesday. He was a science teacher
and athletic trainer at Tigard High for 24 years.
"He was a mentor to hundreds and a role model to all," Lorna Kautzky said,
recalling his caring nature.
"We were supposed to grow old together."
Holly Danks: 503-221-4377; hollydanks@news.oregonian.com