The proposed “Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Memorial Act” would increase the penalty for drivers concerned in a crash involving a bike owner or scooter consumer in a motorcycle lane.
Sarah Debbink Langenkamp was killed whereas driving her bike in a motorcycle lane in Bethesda, Maryland, in August of 2022.
The driving force who struck the 42-year-old was sentenced to 150 hours of group service and given a $2,000 wonderful.
Dan Langenkamp, Sarah’s husband, remembers what the choose advised him at that sentencing: “The choose actually apologized to us, saying that there was nothing extra the regulation might do” to carry the motive force accountable.
That’s why Langenkamp went to Annapolis to induce legislators to vary the regulation. The widowed father of two advised a Senate committee, “In Maryland, for littering, you might be jailed for as much as 5 years and fined $30,000. Now, what are we saying about life while you’re simply given a $2,000 wonderful” and group service, he requested them.
Langenkamp was joined by Sen. Ariana Kelly in asking lawmakers to help SB 315, “The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Memorial Act,” that might improve the penalty for drivers who contribute to a crash involving a bike owner or scooter consumer in a motorcycle lane.
Kelly advised members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, “Our group was actually, actually shaken [by Langenkamp’s death.]”
Below the proposed invoice, the wonderful for a driver contributing to a crash involving an individual on a motorcycle or scooter would nonetheless complete as much as $2,000 however provides a attainable jail sentence of as much as 2 months as effectively.
Kelly mentioned the elevated penalty just isn’t “exorbitant,” however that it was necessary to toughen present regulation.
“We wished to make a distinction,” she mentioned.
In accordance with testimony earlier than the committee, in 2022, 660 crashes concerned cyclists and 11 of these had been lethal. In 2023, 15 cyclists had been killed on Maryland roadways.
If handed into regulation, the measure would take impact Oct. 1.
Get breaking information and each day headlines delivered to your e-mail inbox by signing up right here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This web site just isn’t meant for customers positioned inside the European Financial Space.
