The Decline and Fall (cont’d.): Road Rage Driver Guilty of Murder: Two years ago, a Chicago cyclist and an SUV driver had words after the driver cut off the cyclist. What happened next had been in dispute, but the bicyclist ended up dead under the wheels of the truck several blocks later after what witnesses described as a swerving game of cat-and-mouse. Now a jury has concluded this was a wanton deliberate road rage murder. The webmaster of the Chicago Critical Mass (a bicycling advocacy group) website comments:

“I think the decision was a just one, and that it took a lot of courage for the jury to make it. They could have taken the easy way out by returning the reckless homicide verdict.

“But I don’t feel like celebrating — seeing someone convicted of murder is not a pretty sight. His family committed no crime, but they will suffer just the same.”