Pedestrian Tales From The Middle of the Road, #15

I'm breaking my rule a bit here- and reporting this Pedestrian Tales From The Middle of the Road that 1) involves an injury to one riding a bike versus a pedestrian, and 2) (as of last I heard) doesn't involve a death.

But rules are made to be broken. This piece of traffic news may very well be more important than some of the posts I've done on deaths- it's surely one to make any parent cringe or get their dander up.

Think about it...were it not for a Monster of the Millenium candidate by the name of Josh Powell, there's not much that's worse than a lady getting across the street safely herself- then luring her child into the street against approaching traffic. Amazing...

What a disgusting, pitiful (and in my eyes criminal) display of "parenting". At the risk of sounding callous or insensitive towards Ms. Shuler at a time when her son clings to life across town, I'm just going to call it as I see it:

Ms. Shuler, you should be ashamed- and you should be locked up for your careless and reckless acts here that may very well send your young son knockin' on Heaven's door.

They continue to do little towards enforcing our pedestrian/crosswalk laws overall, but I pray tonight that if Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings never get another thing right before they leave office, they'll look to ensure you never have custody of young Deontae again.

Get well, little Deontae. And may God have mercy on you, Ms. Shuler, but may the courts here not follow suit.

Boy, 9, critically injured after car struck his bicycle

Deontae Shuler was crossing the intersection behind his mother when he was struck by a car.

Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel

A 9-year-old Orlando boy is in critical condition after being hit by a car Wednesday while riding his bicycle across

Orange Blossom Trail, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Deontae Shuler was struck by a northbound Volkswagen about 3:55 p.m. near Wakulla Way, north of Oak Ridge Road, troopers said. The child was not in a crosswalk or at an intersection, they said.

Deontae's mother had just crossed the street and was urging him to hurry when he was hit. He was being treated at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando.

The driver of the car, Saul Hernandez, 19, of Orlando, was not hurt.

Pedestrian Tales From The Middle of the Road, #15