I think the civil lawsuit will bring out a lot of details, unless it settles early. In a criminal case, the defendant can plead the fifth and keep his mouth shut. In a civil case, the victims’ lawyers will get all kinds of discovery into what happened that day.
If it was me, I would get the driver and passenger’s phones to get their call records and what photos / videos they took around the time of the incident. I’d also see if these people have done this before by looking through their photos and videos, including checking all their social media and what Youtube videos they’ve watched. I would also subpoena their cell phone carrier for call and text records on that day. Basically get everything possible. The other side’s lawyers will fight all of this, and the judge may not allow it all, but I would certainly try.
Is the kid denying that he rolled coal on the cyclists?
Also can the truck be investigated to prove the vehicle was set up/modified to roll coal? I wonder if there are other ways to prove the kid was rolling coal on the cyclists.
I know I’ve exhausted my thoughts on this. But if this kid is not brought to justice, the message sent will be that drivers can harass, endanger, threaten, and ultimately harm cyclists and get away with it. I feel like the bad guys are always winning. (If you want to debate my last statement, go right ahead. I hope I’m wrong)
There was an article this week that said the kid claims he was “reaching for his cellphone to call his dad†and he was unable to react to the cyclists in time to avoid them.
So basically straight up lying.
Also, do diesel trucks need to be “modified†to roll coal? I thought that was just a function of Diesel engines. When you let off the gas, the exhaust backs up into the pipe/engine, and when you stomp on it again it all comes out. I was under the assumption that’s just how Diesel engines work.