Why Is Bryant The Only One Taking Personal Responsibility

Kelly McParland: Bike lanes have nothing to do with Bryant

Posted: September 02, 2009, 6:30 PM by NP Editor

As my friend and colleague Peter Kuitenbrouwer points out in his appeal for better biking facilities in Toronto, there is much we still don't know about the confrontation that resulted in the death of Darcy Allan Sheppard. But there's little in what we do know that suggests more bike lanes would have made any difference.

Several newspapers have tried to sort out what happened between Sheppard and Michael Bryant on Monday night. The picture they paint is this: Sheppard was a man with an alcohol problem, who'd fallen off the wagon and -- just an hour before his run-in with Bryant -- been ordered by police to leave his girlfriend's apartment and not come back, even though at least one onlooker thought he was too drunk to ride his bike. He took off down Bloor Street and somehow got into a minor collision with Bryant, who was out celebrating has wedding anniversary with his wife. The dispute quickly escalated and ended with Sheppard clinging to the car as Bryant careened down Bloor Street, screaming and bumping into objects until Sheppard was knocked off, fell under the wheels and was killed.

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