[B’ Spokes kind of a sad commentary about our traffic laws when a civil suite is needed to get an unfit driver off the road.]
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\nby Michael Dresser – Baltimore Sun<\/p>\n
Nathan Krasnopoler, the Johns Hopkins University student who was struck and critically injured by a car while riding his bicycle along University Parkway in February, died Wednesday morning at Gilchrist Center in Howard County, his family announced.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a lawyer for the family said the 83-year-old driver who struck Krasnopoler has agreed to forfeit her license.<\/p>\n
Krasnopoler, a 20-year-old sophomore, never regained consciousness after suffering brain injuries when he collided Feb. 26 with a car that turned into his path. According to the family, he died peacefully with his family by his side almost a week after after entering hospice care Aug. 4.<\/p>\n
A Baltimore woman, Jeannette Marie Walke of Baltimore pleaded guilty May 11 to negligent driving and failure to yield right of way to a bicyclist in a designated lane. She paid a fine of $220, about half the amount she could have been penalized has a police officer not made a mistake in writing the citations, without appearing in court.<\/p>\n
The case provoked intense interest among Baltimore-area bicyclist after a Baltimore police spokesman initially indicated that no charges would be filed. The Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office decided after an investigation that charges were warranted.<\/p>\n
Andrew Slutkin, a lawyer for the Krasnopoler family, said a $10 million lawsuit filed against Walke was settled several weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Slutkin said the monetary amount of the settlement is confidential but added that "there was a significant recovery from the driver that recognized how special Nathan was." In an unusual twist, the attorney said the settlement comes from the defendant’s own assets as well as her insurance company’s. He said that was the first time he has seen that happen in 20 years of practice.<\/p>\n
As part of the settlement, Slutkin said, Walke agreed at the insistence of the Krasnopoler family to permanently give up her driver’s license.<\/p>\n
"They would not consider any settlement that allowed her to continue driving," he said. "She’s off the road permanently, which is a good thing."<\/p>\n