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Jazz pianist John Osnes, 55, was walking across the street last week on November 23rd when an SUV driven by 34-year-old David Jassy crossed/edged/drifted into crosswalk as it came to a stop. Osnes, known as a "stickler for pedestrian rights," struck the vehicle with his hands, prompting Jassy to exit his vehicle and punch him, knocking Osnes' glasses off. As he went to pick them up, Jassy kicked him in the head.
Witnesses, including an off-duty Anaheim officer tried to detain Jassy, but he got free and drove off, running over Osnes in the process.
Today, the coroner's office announced that Osnes died from “blunt trauma.” Jassy is charged with assault, battery and leaving the scene of an accident, but more could be piled on as the investigation continues.
A web page from friends has been set up in memory of Osnes. Jassy, known as Dave Monopoly, is a songwriter from Sweden.
Photo by CarbonNYC via Flickr
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SO. FUCKED. UP!!!!
Crosswalks without traffic lights are trouble waiting to happen.
yeah those lights were exactly how my car got wrecked - that non-light crosswalk on PCH near colony liquors.
So this isn't being treated as a homicide? Is Monopoly behind bars or is he free to flee the country and run over other pedestrians in the meantime?
I didn't see anything in either of the articles about him crossing in a crosswalk without a light or not at an intersection. But sure, let's get rid of those and give pedestrians even fewer rights.
Most cars AND pedestrians are more careful at middle-of-the road crosswalks. The cars, for one, are sticking out into the cross walk, trying to turn right. One of my best friends was struck by an SUV while crossing in a crosswalk at a light with a walk signal after the SUV blew through the first cross walk and a red light, hitting her in the second cross walk (she was fine, except for some stitched and some ACL damage, no thanks to him, and probably the only reason he didn't leave was because of a bunch of bystanders - he was also in a rental SUV).
Sorry, pedestrians always have the right of way. They're pedestrians. They don't have thousands of pounds of metal protecting them. And they, uh, certainly aren't supposed to be beaten and run over. How horrible.
What is the deal with Swedes in this town and fucked up car accidents?
Yeah I'm beginning to think the whole right on red thing is a bad idea. At least in areas with pedestrians...
Obviously this is a horrible situation. No one was in the right and the SUV drivers' reaction to the pedestrian pounding on his car is unforgivable. One man is dead, and the other is bound to spend most the rest of his life in jail.
It's a tragic event that brings up the issue of crosswalk safety. I'm not saying we all shouldn't be more careful, and I'm not advocating taking anything away from pedestrians. We just need to ADD ILLUMINATED SIGNALS to crosswalks when and where there arent any.
To do so would allow pedestrians to enjoy their right of way without the real possibility of getting run over, and drivers could drive their cars (carefully) with less fear and liability of injuring or killing someone.
I don't believe that drivers dislike pedestrians, want to hurt them or restrict their rights. At different times we are all both drivers and pedestrians.
He got out of the car and punched him and then kicked him in the head as he tried to pick up his glasses, and then ran him over. This is assault in the most brutal kind of fashion, this is not an accident. Convict him of vehicular manslaughter, throw his ass in jail and revoke his drivers license.
I'm sickened by how often these kind of stories are accompanied by apologists in the comments.
Sometimes it is necessary to press or strike someones vehicle to get their attention because they are in a bubble world with loud music on, a cell phone, just plain not paying attention or just blatantly disrespecting the rights of other road users. You don't f*#king kill people over something like this.
The attack on Osnes was brutal and wholly indefensible, but probably not premeditated.
As an aggravating factor, the attack could also be considered a hate crime.
Perhaps this isn't the perfect place to bring up the issue of crosswalk safety, as it's certainly not the only issue here, but this altercation was triggered by contention over right of way in a crosswalk, and Osnes is described as having a "pet peeve" about pedestrian rights.
I imagine anyone who walks a great deal in this town has a pet peeve about pedestrian rights considering how little respect much of the driving public has for those rights.
If I'm on my bike and a car starts drifting into the bike lane I might strike their vehicle too to keep from getting hit. I would certainly hope the driver would not get out of their car & punch my glasses off, kick me in the head and then run me over.
I hope not too.
All I'm saying is crosswalks without adequate lights to warn the driver and illuminate the pedestrian put both at unneccesary risk.
Lights will help crosswalk visibility, but I get frustrated by cases like this because rarely are cases of using a vehicle as a weapon treated like other weapons. If he pulled a gun from his glove compartment and shot Osnes, there would be a lot more serious charges, but since it was using car to run him down, it's things like leaving the scene of an accident.
I'm with you, Gary. It's like when I meet people who live in the city of Los Angeles who have never in their life taken public transit. I assume there are people who just never walk anywhere, and it's easy to be in your own little bubble in your car with DVDs, iPods and GPS systems. But that's no excuse for bad driving. You might be unfamiliar with an intersection and not stop in time, blocking the crosswalk. The douchebag NEXT to you might be in the crosswalk, making it difficult while you're trying to turn right. But most people just seem to not care and either tapping their vehicle or waving at them is a way to get them to see that there are *gasp* other people in this world with rights. Sadly, it often just ends up pissing them off and making them even more suspect of cyclists and pedestrians.
"Yeah I'm beginning to think the whole right on red thing is a bad idea. At least in areas with pedestrians..."
Unfortunately they are required by federal law. We're pretty much stuck with them until the Feds realize that the cost to human life is greater than the gas savings of right on reds in heavy pedestrian areas.
"(c) Mandatory features of plans
Each proposed State energy conservation plan to be eligible for Federal assistance under this part shall include—
(5) a traffic law or regulation which, to the maximum extent practicable consistent with safety, permits the operator of a motor vehicle to turn such vehicle right at a red stop light after stopping and to turn such vehicle left from a one-way street onto a one-way street at a red light after stopping;"
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/42/6322.html
Right on red isn't a problem if people driving actually obey the law and execute their turn properly. You stop at the line *before* the crosswalk, then you look, then you go if it is clear. You still have to come to a complete stop.
Lionel, what do you mean right on red is required by federal law? First of all, it's an OPTIONAL law, which has only been around for about 30 years. You MAY turn right on a red if you choose to do so and you follow three precautions: You stop completely before turning, there is no sign prohibiting it, there are no pedestrians or oncoming traffic preventing your turn. Even then, you can just chill until the light turns green (which sometimes makes douchebags honk at you, but oh well).
New York city doesn't allow right turns on red lights. Ever. Dangerous intersections have signs prohibiting it. So?
msmerymac - your response is confusing and unclear but my point is that the states are required by federal law to allow right turns on red. This creates a situation that is dangerous for pedestrians (This is why I'm confused that you mention that the law is optional for drivers to follow; I'm not worried about the driver's safety but of the pedestrian whose safety is put at risk by this bad law). If you don't believe that this law is required by the federal government why don't you go to the source that I even spoon fed you.
The fact is when the government allows rights on red, drivers abuse this rule and end up killing people.
As to NYC, that is the only jurisdiction in the nation (that I know of) that has been allowed an exemption to this law. From the history as far as I can tell this was only possible becasue NY was able to show that they could create an energy plan that would reduce energy usage by greater than 5% without implementing RTOR and they were in a financial crisis at the time that would have made the signange requirements overly burdensome. They were thus allowed an exemption by the Feds.
The NYS state law allowing large cities an exemption is here: Article 24 Section 1111 (d) 2
http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/trde-vt.htm
And the NYC law is here: Section 4-03 (a) (3)
www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/trafrule.pdf
Rights on red do encourage drivers to approach an intersection a bit more aggressively than they would otherwise, I think everyone might agree on that.
Lessons learned from this tragic event:
1) If you are driving pay better attention to crosswalks.
2) Well-lit crosswalks are better for everyone.
3) If you are a pedestrian and a car enters the crosswalk, do what you have to do to make sure you don't get run over, but definitely don't bang on the hood of the vehicle, as that could be counter-productive to your own safety.
4) If you are driving a vehicle and you do happen to drive into a crosswalk, and the pedestrian crossing in front of you bangs on the hood of your vehicle, don't get out of the car and punch them or kick them or drive over them, as that will most certainly be counter-productive to everyone's safety and your own freedom.
5) Sometimes certain people are bound to meet.
I was glad to hear the charges have been bumped. He is being tried for murder now as he should be.