Cleveland man indicted for killing bicyclist Sylvia Bingham

By Stan Donaldson

October 22, 2009, 5:52PM

Cleveland -- A 61-year-old Cleveland man was indicted Thursday for vehicular homicide and driving while under the influence in a Sept. 15 accident that killed a 22-year-old bicyclist, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office said.

Herschel Roberts was also indicted for failure to stop after an accident. Prosecutors said that Roberts drove a 2005 Peterbilt Straight truck near Prospect Avenue and East 21st Street when he struck Sylvia Bingham and left the scene.

Roberts' truck was found an hour later in the 1100 block of East 40th Street. Police said he tested positive for marijuana.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Nov. 2.

Bringham, a Yale University graduate, was killed as she rode from Ohio City to work at the Hard Hatted Women office, where she helped tradeswomen become mentors.

She was not wearing a helmet, police said.

© 2009 cleveland.com. All rights reserved

Photos of the Rides for Sylvia on October 17, 2009

RIDING FOR SYLVIA IN OAKLAND, SAN FRANCISCO AND MARIN, CALIFORNIA

Riders who met at Sylvia's childhood home in Oakland, CA to Ride for Sylvia.

Oakland Sylvia riders at San Francisco Bay.

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San Francisco Sylvia Riders at Ocean Beach, San Francisco

Group photo of San Francisco riders on the Ride for Sylvia.

Riders in San Francisco at the Ride for Sylvia.

Steve riding for Sylvia in Marin.

Sylvia's bike shown during the Ride for Sylvia in Marin.

Group Photo of the Ride for Sylvia in Marin

Francoise and others riding for Sylvia in Marin.

Multi-County Memorial Ride for Sylvia Bingham to Promote Safe Streets for Bicycles

Please join us on Saturday October 17, 2009, in a memorial bike ride for Sylvia Bingham to affirm the rights of cyclists to bike safely on public streets. Sylvia, age 22, was killed while riding her bicycle to work in Cleveland on September 15, 2009. She grew up in San Rafael, California and went to Terra Linda High School. A recent Yale graduate and an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, Sylvia was passionate about social justice and cycling, and was riding that day to her work at Hard Hatted Women, to empower women to achieve economic independence by creating workplace diversity in trade and technical careers. Sylvia's father, Steve Bingham, is a long-time advocate for the poor at the San Francisco office of Bay Area Legal Aid. Her mother, Francoise Blusseau, is a teacher at Lick-Wilmerding High School in SF. There will be simultaneous memorial bike rides in Sylvia's honor in SF, Marin, the East Bay, and Cleveland.

In memory, celebration, and honor of Sylvia Bingham’s life and love of bicycling and to promote bicycle safety, please join us either in the East Bay, San Francisco, or Marin County.

Please wear white T-shirts. [A Limited number of White T-shirts with “I Ride For Sylvia” on them will be available in an effort to raise funds for the Sylvia Bingham Foundation.] Helmets are required. While waiting for riders to gather, we will distribute reflective bike tape that people can put on their helmets and bikes to increase safety.

These multi-county rides will be silent rides and are being done to coincide with similar rides in Cleveland.

For those of you who may not yet have heard about Sylvia’s accident, you can read about it at www.sylviabinghamfoundation.org You can also learn more about Sylvia as well as the street safety foundation at the website.

Ghost Bike at the Location of the Accident

As part of the effort to draw attention to safe streets in Sylvia's hometown, Sylvia's old bike has been painted white and will be placed as a “Ghost Bike” at the Shell Station on Irwin in San Rafael. We are also working toward placing a “Ghost Bike” in SF. The Ohio City Bike Co-Op has placed a “Ghost Bike” on the corner of the tragic accident.

Thank you for joining us. If questions, please contact: For San Francisco ariellahyman@gmail.com or stacimartin@gmail.com. For the East bay ride, contact steveweiss_law@yahoo.com. For Marin riders, contact Sharon Kaiser dolphinintelligence@gmail.com.

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SF Time and place, and miles: 9:00 am –Meet at the McKinley Statue on Baker bw Fell & Oak, on the Eastern end of the panhandle. Entire ride approximately 4-5 miles.

Marin Time and place and miles: 9:30am – Meet at the Civic Center at Armory Dr. near the children’s playground. Entire ride approximately 4 miles.

East Bay Time and place and miles: meet at Sylvia’s childhood home, 2355 Hughes Ave., in Oakland, at 9:00 a.m. --riding through Alameda, and ending at Alameda

Memorial State Beach. The distance is 4.5 each way, although people would likely not make the full round trip. The Fruitvale BART station is closer.

Sylvia Chantal Bingham Memorial Service October 10, 2009

Celebration of Sylvia's Life on Saturday, October 10 at Glide Memorial Church, San Francisco

Francoise and Steve would like you to join them in a celebration of Sylvia's life as follows:

Glide Memorial Church
330 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Saturday October 10, 2009
1:00 to 3:00pm in the Sanctuary
3:00 to 4:30pm in Freedom Hall for Reception

See http://tinyurl.com/yat752a for a map.

People are invited to wear bright colorful clothes that they think Sylvia might have enjoyed.

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We encourage you to use Public Transportation. To get to Glide from BART:

From the Powell Street BART Exit, walk to 330 Ellis St (about 7 minutes)
1. Head southwest on Market St toward Hallidie Plaza
2. Turn right at Hallidie Plaza
3. Turn right at Powell St
4. Turn left at Ellis and walk 3 blocks to Taylor St
5. Turn right at Taylor St (Entrance to Glide at Taylor)

If you have questions please call Tory Griffith at 510 410-5491 or send email to torygriffith@gmail.com