Driver Found Guilty in Fatal Accident With Bicyclist, But Only For Suspended License

The woman who opened her parked car’s door and fatally knocked a cyclist into the path of an MTA bus was found guilty Tuesday, but only on a charge of driving with a suspended license, according to the New York Post. 

In September 2010, Staten Island resident Krystal Francis, 25, allegedly swung her car door open into traffic while parked on Atlantic Avenue, near Washington Avenue. The driver’s side door allegedly clipped Jasmine Herron, 23, knocking her off her bike into the path of an MTA bus.

Francis' attorney argued that she didn't realize her license was suspended and further was not even the one driving the car, but a police detective testified that Francis told him she had been driving, according to the Post.

Francis can be sentenced to up to a month in jail or a $500 fine, according to the Daily News.

Herron's mother told the News: "I feel vindicated the jury found her guilty." But, she added, "it won't bring my daughter back."

Herron, who grew up in Parker, Colorado, moved to New York City after graduating art school in Alberta, Canada in May of 2010, Herron's half-sister Desiree Herron Perry told Patch last year. Perry said her half-sister was a fearless young girl who made friends easily and was quick to help others.

“She was the most amazing person I had ever known,” said Perry. “I am 39 and she was 23 and she lived more in her 23 years than I ever did.