A young woman was killed a few months back while jogging along a highway in the Columbia Gorge.

Another person was badly injured just recently, under circumstances similar to the one Jim describes.

Over here, the Highway Code instructs pedestrians to walk facing oncoming traffic, as this man was, and wear something light at night.

This last week a motorist was sent to jail for knocking a cyclist off her bike (while she was out training, she recovered and went on to win a Commonwealth silver medal) and driving on. He said he didn't know anything had happened because his music was too loud...

Similiarly, a trucker was jailed for ploughing into a stationary car while checking a text on his mobile phone (using a mobile while driving is illegal over here and I am specifically prohibitted from speaking to anyone while they are driving, hands free or no f***ing hands free) He got 3 years. My thought? Not long enough. Not nearly long enough.

I hope they catch this driver and make an example of him, but I won't hold my breath.

I was picking up all the debris and putting it into a trashbag. And then I found a sliver of a permit sticker with the first number on it. I was smaller than my thumbnail, but I thought maybe I could find enough to ID the guy. It was wintertime, and the ground was covered with snow, and it had been snowing after we discovered someone had hit our car.

So, because I was ticked off enough to do it, I got a shovel and completely cleaned the entire street and sidewalk in front of my house and shoveled it into those big paper leaf bags. I took the bags down into the basement and left them overnight to let the snow melt.

The next day I dumped out all the stuff. I ended up finding five or six pieces of a 1 inch square parking sticker with the name of the town and a specific number on it. I photocopied it, called the police and faxed it to them.

Guy got a year probation, and had to pay all damages.

Always gives me a warm fuzzy when I tell that story.

Here's hoping you have equal good luck in your search.

Meanwhile, a Boston case similar to Jim's has at least found a culprit, although it doesn't make the pedestrian any less dead; Globe says he turned himself in. Some people have a delayed sense of responsibility, some have none at all.

Hope they find the driver-- things like color and other ID markers *can* be useful, though not, it seems often.

It was great.