• grue@lemmy.worldOP
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    5 days ago

    Yes, that’s true: a pedestrian who is deliberately rammed by an unhinged driver on the sidewalk would be justified in shooting the driver in self-defense.

    • zqps@sh.itjust.works
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      4 days ago

      You just know that’s not how a court or jury would see it though. Unless the driver is literally chasing you, injuries or deaths by means of car are always considered accidents. As if the driver wasn’t in control (which of course they often aren’t, but it’s very silly that’s used as an excuse to remove culpability).

      • NarrativeBear@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        I assume you are insinuating that the operator of a motor vehicle has complete authority to roam free wherever they please without regard for others? ie. on sidewalks, on trails, on bike paths, and in some cases drive against the flow of traffic? And are you saying in all cases they can choose and have the right to freely run over pedestrians as they see fit?

        • @NarrativeBear @lnxtx No, people have a right to use legally owned weapons in self-defense, so a driver has no right to drive recklessly and endanger random people and can only use their car as a weapon if their life is in imminent danger from someone else’s assault, such as a pedestrian standing in front of their car firing a gun at them.