Tag Archive for Fontana

33-year old Riverside man killed riding bike in Fontana collision last Sunday

Evidently, it takes a long time for news to escape San Bernardino County.

The Fontana Herald News is reporting that a man riding a bicycle was killed in Fontana last Sunday.

According to the paper, 33-year old Riverside resident Manjeet Singh was struck by a driver while riding at Jurupa and Mulberry aves around 6:16 pm on July 16th.

He was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where he died.

There’s no word on which street Singh was riding on, which direction the driver was going, or how the crash occurred.

Then again, the paper doesn’t even a mention of that there was a driver.

The paper reports the Fontana Police Department is still investigating. So hopefully, we’ll learn more.

But I wouldn’t count on it.

This is at least the 26th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Manjeet Singh and all his loved ones.

Ebike rider killed in solo crash in Fontana, 10th SoCal bike rider killed just this month

Yet another bike rider has been killed, this time in Fontana.

And just three miles away and two days after another man was killed in Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday.

But at least this time, there wasn’t a driver involved.

The Fontana Herald News reports a man riding an ebike was killed in a solo crash when he hit a raised curb Sunday evening.

The crash apparently occurred on Foothill Boulevard, near where it passes underneath the Pacific Electric Trail, around 7:52 pm Sunday.

According to the Fontana police, the victim was found lying unconscious in the center lane of eastbound Foothill, with no pulse and suffering from serious head trauma.

He was revived and taken to the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, where he died several hours later.

He has not been publicly identified yet.

A witness reports he hit the curb, then was thrown into the south wall of the Pacific Electric Trail bridge.

There’s no word on whether he was wearing a helmet, which might have made a difference in this case, depending on the speed of his ebike and the force with which he hit the wall.

This is at least the 61st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in San Bernardo County.

He is also the 10th bike rider killed in Southern California just this month.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and all his family and loved ones.

 

 

59-year old man killed riding bike in Fontana collision; Adolph “Ray” Trujillo was the 9th SoCal bike death this month

This has got to stop.

Southern California streets keep claiming more victims, as traffic rebounds to pre-lockdown levels with little or no accommodation for the jump in bike riding in recent months.

The latest victim was a popular Fontana barber who was killed by a driver late Sunday night.

According to a notice from the San Bernardino County Coroner, 59-year old Fontana resident Adolph “Ray” Trujillo was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike in 1600 block of Baseline Ave around 11:50 pm.

He died at the scene less than 15 minutes later.

The Fontana Herald News offers a little more detail, placing the crash near the intersection of Baseline and Juniper Avenues in Fontana.

According to the paper, Trujillo was riding east on Baseline when he was somehow run down by an 18-year old driver.

There’s no word on which direction the driver was going, or just how the crash may have occurred.

Baseline is a six-lane divided roadway with bike lanes in both directions, with wide, straight highway-like lanes where drivers could easily exceed the 45 mph speed limit, particularly at that late hour.

This is at least the 37th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County. It’s also the ninth SoCal bicycling death this month alone, and the 13th in the last two months.

Something has to be done now to stop this rising tide of traffic violence.

Because Ray Trujillo deserved better.

And do we all.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Adolph “Ray” Trujillo and all his loved ones.

Eleven-year old boy dies after falling off his bicycle; second Fontana child killed in three weeks

Just heartbreaking.

For the second time in just three weeks, a Fontana boy has died after falling off his bike.

And this time, no cars or drivers were involved.

According to a news release from the Fontana Police Department, a group of boys were riding their bike together at an apartment complex on the 9200 block of Citrus Ave around 3 pm Sunday.

An 11-year old boy somehow touched wheels with the eight-year old riding ahead of him, and fell off his bike after crashing into his handlebars.

His mother tried to drive him to the emergency room, but stopped to call for help along the way. Paramedics arrived to provide care and take the boy the rest of the way to a Fontana hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No ID has been been provided for the victim.

Police note that neither child was wearing a helmet, despite California law requiring a bike helmet for any child under 18. However, they added that it did not appear to be a factor in this crash, suggesting that he did not die from a head injury.

This is at least the 17th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

He’s also the second child to die in Fontana after falling off his bike in the last three weeks; a 13-year old boy was killed after allegedly falling in front of an oncoming car last month.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the vicitm and all his family and loved ones.

Thanks to John Damman for the heads-up.

Fontana boy killed in crash after allegedly falling off his bicycle

A 13-year old boy was killed in a Fontana crash yesterday afternoon.

According to the Fontana Herald News, the victim was riding against traffic in the eastbound lane of Merrill Ave in Fontana, east of Hemlock Ave, just before 1 pm when he allegedly fell in front of an oncoming driver.

The driver attempted to swerve, but struck him with the right rear of her car.

He was taken to Loma Linda University Hospital with head trauma, where he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.

He has not been publicly identified.

There’s no mention of whether he was wearing a helmet, as required by law for anyone under 18. In this case, it may matter since he apparently died of a head injury.

The driver stayed at the scene. No word on how fast she was going.

A street view shows a narrow two-lane roadway with a dirt shoulder on the eastbound side.

This is at least the eleventh bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

Somehow, it always seems sadder when the victim is a child.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and all her loved ones.

Morning Links: Upcoming bike events, bike stolen from Fontana victim, and violently anti-bike cops in San Leandro

Let’s start with some upcoming events we haven’t mentioned yet.

A number of Los Angeles-area legislative districts are holding special elections on Tuesday; Bike the Vote LA has rated the candidates in each district.

Westside bike co-op Bikerowave is hosting a ride to the hapa.me exhibit in Little Tokyo on April 7th.

LACBC is hosting a short ride 5-mile ride to discover the bike paths of Santa Clarita on April 7th, in conjunction with Metro, the Santa Clarita Valley Bicycle Coalition and the City of Santa Clarita!

Registration opens April 8th for Phil Gaimon’s Phil’s Cookie Fondo.

LACBC teams with Bike SGV to host their monthly Sunday Funday ride through the San Gabriel Valley on April 8th.

Culver City goes to the polls on April 10th; Bike the Vote LA offers their guide to the bike-friendly candidates.

Bike SGV is hosting a ride on the Eaton Wash on April 29th as part of their series to explore greenways in the San Gabriel Valley.

……..

We missed this report earlier this week, as a 65-year old woman was killed in a collision as she was walking her bike across a Fontana Street Tuesday morning.

And then some lowlife scum stole her bicycle before police could collect it as evidence.

Let’s hope it was just a mistake, and someone took the bike to hold it until it could be picked up.

………

This one really pisses me off.

Police in bike-unfriendly San Leandro are allegedly confiscating kids’ bicycles for traffic infractions, under the pretext that they might be stolen. And reportedly dooring teenage bike riders on purpose, and holding unarmed children at gunpoint.

To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing in the law that allows police to confiscate bicycles based on nothing more than a supposition. Which is no different than impounding a driver’s car simply because he looks suspicious, with nothing to back it up.

Meanwhile, intentionally dooring a bike rider not only violates the vehicle code, it’s assault with a deadly weapon and an illegal use of force.

And don’t even get me started on pulling a weapon on nonviolent children for the crime of simply riding a bicycle.

Let’s hope this story results in a fleet of lawyers descending on the town.

And whoever is responsible for these outrageous policies finding new work as an unarmed security guard at the local mall.

Thanks to Frank Lehnerz for the heads-up.

………

Long Beach Bike Ambassador Tony Cruz offers basic advice on how to ride a bike safely. Although there could have been a mention of road position beside merely riding outside the door zone.

https://twitter.com/BikeLongBeach/status/979519235213807618

………

Local

Los Angeles will make safety improvements to six major streets next year. Of the six, only Avalon Blvd in South LA will get protected bike lanes, while a gap will be closed in the bike lanes on Reseda Blvd.

LADOT wants your input to improve their websites; you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card if you complete the 15-minute survey.

Bike SGV wants to profile people who ride their bikes in the San Gabriel Valley.

CiclaValley questions whether wind gusts are scarier than blowouts on a descent, after getting caught in one himself.

 

State

LimeBike’s San Diego general manager swears they haven’t deployed their lime green dockless bikeshare bikes in Ocean Beach yet, even if observers swear otherwise. Meanwhile, Coronado carts off the dockless bikes that have besmirched their fair city.

Point Loma residents reach an agreement to halt the repeated demolition of a DIY pump track by promising to keep their kids off it until the situation can be resolved.

Evidently, traffic safety denying is contagious, as Keep LA Moving’s anti-safety message has spread to Oakland.

Streetsblog talks with the interim director of Bike East Bay, as the Bay Area advocacy group prepares to launch a search for a new executive director.

 

National

Ebikes really are pulling people out of their cars; 28% of people surveyed purchased their ebikes to reduce their reliance on cars, while 76% of ebike trips would have otherwise been made by car.

Canadian musician Rich Aucion is on a 15-city tour of the US, riding from gig to gig by bike in what will eventually be a coast-to-coast ride to raise funds for a mental health organization.

A Utah mountain bike expert offers advice on trail etiquette.

A tech startup is working with Trek to reduce bicycle collisions using artificial intelligence.

Philadelphia’s bike-hating columnist inexplicably says flipping bike lanes from the right to the left side on two one way streets is equivalent to flipping the bird to local residents. And compares the city’s bike advocacy group to the NRA.

A New Orleans suburb installs a temporary, popup separated bike lane to test acceptance before making a commitment.

 

International

Streetsblog visits the bikeways and ciclovía of Lima, Peru.

A new paper from a Canadian university considers how news coverage of fatal collisions dehumanizes victims and absolves drivers.

Bicycling injuries increased 90% in England’s Richmondshire district following the country’s 2014 Tour de France start, due to an increase in ridership on the country roads made famous by the race.

This one bears repeating in case you missed it yesterday. An Italian study shows that making hi-viz mandatory for cyclists does nothing to improve safety.

A disabled polio survivor from Nepal visits Brunei, the 68th country he’s visited on his round-the-world bike tour. Yet another reminder that bikes offer increased mobility for people with disabilities.

Running over an Australian bicyclist was nothing more than a “bump in the road” for one truck driver.

 

Competitive Cycling

Women’s bike racing comes to Ontario this Sunday.

A local community paper looks forward to May’s Redlands Bicycle Classic.

A look at five great Malaysian cycling champs. And one really bad mustache.

The war on bikes continues, as a Columbian pro cyclist was attacked by a road raging driver while training in Italy after complaining about an dangerously close pass.

 

Finally…

When you’re ranked dead last, anything is an improvement. Your old bike tires could be haute couture.

And if you’re caught on video trying to steal a bike, come up with a better excuse than alleging that the owner asked you to bust the lock and bring it to him.

………

Thanks to Elizabeth T for her generous donation to the unofficial BikinginLA Dead Computer Replacement Fund, which has now reached an unofficial $300.

………

Best wishes to all for a very happy Easter weekend and Passover.

Let’s all mark this weekend by taking a moment to share a little kindness with someone in need. 

Update: Fontana bike rider killed in early morning collision; no details available

A bike rider was killed in a collision in Fontana early this morning, though no details appear to be available at this time.

The San Bernardino Sun reports the driver of a car struck a person riding a bike near the intersection of Sultana Avenue and Foothill Boulevard around 1 am Wednesday morning.

There was no information on the identity of the victim, or how the collision occurred.

A story from the Fontana Herald News says the vehicle crashed on the side of the road after hitting the rider, and shows a photo of a silver sedan smashed against a light pole.

This is the 18th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second in San Bernardino County. It’s also the fourth bicycling death in Fontana since 2011.

Update: Not surprisingly, the driver has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence. He reportedly drifted into the bike lane, knocking the victim onto the hood of his car, then catapulting him 40 feet after striking the light pole. 

The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene. He’s described only as a Hispanic man in his 40s or 50s, who was riding a red bicycle.

Anyone who may know the identity of the victim is urged to call Fontana police at 909-350-7700.

Update 2: The San Bernardino coroner’s office has identified the victim as 67-year Rafael Macias Herrera of Fontana.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.

62-year old bike rider killed in Fontana collision

Once again, a bike rider has been killed in San Bernardino County.

And once again, we have virtually no information on the tragedy.

According to the Press-Enterprise, 62-year old Hershel Trueblood of Fontana was killed when he “rode his bike into traffic,” whatever that means.

The San Bernardino County Coroner reports he was riding on Sierra Avenue at Fontana Circle — an address that doesn’t seem to exist — at 8:18 am Monday when he rode in front of a vehicle, and was hit by a car headed south on Sierra; he died at Arrowhead Medical Center at 1:51 pm.

No word from any source on which direction Trueblood was riding.

From the limited description, it sounds like he may have swerved into the traffic lane, for whatever reason, and been hit from behind in a classic SWSS — single witness suicide swerve. If there were no witnesses other than the driver who hit him who can verify that he rode into traffic, it’s just as possible that he may have been riding straight and hit from behind by an inattentive driver.

As the Urban Country points out, there are incentives for drivers, police and society at large to blame the victim for his own death when he is unable to defend himself.

Then again, for all we know, he could have been riding against traffic, or either he or the driver may have somehow strayed onto the wrong side of the road, resulting in head-on collision. Or he could have been riding on the sidewalk and come out into the street.

Unless someone bothers to do a follow-upthat goes beyond retyping the coroner’s cryptic report — which too often, doesn’t happen in the Inland Empire — we may never know.

This is the 49th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth in San Bernardino County. Trueblood is the third rider killed in Fontana in the last three years, and the second in the last two months; the others died in collisions with trains.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Hershel Trueblood and his family and friends.

18-year bike rider killed in Fontana train collision; 2nd San Bernardino County train death in 3 days

This may be too much of a tragic coincidence.

For the second time in just three days, a San Bernardino County teenager has been killed in a collision with a train while riding his bike.

According to the Fontana Herald News, 18-year old Fontana resident Carlos Morales Guzman was riding north on Beech Avenue above Ceres Ave when he attempted to cross the train tracks and was hit by a westbound train. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:20 pm.

A street view shows a traditional railroad crossing arm; if it was working, Guzman may have tried to ride around it.

Remarkably, the collision occurred at exactly the same time of day, and on what appears to be the same tracks, as the collision that killed 19-year old Brendan Allen Adams just three days earlier, less than 20 miles away.

This is the 34th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in San Bernardino County. Guzman is the fourth person killed in a collision with a train since the first of the year, and as noted, the second in just three days.

It’s also the third cycling death in the last three days, following the death of a 25-year old Los Angeles man in Pasadena on Saturday, just 15 minutes after the wreck that took Guzman’s life.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Carlos Guzman and all his family and loved ones.

15-year old Fontana cyclist killed by Metrolink train

According to the San Bernardino Sun, 15-year old Ricardo Gilberto Lizarraga was killed when he was hit by a Metrolink train around 6:20 pm Thursday.

Lizarraga was reportedly riding northbound on Sierra Avenue when he rode across the tracks into the path of the eastbound train. Google street view shows railroad crossing signals at the site, so if they were working, he should have been aware of the train coming.

This is the 34th confirmed traffic-related cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 1st in San Bernardino County. Lizarraga is also the 3rd SoCal cyclist killed in a collision with a train in 2011.

Update: According to Inland News Today, the gates were lowered and the warning lights were flashing at the time of the collision; the site reports that he was using earbuds and may not have been able to hear the train. And yet, he would have had to have the music exceptionally loud to drown out a train — and that still doesn’t explain how he missed the signals.