Tag Archive for Irvine

Update: 69-year old man killed crashing his bike into parked truck in Irvine bike lane; 11th SoCal bike death this month

August 23, 2022 / / One comment

Someone please make it stop.

For the 11th time in 22 days, a person riding a bicycle has been killed on the mean streets of Southern California.

This time in Irvine.

According to My News LA, the victim was riding on Alton Parkway between Technology Drive and Mauchly when he ran into the back of a landscaping truck parked on the side of the road at 7:25 this morning.

The victim, identified only as a 69-year old man, died at the scene.

The location places the crash east of Technology Drive, where I’m told that the truck was parked in a marked bike lane.

California law prohibits parking in a bike lane, although it makes an exception for public or private utility trucks — but only if there are warning devices displayed on the truck.

There’s no mention of whether the truck had its flashers on, or displayed warning cones or some other safety warning behind the vehicle.

It’s not as unusual as it might seem to ram into the back of a parked vehicle. There have been several cases in recent years, both here and around the US, where riders appeared to be focused on the road directly in front of their wheel, rather than on the roadway ahead, and ran into an obstacle directly in front of them.

It’s also possible that a passing car could have blocked him from leaving the bike lane, and he might not have been able to stop in time. Or he could have suffered some sort of medical emergency.

Unfortunately, only the victim knows what really happened.

Anyone with information is urged to call Irvine Police Detective Robert Solis at 949/724-7024.

This is at least the 61st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 13th that I’m aware of in Orange County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 69-year old Lake Forest resident James Henry McKane. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for James Henry McKane and all his family and loved ones.

Thanks to Bill Sellin and Lois for the heads-up.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: Bike rider killed in Irvine crash Saturday morning; victim identified as 26-year old Irvine woman

July 12, 2020 / / 29 comments

The bloodshed continued on Southern California streets, as yet another person was killed riding a bicycle, this time in Irvine.

According to the Orange County Register, the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was struck by a motorist somewhere near the offramp to the 405 Freeway at Jeffrey Road around 9:43 am Saturday.

Which makes it the fourth fatal SoCal bike crash in just the last five days.

The victim apparently died at the scene, with the coroner called 43 minutes after the crash.

There’s no description yet on the victim, or just how or where the crash happened. Although it appears to have been near the northbound offramp, since Jeffrey changes names south of the 405.

Meanwhile, someone was transported to the hospital with a leg injury. But again, there’s no word on whether that person was in the car, or if the driver may have struck someone else, as well.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

This is at least the 31st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth that I’m aware of in Orange County.

That follows the deaths of people riding bicycles in Monterey Park, Riverside and Desert Hot Springs since last Tuesday.

Update: The Orange County Coroner has identified the victim as 26-year old Irvine resident Barbora Kabatova. 

Even though the coroner was called to the scene, Kabatova actually died Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo nearly 30 minutes after the crash.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Barbora Kabatova and all her loved ones.

Thanks to Bill Sellin for the heads-up.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

70-year old woman killed in Irvine crash; 7th Orange County bike death this year

May 25, 2020 / / 15 comments

Orange County, we have a problem.

Just five months into the year, the county has already seen seven people killed riding their bikes.

The latest came this morning, when a 70-year old woman lost her life at the hands of motorist, who was barely mentioned in news reports.

According to the Orange County Register, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was struck somewhere near the near the intersection of Portola Parkway and the 261 toll road around 9:59 am.

She was pronounced dead on at the scene.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or whether it happened on Portola or the 261.

The driver remained at the scene; police don’t suspect he or she was under the influence.

Victor Bale forwards word that the intersection is near the entrance to the Peters Canyon Trail.

According to Bale,

It’s a pleasant and popular trail in Orange County that can be used to head to Laguna Beach and Dana Point or further south to San Clemente or Oceanside. It also is used to lead to trails that go to Newport Beach’s back bay.

He added,

I’ve been at that intersection probably hundreds of times, typically riding on Portola over the 261 to reach the trail on the other side.

Unfortunately the story doesn’t tell us if she was exiting the trail onto Portola (can be sketchy and you need to be very careful) or if she was trying to reach the trail via Portola as I usually do.

Hopefully we’ll learn more after the holiday.

Anyone with information is urged to call Motor Officer Mike Bergstrom at 949/724-7212, ext. 2046.

This is at least the 21st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Orange County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 70-year old Irvine resident Linda Smythe. 

Still no word on how the crash occurred; however, Orange County bike advocate Bill Sellin reports she was thrown 105 feet by the force of the impact, which suggests she was struck at a high rate of speed. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Linda Smythe and her loved ones.

Thanks to Victor Bale and Bill Sellin for the information. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: 78-year old Bicycle Club of Irvine member killed in Laguna Canyon crash

September 26, 2017 / / 3 comments

Patch is reporting that there was a fatal collision involving a bike rider in Lake Forest this morning.

According to the site, the victim was riding with other bicyclists near the intersection of State Route 133 and Lake Forest Drive when he was hit by a car around 10 am this morning.

Identified only as an adult man, he was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No other information is available at this time.

If confirmed, this would be the 45th bicycling collision in Southern California this year, and the seventh in Orange County.

Update: The Orange County Register tells a completely different story. 

According to the Register, a 78-year old man was killed when he crashed his bike into the back of a car parked on the right shoulder while riding south on Laguna Canyon Road around 9:51 am.

My News LA places the location near Lake Forest Drive in Irvine, as shown in the original map. 

The victim has not been publicly identified. 

Update 2: The victim has been identified as Gary Thomsen, a member of the Bicycle Club of Irvine. 

He was on the club’s regular Tuesday morning ride when he crashed into a Caltrans truck that was stopped on the shoulder, possibly after suffering a medical emergency. 

The group doubled back when they learned of the crash, and discovered a doctor had already stopped and was performing CPR, to no avail.

His neighbors Sandi and John Carpenter offered a remembrance and a photo of Thompsen. 

Gary and Fern were married for 54 years.  They have three children and two grandsons.

He was always athletic, played football in college, then began running and after
retiring from IBM he became an active cyclist.  He loved working on bikes and decided to go to the Barnett Bicycle Institute in Colorado Springs Colorado and be certified.  He volunteered at the Bone Adventure Dog Day Care Center  for many years.  He and Leigh loved to travel.

Gary being the kind, gentle person became our local go-to bike mechanic in the neighborhood as he was always willing to help.  He was dubbed the “Fix bike for a beer” man.

He will be deeply missed by many.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Gary Thomsen and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Lois and John for the heads-up; thanks to Bill Sellin for the update.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: High-end bikes stolen in Irvine, escape from a bike-crushing bus, and LA River meeting tomorrow

December 9, 2016 / / One comment

Irvine bike thieves are caught on a security camera as they make off with a trio of high-end Pinarello bikes.

Keep your eyes open in case they show up for sale somewhere. You can find a full description of the bikes on the East West Bikes Facebook page.

Thanks to Lois for the heads-up.

………

David Wolfberg forwards video of an Indian woman barely escaping in time as a bus driver runs over the bicycle she’s walking — directly in front of a cop.

And soon, an angry mob.

………

Don’t forget tomorrow’s meeting to discuss safety on the LA River bike path in Elysian Valley.

Thanks to Terence Heuston for the reminder.

………

Local

Damien Newton talks about the new bike park under construction in El Monte with David Diaz of Day One and Bike SGV.

 

State

Placentia plans to revitalize the Old Town area by developing Complete Streets through downtown.

San Diego makes the wrong choice, paying $235,000 in damages to an injured cyclist instead of fixing the potholes on Torrey Pines Road that led to her injuries; several other bike riders have filed complaints and lawsuits as result of the same section of roadway.

Opponents and supporters voice their opinions about a planned road diet and protected bike lanes on San Diego’s dangerous Pershing Drive. Doesn’t anyone ever bother to explain that even though a roadway may lose a lane, it usually improves traffic flow — and can actually reduce congestion?

As long as we’re on the subject of San Diego, the San Diego Bicycle Club is hosting its 29th annual Light Up A Life Holiday Toy Ride tomorrow.

Safety improvements are coming to a Hayward freeway interchange, too late for a 26-year old bike rider.

 

National

Bicycle manufacturing is making a comeback in the US, rising to half a million bicycles after bottoming out last year.

The inimitable Elly Blue offers motorists advice on how to safely drive around bicyclists.

The photographer behind the Radavist blog tells the story behind his most striking bike images from this year.

A Portland driver will stay in jail after a judge refused to reduce his bail on a manslaughter charge in the death of a cyclist; he was charged in the death because his SUV was not in safe drivable condition.

A Colorado bicycle trade-in program is looking for bike shops to expand nationwide; submitting just two photos of your bike will get you a firm trade-in valuation at a participating bike shop.

Homeowners in a Texas town complain about new signs for a bicycle boulevard, saying they’re too big and will drive down property values. Never mind that bike boulevards usually increase property values.

Detroit police release video of a bike rider suspected of fatally shooting a police officer.

After originally allowing the state police to investigate the case, the Detroit Police Department has taken over the investigation of collision in which one of their own officers killed a bike rider; naturally, they conclude the victim was at fault.

The new North Star Bicycle Route is designed to carry riders from St. Paul MN to the Canadian border. Just in case you were thinking of leaving.

A Virginia columnist says compassion and forgiveness are wonderful things, but that doesn’t mean a driver who killed a bicyclist shouldn’t be in jail.

A Raleigh NC letter writer thanks a cyclist for giving up his bike, saying people like him shouldn’t have to drive in fear of those damn bike riders, and suggests bicyclists should stick to bike paths so people like him can have the roads to themselves.

 

International

A writer for the Guardian says killer drivers are the real stranger danger, and when distracted drivers kill, they should face up to life in prison.

London’s Bike Project plans to give nearly 1,000 bicycles to refugees seeking asylum as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

A British bike group calls for a change in the law requiring drivers to yield to bicyclists at intersections to avoid the equivalent of a right hook; naturally, a trucking organization says it will cause, rather than prevent, collisions.

A 16-year old British boy was the victim of a brutal strong-arm robbery as he was knocked off his bicycle, beaten with a rubber mallet and threatened with a machete before giving up his bike, cellphone and other belongings.

A UK website says mindfulness can make you a better bike rider.

Bicycling shows a slight decline in the UK, even though more women are active than ever before.

A trio of Rwandan cyclists have been nominated for the best African cyclist of the year, recognizing the rider — or in this case, riders — who contributed most to African cycling.

An Aussie writer notes there is no war between cyclists and drivers, and it just takes a little consideration for everyone to get along.

 

Finally…

It’s not just a bus bike rack, it’s a step ladder naked people. No, you can’t power your house by riding a bike.

If you’re going to ride your bike to steal packages off people’s porches, don’t take just any crappy box. No, literally.

And nothing to do with bikes; just wax royals and sweater-wrapped Corgis.

………

Keep SoCal’s leading source for bike news and advocacy coming your way every day. Support the 2nd Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive today!

Category: Morning Links, Stolen Bikes and Bike Crime / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Possible murder on Irvine bike path; public meeting tonight to discuss traffic in Griffith Park

January 20, 2016 / / 3 comments

A bike rider may have been murdered along a popular bike path in Irvine.

Police responded to a report of a man lying on the San Diego Creek Trail, which parallels the 405 Freeway, around 7 am Tuesday.

They found a man death from multiple injuries; a bicycle was lying nearby, but it was unclear if it belonged to the victim.

According to KNBC-4, the victim was later identified as 51-year old Irvine resident Sidney Siemens. Police are investigating his death as a homicide.

The station reports that a resident in a nearby apartment complex hear a loud argument around 4 am and realized something was wrong, but didn’t do anything because it wasn’t her problem.

Nice.

Thanks to Ed Ryder for the heads-up.

………

The Parks Department has come up with a plan to ease congestion in Griffith Park, by providing a free shuttle service to encourage people to park at underutilized lots at the base of the park.

The downside is that the plan calls for running the shuttles along Mt. Hollywood Drive, which has been closed to motor vehicle traffic for the last few decades. CiclaValley explains why this could be a disaster for bike riders.

A meeting will be held at 7 pm tonight to discuss the plan at the Friendship Auditorium, 3201 Riverside Dr.

Be there if you ride or hike in Griffith park, since this could directly affect your safety and enjoyment of the park. Or if you can’t attend, email your thoughts to the officials listed on the CiclaValley link.

………

You’re invited to attend a Bicycle Awareness Event hosted by the LAPD’s South Traffic Division from 10 am to 1 pm today at the northwest corner of Jefferson and Hoover near the USC campus.

Officers from the South Traffic Division will be accompanied by Southwest Division Senior Lead Officers and representatives of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition to educate students and bike riders about bicycle and motorist safety, as well as the laws affecting bicyclists.

………

The man killed by a train while walking his bike along the tracks near Oxnard on Monday has been identified as 18-year old Oxnard resident Lisandro Licea; the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death an accident.

………

A national consumer watchdog group calls the proposed tunnel to complete the 710 Freeway one of 12 highway boondoggles in the US. Glendale’s mayor prefers an option that would convert the current freeway stubs into great streets, including bike lanes and transit.

The group is no fan of the failed 405 widening project either, which added HOV lanes through the Sepulveda pass at a cost of $1 billion without improving traffic.

………

Local

Not too surprisingly, as Downtown LA has boomed, so has crime, including bike thefts. So always lock your bike securely, and in a highly visable public place whenever possible.

Bicycling talks with the president of Los Angeles-based Bike Angels, which loans bikes to people participating in charity rides.

Pierce Brosnan and family are one, uh, three of us, as they go for a beachy bike ride in the ‘Bu.

Santa Monica Spoke invite you to welcome New York’s Jeffrey Tanenhaus as he completes his cross-country journey on a bikeshare bike.

The route has been announced for Long Beach’s Beach Streets Downtown ciclovía, aka open streets event, on March 19th; parts of Fourth Street, as well as Pine, Linden and Cherry Avenues will be opened to non-motorized traffic.

 

State

Oceanside officials consider a road diet on the Coast Highway in response to the death of a 12-year old boy riding his bike to school last year.

The count is now up to 53 bicycles and three motorcycles confiscated for riding on a San Diego Marine base.

An injured mountain biker was airlifted off a Thousand Oaks hiking trail Tuesday morning; no word on the rider’s condition.

 

National

It probably won’t come as a surprise to most bike riders that many drivers think “share the road” signs mean you’re supposed to get the hell out of their way.

City Lab looks at the worldwide boom in bikeshare, which will now include downtown Las Vegas. Meanwhile, a new study shows bikeshare systems in the US aren’t reaching the poor. Not too surprising, when you consider that most require a credit card and membership fees.

A Texas driver gets nine years after being convicted of drunk driving for the ninth time. Evidently, the other eight weren’t enough to convince authorities he doesn’t belong on the streets.

Minneapolis cyclists call for lowering speed limits to 25 mph.

An Ohio man gets nine years for the drunken hit-and-run death of a cyclist last year.

New York’s mayor says Vision Zero is working, even if others think the city isn’t moving fast enough. Meanwhile, a cyclist says sometimes conflict zones aren’t the fault of a bad bike lane, but rather an inadequate sidewalk.

WaPo looks at what riders need to know to keep riding through the winter.

 

International

Norway has begun deporting refugees who exploited a loophole by bicycling across the border with Russia.

While Copenhagen moves forward with a series of bike and pedestrian bridges, some complain they’re focusing on spectacular designs over practicality.

A 59-year old Italian jazz musician with a passion for cycling has been banned from the latter for doping.

A drug-sniffing Swiss police dog travels via his own custom cargo bike. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the link.

A South African cyclist is recovering from severe injuries he received when someone shoved a stick through his spokes, then hit him with a brick to steal his cellphone.

When Brisbane’s city council refuses to take action to improve a dangerous intersection, cyclists commission their own plan for a $5 million bikeway.

Not content to hurl abuse, a carful of Aussie jerks came back to hurl a 1.25 liter soda bottle at a cyclist, denting her helmet and knocking her off her bike.

 

Finally…

If you still haven’t gotten your 2016 calendar, how about one featuring sober naked male cyclists? Who says bike helmets don’t grow on trees?

And maybe you could be a little more gracious when you ride your bike.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Morning Links, Streets and Infrastructure, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Update: Nine-year old boy killed in Irvine collision

November 20, 2015 / / One comment

Any traffic death is heartbreaking. But it always seems worse when it’s a child.

Word is just coming in that a nine-year old boy was killed while riding his bike in Irvine this afternoon.

According to a press release from the Irvine Police Department, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was hit by a van at 3:15 pm at the intersection of Roosevelt and Bay Tree. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead just 20 minutes later.

The 57-year old driver remained at the scene.

No other information is available at this time.

A satellite view shows a residential neighborhood with four lane divided roadway in each direction, with a bike lane on Roosevelt and three parks within a four block radius.

Anyone with information is urged to contact IPD Traffic Sergeant Matt August at 949/724-7023.

This is the 70th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th in Orange County this year.

Update: The Orange County Coroner has identified the victim as Keven Jiang, who lived in Irvine. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the Keven Jiang and all his loved ones.

Thanks to David Huntsman for the link.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , ,

Breaking News — Cyclist killed in Irvine collision

February 14, 2012 / / 17 comments

This is exactly what I was afraid of.

Maybe it was the distraction of Valentines Day. But there was an unusually high number of bicycling collisions reported over the weekend, continuing through this morning. And sooner or later, it’s almost inevitable that one  or more of those collisions will turn out to be life-threatening.

That’s exactly what happened today, as a 28-year old cyclist died as a result of a Tuesday morning collision in Irvine.

According to the Orange County Register, Christian Rhineer of Irvine was hit by a Volvo Sedan at the intersection of Von Karman Avenue and Michelson Drive just before 8 am. He was taken to Western Medical Center with severe injuries, where he died at 6:30 pm.

The 26-year old driver remained at the scene. It was unclear who had the right of way; no one was arrested or cited at the scene.

And yes, the Register notes that the victim was not believed to be wearing a helmet; whether it would have done any good under the circumstances is not clear. Hopefully, we’ll get more details later.

This is the sixth traffic-related cycling fatality so far this year, and the second in Orange County; a third Orange County cyclist died of natural causes after a fall while mountain biking.

My sympathy and prayers for Rhineer and his family and loved ones.

Update: An anonymous source confirms that Rhineer was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. And thanks to Vinh Nguyen for the heads-up on the Register story.

Update: Comments to the original article in the OC Register from a man who claims to be a witness indicate that Rhineer ran the red light. In addition, he was reportedly wearing headphones, which is against the law in California; a single headphone in one ear is allowed, but not in both while riding.

People who knew Rhineer describe him as a great guy and former Mormon missionary who recently moved to Irvine from Salt Lake City along with his wife.

Bear in mind, though, that witness reports can be wrong, and comments on internet news stories aren’t always true. When I was injured in a road rage collision, a supposed witness lied to the police to make it look like I was at fault — even though the way he described the events was physically impossible.

There’s no reason to suspect that the witness in this case isn’t telling the truth, but take all unconfirmed reports with a grain of salt.

Thanks to ValleyBall1 for the tip.

……..

On a related note, the driver who ran down a 13-year old girl in Santa Ana earlier this month, leaving her bleeding in the street as he fled the scene, has finally turned himself into the police.

According to KABC-7, the family of Arif Abdul Sattar convinced him to turn himself in after seeing news reports, along with his admission that he may have been in a collision.

Don’t expect me to get all teary eyed because he did the right thing. The right thing would have been to stop at the scene and try to help the little girl he nearly killed, rather than run away like a coward before surrendering to the police over a week later  — after retaining an attorney, of course.

Fortunately, his victim, Teresa Pham, is recovering and has been released from the hospital. Let’s hope she continues to improve.

And that the man who put her there gets the justice he so richly deserves.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Los Angeles, Orange County named Honorable Mention Bike Friendly Cities(?)

September 14, 2011 / / 9 comments

We’ll ignore the fact the Orange County is, well, a county. Not a city.

Or if you prefer, a lot of cities, even if they do tend to blend into one another at times.

But O.C. and L.A. have made the League of American Bicyclists list of Bike Friendly Cities, if only just barely. Both were named Honorable Mention, a step below the Bronze designation, in recognition of the steps each has made.

And just how far they have to go.

Los Angeles makes its claim on the basis of the new-found support from City Hall that has resulted in a widely praised new bike plan — which is just starting to result in new paint on the street — as well as the groundbreaking bicyclists’ anti-harassment ordinance.

But as Bikeside’s recent survey suggests, local cyclists face far too many unfriendly streets and drivers to deserve a higher ranking; I would read this more as recognition of the possibilities, rather than what’s already been accomplished.

Sort of like Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize. And I’ll let you decide how that’s turned out.

If — and it’s a big if — the city manages to stay on course, it may legitimately deserve a bronze designation next year.

Meanwhile, someone else who actually rides there will have to address whether the collection of cities and towns behind the Orange Curtain deserves its designation.

There seems to be an unfortunate tendency to blame rude and scofflaw cyclists for the county’s unacceptably high fatality rate, including a crackdown on the victims — even though the overwhelming majority of Orange County fatalities have been the result of careless, drunk or distracted drivers, rather than lawbreaking riders.

And at least one OC city seem to have an inexplicable fear of sharrows.

But there must be progress being made; Irvine and Huntington Beach have already made the list as Bronze level cities, joining northern neighbors Long Beach and Santa Monica.

And even though SaMo’s designation was widely derided at the time — including by yours truly — they seem to be making every effort to live up to it now.

So maybe there’s real hope for L.A. and O.C., after all.

We’ll just have to wait a few years and see.

Category: Advocacy & Politics, General / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Breaking news: Cyclist killed by SUV in Irvine Wednesday afternoon

August 10, 2011 / / 8 comments

According to the Daily Pilot, a 42-year old cyclist was killed while riding in Irvine this afternoon.

The collision occurred around 1 pm Wednesday on northbound Shady Canyon Drive south of Quail Hill Parkway when the rider, who has not been publicly identified, was struck from behind by a Mercedes SUV.

The Orange County Register reports that two other cyclists were performing CPR when authorities arrived; the rider was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Not surprisingly, the unidentified 35-year old driver and her infant passenger were uninjured.

The collision is still under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sgt. Dennis Maisano at 949-724-7023.

This is the 7th cycling fatality in Orange County this year, and 47th confirmed traffic-related fatality in Southern California.

Thanks to David Huntsman for the tip.

Update: The Contra Costs Times identifies the victim as Duane Parkinson of Irvine, a detective with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; he leaves behind a wife and three children.

Update 2: According to the Contra Costa Times, a co-worker says Parkinson may have fallen in front of the SUV that killed him; the 15-year veteran is described as someone who was loved by everyone.

“People say `oh he was a great guy,’ about someone but Duane was that really, really great guy,” said Sgt. Phill Dupper who started his career with Parkison at the county jail. “Everybody loved him. He treated everybody the same, from grounds keeper to council members. He loved being a detective, always smiling.”         

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,
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