Susanna Schick, aka Pinkyracer, resting in ICU; photo courtesy of Jennifer Beatty
Just getting word of a horrible — and possibly deliberate — hit-and-run assault that left a popular cyclist seriously injured.
Several sources report that Susanna Schick, also known as Pinkyracer, was chased down and apparently struck by a white Lexus while riding in Downtown L.A. around 11:30 Friday night. Details are still sketchy, but it appears to have been road rage attack; the driver fled the scene following the collision.
According to the victim’s own words from her hospital bed, relayed by her friend Jennifer Beatty, the incident started on Spring Street between 2nd and 3rd — just half a block from the new LAPD headquarters — when the driver reportedly swerved across two lanes of traffic and into the bike lane where she was riding.
They exchanged words at the next traffic light until the female passenger rolled up her window; once the light changed, the car continued to chase her down 1st Street along Downtown’s new green bike lane.
After that, her memory is foggy; she remembers an “inexplicable extreme wobble” of bike — apparently a result of her bike being rammed from behind — then nothing until the paramedics woke her up just past 4th Street, face down on the pavement and unable to move.
Schick reportedly suffered a concussion, broken collarbone, six broken ribs and a shattered pelvis, along with facial lacerations, all to the left side of her body, suggesting a high impact collision. Fortunately, she is conscious and speaking, though confined to the Intensive Care Unit at a Downtown hospital.
The car is described as a recent model, white midsize Lexus, either two or four doors, with tinted windows. The driver is described as a well-dressed, olive-complected man around 6′ tall, with a well-dressed female passenger.
If you see a car that matches the description, do not attempt to stop him yourself. Call the LAPD Central Traffic Division at 1-213-972-1853 and let them handle it. Or if you witnessed any part of the incident or have any pertinent information, you can email me at the address on the About page and I’ll forward it to the right people.
Best wishes to Pinkyracer for a full and speedy recovery, and thanks to Joe Anthony and Jennifer Beatty for the information.
Update: I’ve named Susanna Schick as the victim after getting permission to publicly identify her, and added a link to her Facebook page. I’ve also clarified where the incident occurred, and used her description of the wobble, based on additional information from Schick.
Update 2: A ChipIn fund has been created to raise money for Susanna Schick to help pay for her expenses and the costs of recovery.
Update 3: More information has been added to ChipIn page, including the time and additional details of the collision, which I’ve added above. As of 9:30 Sunday, the ChipIn account has raised $240. In addition, the story was picked up by LAist Sunday evening; thanks to Blog Downtown for prominently featuring the story, as well.
I will never understand the depth of some drivers’ blind hatred toward cyclists.
I hope PinkyRacer will be back to 100% soon and that the driver is not only caught, but actually gets what he deserves in court.
Couldn’t agree more.
Get mad at someone, pull out a gun and start shooting, you will face some serious charges. Lets hope the powers that be realize the only difference in this case is the choice of weapon. Allowing someone with a mindset like that to operate a motor vehicle does no one any favors. I hope PinkyRacer can make a full recovery.
The court of public opinion is lagging on this one, but not the law. I’m pretty sure this counts AT LEAST as assault with a deadly weapon, and if it doesn’t qualify as attempted murder, it had better.
Dont count on it,almost 3 years ago I was shot at by a motorist while out on a family ride.The law failed in my case when the grand jury dropped the attempted murder charge, and went with the lesser charge of assualt with a deadly weapon.He ended up with 4 months in jail and 5 years probation for almost blasting my head off.I hope this cyclists finds a great attorney, and I wish her the best on her recovery.. Alan Simons
What a fucken asshole -Hope they find that piece of shit.
and he resists arrest resulting in the Rodney King treatment….
What a fucken asshole -Hope they find that piece of shit. Wish you a healthy and fast recovery.
Incredible. I hope the driver is found and that he AND his accomplice/passenger get jail time and have their licenses revoked. Horrible. Best wishes to Ms. Schick for a full recovery.
fuck thats horrible
I hope there were cameras installed at those traffic lights to capture all the actions. Sometimes businesses and banks ATM have cameras to capture things in the street.
There are cameras all over that area. If they don’t get this guy, then something is screwy. My thoughts and best wishes to Susanna.
You’re right about the cameras. And while I’m not sure yet what time this took place, Spring Street is a very lively place these days. Someone definitely had to see it.
Um, I’m sorry. But this is ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON. This shit pisses me off.
I’m trying not to go there, since we don’t have enough information yet. But on the surface, this looks to be every bit as much of an assault as the Mandeville Canyon case, and should be investigated that way,
If the attempted murderer is caught, bet you he gets off without even being charged with anything, not even attempted murder. That’s the way it seems to go these days, if you smoke a joint you get 20 years in prison, if you shoot a black kid to death, you get questioned and released, if you deliberately run down someone on a bicycle, you get told “be more careful next time.” Our Judicial system is a joke. Unless there’s money in convicting someone for their crimes, unless there’s a corporate profit to be made by putting someone in prison, our Department of “Justice” doesn’t feel the need to even investigate. /rage
Don’t forget, Dr. Thompson got five years for the Mandeville Canyon incident.
Yeah, he messed with well-off middle-aged white guys….
Dr. Thompsons current living situation.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=5th+Street+%26+Western,+Norco,+CA+92860&hl=en&ll=33.929162,-117.573903&spn=0.005056,0.008047&sll=36.182225,-119.498291&sspn=0.523184,0.878906&safe=on&hnear=5th+St+%26+Western+Ave,+Norco,+Riverside,+California+92860&t=h&z=17
This is terrible. I hope they catch the folks that ran her down and that they are given the kind of punishment that is appropriate to the crime. I pray that Susanna’s injuries and her spirit heal quickly.
Thank you for starting the ChipIn fund. I’ve contributed and I hope others will donate to help with the inevitable bills she is going to be saddled with as well.
It’s stories like these that make me think we ought to give up privacy for public safety. Police cameras sprinkled around Los Angeles would have clearly identified the perp and could assist in the envestigation.
My heart goes out to Pinkyracer. As a member of the hit and run club, I wish membership could be closed. It’s going to take time but I’m sure she’ll pull through just like I did. Ride on!
God, I met up with Susanna just a week or so ago for career advice, which she was really nice to share with me… I hope she’ll be OK…
I am so sorry to read this – speedy recovery to Pinkyracer. This shit just really pisses me off
Wishing a speedy recovery! Mandatory sentences should be instituted for road rage drivers!
This is attempted murder.
I hope that she recovers fully and that the moron driver is brought to justice.
I hope they find the driver and charge him/her with attempted murder!
Makes me want to, oh, strategically place a dozen huffy frames onto the roadways to slow drivers down.
I agree with all as stated already: attempted murder. This nonsense is becoming more common. It needs a stern, significant deterrant punishment, and a law change to futher underline the inaappriateness of any such attitude as per using a car as a weapon.
This person needs to be caught, and their car shredded with them still in it.
I can’t say here what I WANT to say…to the piece of sh** in the Lexus, AND his bitch. Suffice it to say that I can curse in four languages, and that’s not enough.
Let’s see — Driver, you
Nope, can’t say it.
Pinkyracer, get well. Get back to riding so you can pedal past this team of jackasses’ prison bus.
What time did this happen on Friday?
I just got that information, which I will add to the post shortly. It happened around 11:30 pm on Friday.
please call the police and request they take this seriously. We need to pressure them to search for the guy. Call your council person, go down to the police station, get the investigation going. At present they have not even been to Suzanna’s hospital room yet she has a lot of info on him.
i run into this a lot. there seems to be a profile. Agro, yuppie wannabees in white euro luxury cars driving way to fast or aggressively all over.
This is terrible. I wish her a very speedy recovery, and I wish the driver a sadistic cell mate.
Given that it was a well-dressed man and woman, the timeline fits for them having left the symphony. If so, they might have been drinking at the bar after the performance.
May I re-post?
My new campaign …#letstakeourroadsback
Of course you can.
Oh my God, I worked on her bike just a few hours before this happened. Her brakes … I think I adjusted her brakes. We talked about the Spoke(n) Art Ride, then she took off.
To think that malice played a part in this collision is nhorrifying.
What kind of animal does this to another human being over a petty exchange of words?
I saw another cyclist get hit by a car on friday night around the same time on 7th and Hill. The driver was making a left turn and did not see the girl on the bike. The driver stopped and the injury didn’t seem serious. If you’re riding around DT at night, use extra caution especially on weekends. More bars = more drunk drivers
There are cameras all up and down that area many on the streets are owned by the city and almost every store front has a camera along spring. I hope they can review tapped footage and find the driver.
The guy in the white Lexus needs to be charged with attempted murder. If you hit a bike rider on purpose, especially at high speed, you know it’s going to do more than just knowck them off the bike.
Now I have no idea what may have caused the road rage and it really does not matter. However: I just wish I could get some drivers AND bike riders to understand that they should NOT be running red lights or stop signs andmaking illegal turns – I see drivers and cyclists making the a left turn at a no left turn intersection AND running the stop sign just about every morning and afternoon in a school zone. I’ve seen cyclists pass drivers on the left when they were attempting to turn left into a school parking lot and then the cyclists gets pissed off when the they almost get hit.
We all need to SHARE the road, but it does go both ways. There are drivers AND cyclists that blatantly ignoring the rules of the road, and could use a few ettique lessons in driving/riding.
Can’t argue with your main point that everyone needs to obey the law.
However, in this case, it started when the driver swerved across two lanes of traffic and into a designated bike lane with no warning, jeopardizing the safety of the cyclist riding there. Words were exchanged at the next red light, and it escalated from there.
LADOT needs to explain to motorists how a bike lane works. This one is unique as there is a lane between the bike land and the curb, which cars assume is just a traffic lane and always drive in it. LADOT needs to paint “NO CARS” symbols in that lane. Between 1st and 3rd is terrible because there are no meters, just an empty lane that all the cars use.
This stinks! I hope they find these people and put them away for attempted murder among other things. I ride my bike a lot, and even have been hit twice. But I wasn’t injured quite like this. I hope susanna a quic, full and speddy recovery!
While I am appalled by what happened to this young lady its horrible and the driver needs to be arrested, I have to wonder why all the coverage of this incident and almost none last week where the cyclist killed a pedestrian?
You’re kidding, right?
That incident occurred in San Francisco, and it has been all over the news and bike forums; last time I Googled it, there were over 250 stories online on the subject.
I’ve tweeted my own thoughts on the subject a number of times. As a matter of fact, I’d planned to write about it Saturday night until I had to set it aside to report on this story, and may still get to it once things settle down a little.
This is a tragedy. So shocking that someone would intentionally harm this young athlete. What kind of a monster would do this? Hope they are hunted down and charged.
[…] A more accurate and level headed report with info on how you can help is here. […]
Ted, I live far out of town (making the two and half hour drive to L.A. this weekend) and can’t really pester the L.A.P.D. or anything useful like that but is there any way to bring attention to this during CicLAvia?
I can’t think of a more sympathetic and/or UNITED audience to bring this story to.
Good idea — I’ll pass it on.
GREAT IDEA. If you and others can get organized in time…make flyers…make a sign put it on your bike….pass out the info.
[…] stupid from CA. Where I saw it first. Update — L.A. cyclist Susanna Schick seriously injured in DTLA hit-and-run road rage attack and next report Cyclist Hospitalized After Alleged Road Rage Attack in Downtown and Susanna Schick: […]
[…] the cyclist who was the victim of an apparent road rage attack while riding in the Spring Street green bike lane last Friday night, is reportedly improving. Her […]
I don’t think the motorist standby of “I didn’t see her ” will work this time. Best wishes for a quick and complete revovery.
So sorry to learn of this attack. Saw it on the NBC late news. Susanna, my former motorcycling friend, I hope you heal quickly and that you get the justice you deserve. I’ll make a contribution now. –Syl S.
[…] Susana Schick was bicycling down Spring Street in the green buffered bike lane on Friday night, when she was harassed by the driver of a white Lexus. After exchanging words, the car ran her down from behind, and left Schick lying in the street with broken ribs and a broken body. […]
[…] description, call the LAPD Central Traffic Division at 1-213-972-1853 Articles on the incident: BikingInLA Blog, L.A. Times, KTLA-5, LAist, KNBC-4, KPCC, Net Impact Los Angeles, the L.A. […]
cylclists are just gonna need to take the law into their own hands…the “police” don’t seem to be doing it. they only protect and serve themselves
I am happy Susana is alive, and hope she heals and gets happy soon.
Unfortunately it may take a while for truth and justice to prevail:
[…] description, call the LAPD Central Traffic Division at 1-213-972-1853 Articles on the incident: BikingInLA Blog, L.A. Times, KTLA-5, LAist, KNBC-4, KPCC, Net Impact Los Angeles, the L.A. […]
[…] Being in ICU will not do her bank account any help. A ChipIn fund has been set up by the Bike LA Blog, and I will be donating most of what I make this month to Susanna’s fund. If you’ve ever read […]
NOTE TO FELLOW CYCLISTS – Whether it was road rage or not, this incident highlights the poor judgement behind militant cycling. Regardless of our rights, it is crucial that cyclists keep in mind that we share very dangerous roads with motorists who are not only the overwhelming majority, but are also surrounded by tons of steel. Every time I see a cyclist ignoring traffic laws by running a red light or stop sign, weaving through lanes of traffic, or failing to yield the right of way – or worse, getting belligerent and aggressive with a motorist – I cringe knowing that my daily 20-mile commute by bike just got a little more dangerous. Disdain for traffic laws, together with slapping cars, throwing water bottles, riding two-abreast in the middle of a lane of traffic, and other over-the-top assertions of cyclists rights only serve to anger motorists and convince them that cyclists are the adversary. As a result, such motorists are more aggressive, more inclined to dangerous behavior and less inclined to yield to a cyclist. I am a full-time cyclist and a strong advocate for cyclist rights, but I’m also a husband and father who would like to make it home to my wife and three girls each evening after work. Please ride safely and considerately and help convince LA motorists that we are here to share the road, not occupy it.
I’m glad to actually see one person say this. In recent times it seems like cyclists think they own the roads, crosswalks, and sidewalks too. There’s so much outrage here again the motorist and he does deserve it but about a week ago in San Francisco a cyclist ran down and killed an old man in a crosswalk and not one word of apology from the biking community certainly no outrage. After all he posted right after of the internet that he saw the light turn yellow however since he had momentum going decided not to stop to me he is just as much at fault as the driver of the car both should be in jail for at least manslaughter if not murder. We all need to learn to share the road lives are at stake not just those of the bikers I myself have had an accident in the past trying to avoid a biker who disobeyed a traffic light it was minor thank god but the point is being on the road is a responsibility not a right if you don’t want to obey the rules try walking or getting a cab.
Carol, as I’ve responded before, there’s actually been a great deal of anger within the cycling community about the San Francisco case you referenced — including comments I’ve made, both here and on my Twitter account.
But before you castigate the entire cycling community, I might remind you that exact two pedestrians were killed by cyclists in California in the last 12 months, while in the same period, somewhere around 600 pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles.
May I ask, where is the outrage over dangerous scofflaw drivers? As you so succinctly put it, if drivers don’t want to obey the rules, they should try walking or getting a cab. Or taking a bus. Or biking.
You are right to be outraged. Your outrage is just a tad misplaced.
I am outraged over both incidents I personally think that unless you can prove it was a total accident, not I’m on my cellphone or playing with the radio, or I got pissed off you should be charged with murder one. I think when you make a decision to break the law and a death follows you know this can happen and choose to disregard the risk. By saying I didn’t mean to is like shooting a gun into a crowd and claiming you didn’t mean to kill someone. I’m no longer a driver or cyclist because of health problems. As to the outrage of the community well everytime a cyclist gets injured/killed I get Facebook post about it forever. I never even got one response to the old man who was murdered. I think we give the priviledge of using the roads out too lightly and hesitate too long to take them away.
I couldn’t agree with you more on that last sentence.
Note to all commenters: I just deleted a comment making fun of people for donating to the Susanna’s ChipIn fund. Feel free to state your opinions, whatever they may be.
But personal attacks and ridicule of others — including the victim in this case — will not be tolerated.
Comment deleted due to offensive personal attack.
Tony,
Could you please delete your comment?
I am just another reader of this site; i do not know the cyclist involved in this story, and i am a male, but, i have two sisters and female friends. Your words are hurtful and really uncool. You can do better than this. Please show us how. Please start by deleting that comment. If you want to write something else, please share something kind. I’d certainly like to read something kind from you.
Comment deleted due to offensive personal attack.
Alan, I can’t argue with your response, but I have to be consistent. If I delete his, I have to delete your. Even though I agree with it.
[…] 6 – At 11:30 at night, Susanna Schick is biking down the Green Street Buffered Bike Lane. Schick claims she was struck […]
Dear Hate the Hipster; I have removed your comments as inappropriate for this, or frankly, any other forum. Please get help before you hurt someone.
[…] A more accurate and level headed report with info on how you can help is here. […]