There’s been a lot of talk about L.A.’s hit-and-run epidemic lately, largely driven by a pair of L.A. Weekly articles.
Today it claimed yet another victim.
According to the L.A. Times, a bike rider, identified only as a Latino man in his 20s or 30s, was killed while riding on the 900 block of East 43rd Street in South L.A. around 8:50 Friday morning. The victim was riding west on 43rd when he was hit from behind by a pickup; the driver fled the scene, leaving an innocent man to die in the street.
Police are looking for a red, late-model pickup, possibly with gardening tools in the back. Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD Central Traffic Division Detective Meneses at (213) 972-1850 between 7 am and 5 pm weekdays; call the division watch commander after hours or on weekends at (213) 972-1853. Or visit LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.
He joins a long line of local hit-and-run victims; in fact, 10 cyclists have been killed in L.A. County hit-and-runs in the last two years alone. Too many of the drivers have never been identified, let alone charged their crimes — including the killers of Erin Galligan and Benjamin Torres earlier this year.
And it’s not just bicyclists who are the victims.
This is the 72nd bicycling death in Southern California this year, and the 23rd in Los Angeles County, leaving the county one behind the total for last year.
My prayers and deepest sympathy for the victim and his loved ones.
Update: The identity of the victim has been confirmed as 31-year old Sergio Rodriguez; there will be a press conference on Thursday, February 7th to announce a person of interest in the case.
I do not understand how someone could hit a person with their car and not stop.
That makes two of us.
Especially since all the drivers has to say is, “I didn’t see them.” T Then they won’t have to do any time or be punished whatsoever.
his name was Sergio Rodriguez. And he was an amazing individual. Everyone who knew him has at least one good memory of him in which he helped them with something. Hard working man. And I loved him….
Thank you for giving us his name. Every fallen cyclist deserves to be remembered by name.
I’m very sorry for your loss; please accept my prayers and deepest sympathy.
Thank you for taking the time to reply. He and I were very close. He was missing for four days before we finally found him. Two hours and 30 minutes before the incident, we had our last conversation. I never realized all these hit and runs were taking place. If there is anyway I might be able to hell support the cause of bicycle safety, I would be more than happy to comply.
str8 truth, no disrespect, but let’s not speak ill of the dead.
This is not the time or place to argue what kind of person the victim was. What concerns us here is that he did not deserve to be run down and left to die in the street, and that he leaves behind people who loved him and will miss him.
Let’s not try to shield our eyes from the truth i aint nobody to judge him but what about all the dirty work he did to other people i speak up cause i was in his surroundings so i know there’s a strong saying that goes like this “you live by the gun you die by the gun”
Although I can’t change what he was, the things he might have done or his motives for doing them, I also can’t change what his friendship meant to me. But like biking in la said this is not the place to speak ill of the dead. Whatever unfinished quarrels u had with him or against him don’t really matter to me or anyone else here. I can assure u that nobody cares to know what u think or feel. It’s over. I know what’s up in the streets, believe me I don’t need lectures on how things work from an anonymous source. However, surprisingly enough, it sounds like u are quite pleased with the over all situation. Perhaps u feel that getting struck by a pick up truck while riding ur bike and to have it run u over multiple times then leave u there to parish, is justified because u did some people dirty. I am well aware of what he did, and although I didn’t approve of it, it was out of my power to change it. Even so, my better judgment intrigued me to investigate who he truly was inside. And what I saw was a good hearted individual, caught up in a fucked up situation. We all make mistakes, but we are given the chance each and every day to make our lives better. Every action has a reaction. Which is why taking a step back to evaluate a situation is not only smart but wise. Whatever bad choices we make will surely have consequences that will manifest themselves in our lives sooner or later if not instantly. Yet, There is one problem in this world that has no solution, just one, death. Everything else is just another struggle. But not a soul has the solution to the problem of a silent heart. If u believe what has happened to my beloved friend was appropriate and his death brought u peace of mind, then good. I’m quite happy for u. No need to go into detail over the pain his demise inflicted in my life, so I’ll end this by saying that u r right str8, karma will catch up to u. Whether u like it or not, u, me and everyone else live by the universal pact. We can’t fool life no matter how slick one is. Life will catch up, and it will do whatever is necessary to balance itself out again. It is out of our power. But when a person decided they are above life and feel they have the right to take the life of another…. Damn.
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POWER TO ALL THE BIKERS IN L.A.!!!
VIVA LA BIKE COMMUNITY.!!!