This is not the news we wanted to start the weekend.
According to the Daily Bulletin, a bike rider was killed by a suspected drunk driver in Pomona early this morning.
The victim, identified only as a man in his 40s or 50s, was riding north on Garey Avenue when he was rear-ended by a white 2011 BMW 3351 just north of Philadelphia Street at 2:32 am. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died shortly later.
The driver, 25-year old Chino resident Rick Kyujin Lee, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving causing death and vehicular manslaughter.
The Daily Bulletin says the victim was riding on the right shoulder, while KABC-7 places him near the shoulder. However, a street view shows a typical four lane street with a center median, but no apparent shoulder; he may have been hugging the curb to the far right.
If they haven’t yet, someone will inevitably question in the comments why anyone would be riding a bike at that hour. Of course, bike riders travel at all hours of the day or night for all kinds of reasons, just as drivers do; it’s possible the victim may have been leaving work or coming home from a night out, or just out for a late night ride.
Given the frequent lack of follow-up, we may never know.
That said, the early morning hours after the bars close is one of the most dangerous times to ride due to the high number of drunks on the road at that time, requiring riders to be extra alert.
There’s also no mention of whether the victim had lights and reflectors on his bike, as required at that hour. However, the police and press usually go out of their way to mention the lack of lights if a rider wasn’t using them.
And the victim could have been lit up like a Christmas tree and still been unable to avoid a driver apparently unable to control his car and keep it from drifting to the right.
This is the 54th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 22nd in Los Angeles County. And it’s the 5th bike death in Pomona since the death of Ivan Aguilar in February of last year, suggesting that the city may have a serious safety problem.
Update: The victim has been identified as 57-year old Luis Raymundo Espinoza-Moreno.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Luis Raymundo Espinoza-Moreno and all his loved ones.
I don’t think it’s “suggesting that the city may have a serious safety problem” other than you have a community which is low income, has limited resources, and thus may have a larger percentage of individuals bicycling (and less resources for bicycle-friendly roadway improvements). On this street, it is likely that no roadway treatment short of a barrier-separated bike lane would have helped counter likely drunk driving roadway drift. It’s times like these when often riding on the sidewalk is not so bad an idea, and certainly one that the residents of Pomona do quite often (as I find out when I do my occasional evening walks).
I hope there is some justice for my grandfather, the mother of the drunk driver had even admitted her son being under the influence. Sad that he took a life because of his poor decisions.
Why don’t they question why any one would be driving a car at that hour? Justice might be served in this case but it will never cover the pain from the loss.
Wish I had a solution for drunks on the road. Hoping for autonomous cars and the sooner the better..