News is just coming in that a bike rider was killed in East Los Angeles this afternoon.
According to My News LA, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Indiana and Percy Streets in East Los Angeles around 1:45 pm. Unfortunately, he or she died while being transported to a hospital.
A street view show a two lane street with businesses on Indiana below Percy, and an unlaned street on Percy; neither appears to have any bicycling infrastructure.
More information as it becomes available.
Update: It wasn’t apparent from the street view, however, there is a middle school on the northwest corner of this intersection; Erick Huerta, aka El Random Hero, tells me traffic is often heavy in the area as a result.
Update 2: An earlier report from KNBC-4 shows an arial view of the collision, with a road bike just in front of, or partially under, the left front fender of an older burgundy sedan. The car is positioned over the center line, and angled to suggest the car was turning left.
However, they place the collision site a block south at Indiana Street and Whittier Blvd.
There are also at least two hospitals in the immediate area; however, neither appears to be a trauma center.
Correction: I’ve just gotten off the phone with Carlos Morales of the East Side Bike Club, who informs me that earlier reports were incorrect.
Carlos, who also owns Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia, explained that he spoke with the CHP officer who investigated the collision, and was told that the victim was still alive as of Tuesday morning, although in extremely critical condition.
According to the officer, the collision actually occurred on 4th Street near Indiana and Whittier, which I am unable to find on the map. When a driver on 4th stopped to allow another vehicle to exit the alley, the cyclist passed around him on the left side, crossing over the center line, and was hit head-on by a car coming in the opposite direction.
The victim, described only as a Hispanic male in his 20s, was transported to a hospital with severe head trauma. And no, he was not wearing a helmet, though it is unclear if it could have made a difference in this case.
Unfortunately, the prognosis doesn’t sound good; your prayers or good wishes are definitely in order in this case.
My sincere apologies for the error.
