Update: Teenage girl killed by Metro bus on PCH in Redondo Beach

Southern California’s killer highway has claimed another victim. And a lack of bicycle infrastructure may be at least partially to blame.

According to the Daily Breeze, a 13-year old girl, who has not been publicly identified, was riding her bike with a friend when she somehow swerved in front of, or into, a Metro bus around 5:40 pm on Pacific Coast Highway at Knob Hill Ave in Redondo Beach.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The paper reports a witness said she swerved in front of the bus, while initial reports suggest she rode into the side of the bus, according to a Metro spokesperson. The bus was operated by a subcontractor, MV Transportation, rather than Metro itself.

However, the South Bay’s Easy Reader, which places the time of the crash as 4:40 pm, cites a local business owner who says the girls were coasting their bicycles along the sidewalk before riding out into traffic.

They also note that the collision was partially captured on security camera, while observing that the bus had the green light as it approached Knob Hill on southbound PCH.

The other girl was unharmed.

A street view shows a commercial roadway on PCH with two lanes in each direction and a center left turn lane, with a wide sidewalk along side.

Meanwhile, a Twitter photo on the KTLA-5 report shows the victim’s bike resting on the curb on the northwest corner, while police blockade the center Knob Hill alongside PCH, suggesting she may have ridden off the handicapped ramp into the intersection. However, it’s unclear how that would have placed her in the path of the bus.

The lack of safe bicycling infrastructure on PCH may have contributed to the crash by encouraging the girls to ride on the sidewalk instead of the street, where they would have been more visible to the driver. And may not have had to dart into the path of the bus.

This is the 17th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 10th in Los Angeles County. And while it’s at least the fifth bicycling fatality in Redondo Beach since 2010, it’s the first in the last five years.

Update: The victim has been identified as 13-year old Ciara Smith of Redondo Beach, a student at Parras Middle School. 

Update 2: The community turns out to mourn her death.

Update 3: KCBS-2 reports the crash may have been a result of misaligned crosswalks due to the single diagonal cut handicap ramp, rather than two separate ramps aligned with the crosswalk. 

Some of her classmates brought flowers and wore bright clothes in her favorite colors of teal, mint green and blue.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Ciara Smith and all her family and loved ones.

4 comments

  1. JD says:

    We lift up the friends and family of the young victim in prayer.

  2. Alan says:

    Heartbreaking. I used to live within 100 feet of that intersection. Cars typically travel at 45 mph through there.

    Putting in my opinion here. It looks like she was riding east on Knob Hill, approached the intersection (single diagonal handicap curb cut). At this point she may have turned south, perhaps to cross Knob Hill before crossing PCH. This could have put her on PCH just enough to be sideswiped or hit.

    Many cities use the diagonal curb cuts at intersections as a cost saving measure while meeting ADA requirements. Many bicycling advocates and wheelchair users dislike this treatment as it brings them closer to moving traffic than separate curb cuts for each direction.

  3. I can’t even imagine the grief the girl’s loved ones must be feeling. They’ll be in my prayers.

    • Jose says:

      True, but our duty is to try to act as if we can imagine it and be open to that which helps us do what those too close can not do, before it happens to us and we depend on the rest of us helping. . .. .

      I know the reality is that most who knew her as they fear her being forgotten will for survival avoid confronting the tragedy head on, litigating or trying to, fighting as if she lived on dependent on there doing so, which is the case for those who will be hit.

      I hope they help us imagine by not waiting to appear before elected bodies, the post before this noted Tuesday night near the famous pier review of plans to prevent such deaths will occur, and helping them get there matters. If you can’t help a victim go then go yourself . . . Let the politicians see us as they discuss.

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