The bloodshed continued on Southern California streets, as yet another person was killed riding a bicycle, this time in Irvine.
According to the Orange County Register, the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was struck by a motorist somewhere near the offramp to the 405 Freeway at Jeffrey Road around 9:43 am Saturday.
Which makes it the fourth fatal SoCal bike crash in just the last five days.
The victim apparently died at the scene, with the coroner called 43 minutes after the crash.
There’s no description yet on the victim, or just how or where the crash happened. Although it appears to have been near the northbound offramp, since Jeffrey changes names south of the 405.
Meanwhile, someone was transported to the hospital with a leg injury. But again, there’s no word on whether that person was in the car, or if the driver may have struck someone else, as well.
Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.
This is at least the 31st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth that I’m aware of in Orange County.
That follows the deaths of people riding bicycles in Monterey Park, Riverside and Desert Hot Springs since last Tuesday.
Update: The Orange County Coroner has identified the victim as 26-year old Irvine resident Barbora Kabatova.
Even though the coroner was called to the scene, Kabatova actually died Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo nearly 30 minutes after the crash.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Barbora Kabatova and all her loved ones.
Thanks to Bill Sellin for the heads-up.
We offer up our prayers for the family and friends of the victim.
Thank you very much for your words.
I am biker as well Brake my heart to hear that So sorry. My heart is with the Familly
Dear Danusia,
here is Barbora’s dad.
I am biking enthusiast myself.
Thank you for your comforting words.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/747200086016482
I drive by there all the time and slow down to see if there is a cyclist coming or pedestrian to get on the freeway that morning I saw the car that struck her. The police were still investigating and I saw the bike stuck under the rail. My guess is she was being safe and the car was going so fast probably on phone or not paying attention but certainly going extremely fast. The car was getting on the freeway. I want to take flowers there. I hope they make it safer for other cyclists this is very sad she was beautiful and so young. My prayers are for the fanily and her even though I didn’t meet her. But seeing the scene hit hard. Again hope to bring flowers if that is okay. God bless and she will be remembered. Just a sad situation.
Thank you Daisy,
her bike will be painted white and placed there as a memorial. Bikers and drivers, please be more careful. Hopefully this will help so no other family would suffer like this. Thank you for flowers and supporting words.
Daisy, you seem to be the only witness to the actual crash. Can you tell us which onramp this was near? An Orange County group has a ghost bike ready to install, but needs to know where to place it.
Driver was heading south on Jeffrey, getting onto NB 405 & hit her IN THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK!? Many motorists start speeding up on Jeffrey before they even get to the onramp, and the bike lane there becomes a shoulder on the on ramp. Caltrans knows better – they recently improved the bike lanes on Culver but have not made the same improvements on Jeffrey. I have a Ghost Bike ready to place, like the one I put up for Linda Smythe on Portola – or will paint & put up Barbora’s actual bike…
Dear Bill,
I would love to help you with the bike, but we are on the other side of the country in Maryland. Due to state of our mind right now and the pandemic we decided not to fly to LA. We were planing to drive down there and visit Barbora next month to spend some time together but now all our plans and life has changed.
I asked David C (husband of very sweet Angela who was working with Barb at FDA – please see message down below from July 21st) to help paint and install Barbora’s bike as her memorial to remember her beautiful soul and as a reminder of the tragedy that took place there. As a quiet statement in support of cyclists’ rights to travel safe. Hopefully this will help to other families to avoid indescribable suffering we are going through. I will get you in contact with David. Thank you guys for your help and support!
Juraj Kabat
Dear Daisy Reyna,
could you please be so kind and call police with the information you have seen. Any information, any detal is important. Thank you!
Juraj Kabat
Barbora’s dad
I’ve ridden that exact area maybe twice. The trail that runs parallel to 405 west of Jeffrey, you have to zig zag across the northbound 405 on-ramp on southbound Jeffrey, go south on Jeffrey 10 meters to crosswalk, traverse crosswalk, then go north quarter mile to access trail again. Thing is that intersection of the northbound 405 off-ramp and Jeffrey is an T intersection. So when the crosswalk signal says go, the only traffic that has a green light are cars coming off northbound 405. My guess the biker was crossing the street eastbound and was hit by right hook. It’s a really sketchy intersection. I’ve only been there twice in my life, but both times I could see the possibility of getting hit there very easily. I crossed very cautiously, both times getting the driver’s visual acknowledgement before proceeding. And both times I could tell by the look on their faces: they weren’t expecting me there, “shit that was a close one”. If you’re a novice or inattentive biker that intersection is dangerous. There’s cars going 80-90 exiting the freeway, maybe slowing down to 30-40 if they catch the green.
I was at the same point 15 to 30 mins earlier. Oh my gosh. We as cyclist need to ride cautiously. It’s a slightly dangerous intersection of cars entering the 405 northbound & cyclist passing beyond on university
All on-ramps in OC are the same; dangerous. We are being sacrificed in the name of ever increasing speeds for cars. Enough is enough. We need to hold the designers (CalTrans) responsible and insist on some action. These on-ramps require cyclist to merge up to two lanes of high speed traffic to continue in a straight direction. Very dangerous. These are not “accidents” rather they are inevitable events given the poor design, at least from a cyclists standpoint.
I was there about 10 minutes earlier and I chose to use the Quailcreek crossing, which has a traffic light. The problem with the trail crossing is that drivers are accelerating before going onto the onramp and not expecting to slow down or stop. Bikers have to make absolutely sure there is no incoming car before crossing.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I did not know your daughter, but my heart sank when I learned someone so young and vital had died so needlessly. I pray that you and your family may find peace, and joy in her memory.
It appears that she has a Linkedin profile and appears to have been a bright young woman who just moved to Irvine from Maryland less than a year ago. https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbora-kabatova-a1ba5576/
This is tragic, my heart goes out to her family and friends.
I went to the same elementary, middle school, and high school with her in Maryland. Don’t know her too well, but I am shocked that she died.. She just graduated from Pharmacy school after spending her entire life in school. Finally reached a new chapter in her life, and shes gone.
Dear John and VK,
This is Barbora’s dad.
Thank you for your words.
Barbora loved biking. We biked together since she was 4.
She was always very careful.
We do not understand how this terrible tragedy could happen.
Thank you for remembering her.
Hi Mr. Kabatova.. I am extremely sorry for your loss. I know you are probably overwhelmed with emotions right now, but I hope are recovering. I had some great memories with Barbora especially in 4th grade when I just moved to Twinbrook elementary school in Ms. Connor/Kelly’s class. Even though I haven’t really talked to her her since elementary school, shes been running through my mind for the past 4 day. I still have my class photo with her from 4th grade, and I will always keep her in my memory.
Thank you very much! You don’t know how much it means to me. You are right, my world is in complete ruins and darkness right now. She was young loving soul that touched lives on many of us. Since she was a little kid, she had strong sense of justice, always protecting scared and weak. It might be that that is how you remember her. She graduated Pharmacy school and moved to Irvine to work in the lab at FDA. She was very successful and happy there, biking to work every day. She had so many plans for the future, she loved LA, beach, nature and great weather. That Saturday she went on her regular biking trip to Shady Canyon Trail and not even 10 minutes from her place her life journey has got cut short unexpectedly when she was killed by car on a crosswalk. If you would like to meet more friends from Twinbrook or Rockville please come to visit us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/747200086016482
Thank you!
Juraj, I am The Husband of Angela who worked with Barbora. you and I met once at our pool. I just wanted to pass on to you my deepest condolences. Barbora always impressed me at how smart and full of life she was. I even would pass her from time to time on the bike path and we would share smile and laugh as we passed. If I or my family can do anything else, please let us know.
Dear David,
I remember that night. I remember everyone very well.
We had such a great time together right before the sunset, swimming in the pool and having a picnic. Barbora was so happy, she just finished her school and was ready to start her life there. She started to work at FDA with Angela that took her like her own daughter. She was very happy and full of life. She was coming little scared, and asked us to come with her but she instantly fell in love with Cali, all the pools, beaches, nature, and biking and especially with all the people that were so nice to her. We were all so happy. Our life will never be the same. I want to thank you for everything. I want to thank you all for the most important thing you gave to my daughter while she was here with us. Love, support and friendship so she didn’t have chance to feel lonely so far from home. Thanks to you she was so happy at Cali and enjoyed every day of her life. I am very thankful for that. Since we are on the other side of the country I would like to ask you one more thing. To help us to turn Barbora’s bike into the small and somber memorial and lock it at the crash site to remember her beautiful soul and as a reminder of the tragedy that took place there, as a quiet statement in support of cyclists’ rights to travel safe. Thank you!
Juraj Kabat
https://www.facebook.com/groups/747200086016482
Hi Juraj, I’ve checked with the people responsible for placing ghost bikes in Orange County, and they have one painted and ready to install as a memorial to Barbora. They are only waiting for more information on just where she was killed, so they can put it in the right place. All we know for certain is that it was near an onramp, which means it could be one of four places. Do you have any additional information that could help out? My heart grieves for you and your family.
Hi. I have the ghost bike and will be placing it there over the weekend.
Thank you very much!
Could you please take a picture for me and post It on the page dedicated to my beloved daughter’s memory:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/747200086016482
Thank you guys for you kind words of support and all your help.
Stay strong and stay safe.
Best,
Juraj Kabat, Barbora’s dad
Wonderful, thank you.
I am trying to find any witness of this tragic accident.
Any camera on the ground or on the car, anyone biking, driving, walking around when this has happen.
Are there any witnesses do you know someone who witnessed this?
This is big intersection there must have been many people around.
I am desperate. Please help.
Juraj Kabat
Barbora’s dad
I am trying to find any witness of this tragic accident.
Any camera on the ground or on the car, anyone biking, driving, walking around when this has happen.
Are there any witnesses do you know someone who witnessed this?
This is big intersection there must have been many people around.
I am desperate. Please help.
Juraj Kabat
Barbora’s dad
I lost my brother in the same way this August, 10 years ago. My deepest condolences.