They didn’t have to look far to find one hit-and-run driver.
After three full months of searching, investigators identified the driver who killed a 37-year old father as he was riding with his two children in South LA.
Police identified 26-year old Los Angeles resident Moises Iscaya on October 6th as the driver who — allegedly — fled the scene after running down Jorge Guerra on July 8th; Guerra died after spending eight days in a coma.
Fortunately, his two children were uninjured, aside from the trauma of seeing their father killed in front of their eyes.
When LAPD officers searched for Iscaya, however, they found he was already being held by sheriff’s deputies on $2.2 million bail, charged with multiple counts including murder.
Maybe they should just add another murder count while they’re at it.
Unfortunately, felony hit-and-run resulting in death would only add a maximum of four years to whatever he gets if he’s convicted on the other charges.
Something that has to be changed if we ever want to stop the epidemic of hit-and-runs in this state.
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The Los Angeles City Council will consider using unarmed civilians and speed cams for traffic enforcement and collision investigations this morning.
Friday AM, Police Reform Cmte will discuss using civilians or tech instead of armed officers for traffic citations & collision reports. Could be big step in ending racially disparate traffic stops. https://t.co/pzFHJ6qcbb Proud to cosponsor w @mhdcd8 @HerbJWesson @CurrenDPriceJr pic.twitter.com/SmQhC4tDNL
— Mike Bonin (@mikebonin) October 22, 2020
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Calbike offers a reminder to Bike the Vote this year.
In every sense.
Bike-friendly politicians are our future! pic.twitter.com/Ae7xXlMhGs
— California Bicycle Coalition (@CalBike) October 22, 2020
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Congratulations to Davis on their award-winning bike safety musical. Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.
The City has won the 2020 Helen Putnam Award from the League of California Cities for Excellence in Economic Development through the Arts for “Light the Way: A Bike Safety Musical,” Full press release at: https://t.co/mg2EW6XWRS@bikecitytheatre @CaCities pic.twitter.com/Qpt8qRF7bn
— City of Davis (@CityofDavis) October 22, 2020
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New York bike cops continue to use their bicycles as shields and weapons against protesters.
And bust protestors because their bikes fall over.
https://twitter.com/itsa_talia/status/1319035324488687616
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A Boston suburb rips out a new bike lane after just six days, after vocal residents choose parking spaces over people’s lives.
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Local
Los Angeles could soon be the home of the nation’s largest ebike factory; privately owed ROKiT MADE plans to open next year to build “best-in-class e-Bike models across all price points in each market segment,” in a plant designed to accommodate up to 2,000 workers.
Santa Monica is planning to add a two-way separated bike lane protected by thin plastic bollards on Ocean Ave, replacing the current painted lane.
State
Santa Barbara’s new e-bikeshare system continues the transformation of the city’s main street, as State Street has been reclaimed from cars to provide space for outdoor shopping and dining.
Sad news from Porterville, where a 15-year old boy was killed riding his bike in a crosswalk.
A Fresno man faces charges after he was caught on video threatening a bike rider at knifepoint to steal his backpack.
San Francisco isn’t on track to meet the Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths in the next four years. But at least they’re trying, unlike a certain megalopolis to the south.
Davis is asking residents to take the Bike League’s Bicycle Friendly Community survey.
The City of Angels is building new bike lanes. No, the other City of Angels.
National
Urban planners from across the US consider repurposing traffic lanes for other uses in a post-pandemic world.
A writer for The Verge says driving the massively oversized Cadillac Escalade was one of the most stressful experiences of his life, while Outside says the new electric Hummer is the awesome pickup we’ve all been waiting for. Um, no.
A Colorado mountain biker rides the trail pioneered centuries ago by the Ute tribe.
Texas is launching a Drive Smart, Walk Smart, Bike Smart public safety campaign to combat a jump in bike and pedestrian crashes. Because everyone knows it’s better to air a few ads than do something about dangerous drivers and fix the damn streets.
A Kansas driver had his wrist slap sentence tossed out on appeal, after the court ruled the judge has exceeded her discretion by reducing his ten-year sentence for second-degree murder by over eight years; the court ordered him resentenced for running down a man with his car following a dispute.
A St. Louis nonprofit devoted to refurbishing bikes to donate to kids in need is slowly trying to rebuild after a building collapse destroyed hundreds of stored bicycles; the head of the group didn’t know the building they used for storage had been condemned seven years ago.
Good question. A Vermont paper asks if anyone can do anything about bike theft, while a bicyclist offers a tragic reminder to put your damn phone down while you ride.
Manhattan officials killed a proposal for a cargo bike corral to accommodate the bikes used for Whole Foods deliveries because it would have meant the loss of five lousy parking spaces.
DC’s Metro built bike corrals at three park and ride locations — and somehow spent $20,000 per space doing it.
Residents of a Maryland city are up in arms over groups of ill-mannered kids on bicycles swarming the streets.
Yet another example of keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it’s too late, as a South Carolina man was sentenced to 20 years for the hit-and-run death of a bike rider after four previous DUI convictions.
A New Orleans bike group cancels their weekly light-up bike parade after it proves too popular during the pandemic.
International
Travel & Leisure lists the world’s top bicycling cities. Needless to say, Los Angeles didn’t make the list; Portland, Seattle and Minneapolis did.
Add these to your mountain bike bucket list. Bicycling recommends a handful of bikepacking singletrack trails across the US and around the world. Read it on Yahoo if Bicycling blocks you.
They get it. A Bogotá, Colombia website says it’s time to protect vulnerable bike riders, because riding a bicycle shouldn’t be a capital crime.
Mexico’s Merida will build a 45-mile bike lane network circling the Yucatan town.
The bighearted owner of a Toronto bike shop gave a new bike to a frontline hospital worker whose bike was stolen as he worked a 28 hour shift.
Conservative councilors in the London borough of Hackney called for removing Low Traffic Neighborhoods — the country’s Slow Streets equivalent — despite their popularity with the city’s residents.
UK car insurance claims involving bike riders have doubled this year, as more people took to two wheels during the coronavirus lockdown.
Life is cheap in Great Britain, where a careless driver who killed a bike rider got just 30 months behind bars — which included time for also stealing 16 cars worth over $250,000.
Spain plans to reduce the standard speed limit in cities from the equivalent of 31 mph to 18 mph to improve safety for people who aren’t in cars.
Forget helmet laws; an Iranian woman was busted for riding a bicycle without a hijab.
Competitive Cycling
English cyclist Dan Martin took the third stage of the Vuelta, while the Giro got a new leader after Thursday’s stage as João Almeida cracked climbing the iconic Stelvio.
Apparently, Colombia cyclist Fernando Gaviria thought Covid-19 was so nice, he caught it twice.
VeloNews examines Anna van der Breggen’s successful strategy to win Sunday’s Tour of Flanders.
Highland could serve as a substitute if the annual Redlands Classic stage race isn’t able to roll next year.
The Cedar City, Utah edition of the Belgian Waffle Ride was the first gravel race to roll as the nation slowly continues a premature wakeup from Covid-19; VeloNews looks at the precautions that were taken to help keep everyone safe.
Finally…
If you’re going to ride your bike to commit a burglary, maybe the fireplace isn’t the best place to hide. Your next ride could result in glowing reviews. No, literally.
And someone must think roadkill looks better in stripes.
“You had one job”https://t.co/tj2GlQdVqT
— Angry People in Local Newspapers (@angrypiln) October 21, 2020
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Be safe, and stay healthy. And wear a mask, already.
