It never stops.
Yet another Southern California bike rider has been murdered by a hit-and-run driver.
According to LA’s FOX-11, Riverside police found a woman lying dead on the side of the roadway early Wednesday morning, her bike and belongings strewn for a full block behind her.
The officers discovered the victim, who has not been publicly identified, while responding to a call at Orange and Center streets in Riverside a few minutes before 2 am.
There was no sign of the driver, and no description of the suspect vehicle. It’s not clear if she was riding or walking the bike at the time of the crash.
The lengthy debris field suggests she was either struck at high speed, or she and her bike were dragged under the vehicle for at least a block.
There’s no way of knowing at this time how long she had been there, or if she could have survived if the driver had stopped and called for help, as both the law and basic human decency requires.
When and if the driver is found, they’ll face a maximum of just four years for felony hit-and-run resulting in death under California’s overly lenient hit-and-run statute.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Riverside Police Department.
This is at least the 23rd bicycling fatality in Southern California already this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.
Eight of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and her loved ones.
