Once again, someone with a bike has been killed on a SoCal Freeway.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, a woman was struck by a driver while attempting to walk her bike across southbound Interstate 5 in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood.
The crash occurred around 9:30 am Tuesday, after she had been walking her bike on the shoulder of the freeway south of Garnet Ave.
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, died at the scene.
The driver stopped and cooperated with CHP investigators. Neither the driver or her passenger were injured.
No explanation was given for why she was walking her bike on the freeway, or why she tried to cross the freeway.
This is at least the 37th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Diego County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and her loved ones.
If bike riders would obey all traffic regulations there would be a lot fewer accidents and deaths of them, but they don’t obey so the are paying a terrible price.
Not sure what happened here, but what about cyclists who get run down from behind while in designated bike lanes. It keeps happening. Stop blaming cyclists for motorist error or inattention.
You’ve got a point. Then again, if drivers would obey all traffic regulations, there’d be a lot fewer deaths than if every bike rider obeyed every traffic law. It’s not bikes that kill in careless hands.
While very tragic, I don’t think incidents like this where someone is doing a careless, illegal act like walking across a freeway while holding a bike, should be counted as an indication of how dangerous biking is in the area, and shouldn’t even count toward the total of bike riding deaths. There’s even a Class I path under I-5 and several road crossings in that area, no reason to cross the freeway. Another one with someone illegally crossing the 163 Fwy near Balboa Park was similar. Whereas the fatality near Balboa Park where a cyclist was killed while riding in the bike lane is an indication of how dangerous it is to bike in that area.
My sister was the driver. She is 8-months pregnant and was paying attention when the woman walked right in front of her car, which can be corroborated by my mother (the passenger) and the sheriff who was driving directly behind my sister at the time. There was no way that she could have avoided the collision. While it is tragic that the woman lost her life, my sister, elderly mother, and the baby were also put at risk because of this person’s carelessness. My sister had to go to the hospital and it’s a blessing that her and the baby were ok. In this situation, it is clear that the pedestrian should not have been crossing the freeway, and maybe we’ll find out more details about the situation once the toxicology report is completed. I’m a biker myself, and honestly, this woman wasn’t biking at the time and was in fact breaking the law, so I don’t think it’s really fair to even include this as a bicycling fatality. Just my two cents.
The girl that was walking is my sister.
I’m so sorry for your loss. My mother and sister were praying frantically for your sister’s life. It was a terrible, terrible thing that happened. Please know that your sister and family have been in our thoughts and prayers since this happened.
You can email me if you want.. Randy.weaver40@yahoo.com
Sofia I forgive your sister. I hope she is ok. I forgive you
But as I will in time. Things just don’t add up all the way as there is 3 different articles all saying something different.
We’ve been praying that everyone find peace . She had 4 kids and 2 grandbabies. Our mother just passed December 5 so this all is just another strike at my brother and I .
In San Diego this past Sunday at around 5:30pm I was driving southbound on the I-5 just south of Mission Beach when to my horror a man on a bike appeared in front of us between lanes heading in the OPPOSITE northbound direction. I was in the middle lane and he passed us on my right between lanes. I have no idea what ultimately happened to him but it was the most startling, horrific thing I have experienced driving.