Too often when someone is injured while riding a bicycle, we never hear any more about it.
This time we did. But the news wasn’t good.
According to multiple, virtually identical news reports, 61-year old Scott Andrew Morris died three weeks to the day after suffering a head injury in an Irvine collision earlier this month.
Morris was riding his beach cruiser north on MacArthur Blvd, in the onramp to the 405 Freeway, around 1:20 pm on Thursday, August 1st, when police say he suddenly turned to the left, crashing his bike into the passenger door and mirror of a massive Chevy Suburban SUV.
He fell to the ground, striking his head, and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died on Thursday.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Morris was not wearing a helmet. Which is worth noting this time, since he apparently died of a head injury; however, we don’t know how fast the SUV was going, or whether the crash would have been survivable with or without one.
Although another possible explanation for how the collision unfolded is that Morris was forced to ride across a dangerous slip lane designed for high speeds, with no bike infrastructure or safety accommodations of any kind. And was sideswiped by the driver, who either didn’t see him or was trying to get around his bike as Morris tried to make his way across.
Something that could be supported by damage to the Suburban’s passenger-side mirror, which would have likely hit Morris first if the driver struck him, rather than the other way around.
The question is whether there were independent witnesses to the crash, or any video evidence, or if investigators simply took the driver’s word for it, since Morris may have been unable to give his version of events.
Anyone with information is urged to call Irvine Police detectives at 949/724-7024.
This is at least the 34th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth that I’m aware of in Orange County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Scott Andrew Morris and all his loved ones.
NB MacArthur is a rare example where there are no high speed slip lanes or even a free right.
There is a right turn only lane which is illegal to go straight from unless the exception go bicycles has been signed or marked with sharrows.
If you ride the gutter you are always vulnerable to close passing and lane sharing by motorists who may not even see you.
Many deride vehicular cycling but this is exactly the place to control the lane, signal and merge left to the through lane and control your lane until wide enough to share side by side or when a bike lane begins.
Swerving out of the gutter on a high speed RTOL or any traffic lane can get you knocked down, and fatal head trauma can occur falling at a dead stop. Wearing a helmet is a prudent choice but would not have been needed if he ‘drove’ his bicycle like a predictable part of traffic, or used Von Karman, just eat of MacArthur where there is a class 2 bikeway and no freeway connections over the 405.
Blaming the motorist for this crash that caused a death is unfair. I am a vehicular cyclist and so am all to aware of cyclist when driving. I still worry that I might crash into some cyclist who blows a stop sign or salmon rides into my path. I think Irvine PD report is not ‘victim blaming’ and primary responsibility does appear to be on the cyclist.
Your slip lane example is MacArthur at 55
Post says it was NB MacArthur at 405
not WB MacArthur at 55
Locals know to avoid MacArthur and use class 2 bikeways on VonKarman, or Main.
So sad. My condolences to Scott’s family. Such an unfortunate event. RIP
God bless his family when we started in Irvine there wasn’t even a store