This time it’s personal. And yes, I’m mad as hell.
Once again, someone riding a bicycle has been murdered by a hit-and-run driver, this time in West Hollywood.
And this time, at an intersection I’ve passed through literally thousands of times, on foot, on bike and in a car.
It was about 10 pm last night when a notification on the Ring app said someone had been struck by a driver at Fountain Ave and Gardener Street; video from the scene showed sheriff’s deputies had blocked the entire street in both directions, which is never a good sign.
That was confirmed today, when we learned the victim didn’t make it.
According to multiple sources, the victim was riding west on Fountain around 9:47 pm when he was run down from behind by the driver, who continued west on Fountain without stopping.
The victim was taken to the trauma center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died of his injuries. He has not been publicly identified.
Investigators are looking for a white, older-model BMW sedan, which will likely have a shattered windshield on the passenger side. There is no description of the driver at this time.
Fountain has long been one of the deadliest streets in West Hollywood, along with Sunset Blvd just a few blocks north. Gardener connects them at the east end of the city, and has been the scene of fatal hit-and-runs at the intersections with both streets less than two weeks apart.
And if that’s not a problem, I don’t know what is.
Fountain is also a designated bike route, where bike riders are encouraged to ride by the presence of sharrows, regardless of experience. And despite drivers who frequently exceed the posted 25 mph speed limit, sometimes by two or three times.
Plans have been in the works for at least two years now to fix Fountain, but have been held up by the usual endless series of public meetings and redesigns, as if residents concerned about parking somehow know more about designing safe streets than the people trained to do it.
The next meeting is planned for August 19th at 6 pm, in the Plummer Park Community Center.
And yes, I will do my best to be there.
Anyone with information related to the collision is urged to contact traffic investigators at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at 310/855-8850. Anonymous tips can be called into Crimestoppers at 800/222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads).
This is at least the 24th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
This was also at least the eighth SoCal bike rider killed by hit-and-run drivers since the first of the year.
But at least the Sheriff’s Department told us about it right away, unlike the LAPD.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
Thanks to Brian Nilsen for the heads-up.
Hit and Run is a behavior from 3rd world countries for decades imported to the USA. It was never the American way.