This year just keeps getting worse.
As of this weekend, 15 people had already lost their lives riding a bicycle in Southern California this year.
Now you can add yet another victim to that grim list. This time in Oxnard, where a 40-year old man was killed riding an ebike.
And this time only one of the two drivers involved bothered to stick around afterwards.
According to a press release from the Oxnard Police Department, the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was apparently riding north on the southbound side of Saviers Road near Guava Street around 6:23 pm Sunday when he was struck head-on by a 67-year old pickup driver traveling in the right lane.
That driver stopped after the crash. Police do not believe he was speeding or under the influence
The victim was knocked off his bike by the impact, landing in the next lane, where he was run over by a driver in an SUV. That person continued without stopping, dragging the ebike under their car.
The second driver stopped about a block away to dislodged the ebike from underneath the SUV, then got back in and continued driving south on Saviers. There’s no description at this time of that driver or the suspect SUV.
The victim died at the scene.
It’s not clear from the limited description whether he was riding in the bike lane when he was struck by the first driver, or if he was in the traffic lane next to it.
It’s also not clear whether he was actually riding a ped-assist or throttle-controlled bicycle, or if he was riding e-motorbike or a non-street legal electric dirt bike.
That’s an ongoing problem when anything with two wheels and an electric motor is called an ebike, regardless of how fast or powerful it is.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Oxnard Police Officer Daniel Diaz Sanchez at 805/385-7750, or email daniel.diaz-sanchez@oxnardpd.org, especially after hours. Or you can call the Oxnard Police Department at 805/385-7600.
This the 16th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the second in Ventura County; both were in Oxnard.
Five of those deaths have now involved hit-and-run drivers.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
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