Archive for Bicycle Safety

Man on bicycle killed by driver while riding on I-5 in National City; 7th SoCal bike rider killed in last 15 days

August 6, 2025 / / One comment

For God’s sake, make it stop, already.

For the seventh time in just over two weeks, someone riding a bicycle has been killed on the mean streets of Southern California.

Or a freeway, in this case.

According to multiple sources, a man on a bicycle was killed when he was struck by a driver while riding on southbound Interstate 5 in National City around 1 am Wednesday.

The Times of San Diego places the location near the mouth of the Sweetwater River, while other sources locate it near the Mile of Cars.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, died at the scene.

The driver remained following the crash, and cooperated with investigators. Police do not believe that person was under the influence, while a toxicology report for the victim is pending.

There’s no word at this time whether the victim was riding in the traffic lanes or on the shoulder of the freeway. There’s also no information on why he was on the freeway, or whether it is legal in that area; generally, bicycles are prohibited from limited access highways in California if there is an alternate route, which would seem to be the case here.

Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP San Diego Area at 858/293-6000.

This is at least the 32nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: 20-year old surfer Kolby Aipa dies three days after Huntington Beach ebike crash; grandson of legendary “surf royalty”

August 6, 2025 / / 4 comments

As if the news hasn’t been bad enough lately, now we’re learning that the grandson of a surf legend has died following an ebike crash.

According to the Daily Pilot, the victim, identified as 20-year old Huntington Beach resident Kolby Aipa, died three days after he was struck by a car that had been towing him on PCH.

The crash occurred around 10:08 p.m. Saturday night, near Seapoint Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.

Aipa was taken to UCI Medical Center suffering from critical injuries, where he was placed on life support. His family’s business posted online that he died Tuesday afternoon.

Surfer writes that Aipa was heir to “surf royalty,” the grandson of legendary surfer, board shaper and surfing coach Ben Aipa, a member of both the Surfing Walk of Fame and Surfers’ Hall of Fame. He was the inventor of the groundbreaking Sting surfboard design.

According to the magazine,

Following in his strong surfing lineage, Kolby was an up-and-coming surfer himself. He was sponsored by the clothing brand AVVA, Dakine, Cobian footwear, and others. He was a member of the Huntington Beach Board Riders club…

A memorial paddle-out for Kolby is being planned; stay tuned for more information.

There’s no word on why Aipa was being towed by a car, which was driven by people he knew. However, it’s possible that his ebike battery had died, and he was being towed rather than pedaling a heavy bike.

Or it could have just been an ill-advised stunt.

According to a crowdfunding campaign in his honor,

Kolby always had a way with touching the lives of whoever he met. His acts of kindness and caring was his gift of Aloha to friends and strangers alike. To everyone that reads this…pass his Aloha on. So, how Kolby treated you, treat others in that same way…

In this you are continuing his legacy of Aloha.

As of this writing, the campaign has raised nearly $69,000 of the $75,000 goal.

This is at least the 31st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the just the third that I’m aware of in Orange County.

Update: According to My News LA, Aipa was holding onto a Toyota Tacoma pickup being driven south on PCH — a practice known as skitching — when the driver somehow lost control of the truck, leading to their collision.

There should be no need to point out how dangerous that can be. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Kolby Aipa and his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , ,

Ebike rider killed by San Diego MTS Blue Line trolley in Chula Vista early Monday afternoon

August 4, 2025 / / 2 comments

The deadly toll affecting bike riders on Southern California streets continued in Chula Vista Monday afternoon.

Although this time, the killer wasn’t in a mobile vehicle.

It was a San Diego trolley.

According to multiple sources, the victim was riding an ebike across the Blue Line tracks near Moss Street and Industrial Blvd, when they were struck by the operator of a northbound trolley operated by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, or MTS, around 12:44 pm.

According to a witness, the victim was thrown “at least” seven or eight feet into the air by the impact of the crash. Afterwards, investigators focused on what appeared to be a backpack worn by the victim, as well as the shattered pieces of the bike.

There’s no word at this time about the identity of the victim, or whether the crossing gates were working at the time of the crash.

As the witness, Caleb Reyes, told San Diego’s NBC7, always look both ways before crossing any kind of street, pathway or railroad track.

And never, ever ignore railroad warning signals or ride around lowered crossing gates, regardless of whether you think the train has stopped or the danger has passed.

Because there’s a good chance you might be wrong.

This is at least the 30th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and their loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , , ,

Oxnard man dies two weeks after apparent right hook while riding his bike last month

August 1, 2025 / / One comment

Enough, already.

A bad month for bike riders in Southern California got worse today, when word broke that an Oxnard man died two weeks after he was struck by a driver while riding his bicycle last month.

According to the TriCity Sentry, the victim was run down by a woman while riding north on Ventura Road near Devonshire Drive on Friday, July 11th, around 9:22 pm.

First responders found him lying in the entryway to the Grocery Outlet Store, following the apparent right hook collision as the woman turned into the parking lot from northbound Ventura.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office reported around 2:30 pm last Friday that the man, identified as Oxnard resident Salvador Lopez, had died from his injuries.

The driver, Hannah De La Cruz, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. They don’t believe she was speeding or under the influence.

Anyone with information is urged to call Oxnard Police Corporal Manny Perez at 805/385-7749 or 805/200-5668, or email manuel.perez@oxnardpd.org.

This is at least the 29th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in Ventura County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Salvador Lopez and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

58-year old Lucerne Valley killed riding bicycle in Hesperia crash Monday night

July 29, 2025 / / No comments

At least the driver stuck around this time.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, a 58-year old Lucerne Valley man was killed while riding his bike in Hesperia last night.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was run down from behind by a 22-year old Tesla driver while riding in the right lane of Main Street at Escondido Avenue in Hesperia around 10 pm Monday.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, the victim was riding in the traffic lane without lights on his bike.

Through preliminary investigation, it is believed the Tesla traveled west in the number two lane on Main Street, east of Escondido Avenue, while the bicyclist traveled in the middle of the number two lane without lights on. The driver of the Tesla saw the bicyclist too late and was unable to swerve out of the way due to other vehicles on the roadway. The driver struck the bicyclist, knocked him off the bicycle and into a nearby field. The driver pulled over and immediately called 911, and stayed on scene. The bicyclist sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

While the description sounds like it’s based primarily on the driver’s statement, a photo from the scene appears to show a mangled road bike on the side of the road, without any visible lights.

Police don’t believe drug or alcohol use played a role in the collision. There’s no word on whether speed was a factor; however, the posted speed limit is 55 mph on that section of Main, according to the Victorville Daily Press.

A collision at that speed is unlikely to have been survivable, regardless of any other factors.

Whether or not the street would have been lighted appears to depend on what side of Escondido the crash occurred on, since there are street lights and commercial buildings on the east side, and none on the west side.

There is also no sidewalk or paved shoulder on the west side that could have provided any degree of safety. Although the wide traffic lane raises the question of why the victim would be riding in the middle of the lane, rather than closer to the curb.

Anyone with information is urged to call San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy E. Harrison at 760/947-1500, or call anonymously at 800/782-7463.

This is at least the 28th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Woman riding bicycle killed in Bellflower hit-and-run early Friday, 10th SoCal bike rider killed by hit-and-run drivers this year

July 25, 2025 / / 8 comments

Another day, another person on a bicycle killed by a heartless coward.

This time in Bellflower.

According to both KCBS-2 and Fox-11, a woman was reported down in the street around 1:55 am Friday on Clark Ave at Somerset Blvd.

When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found the victim lying in the road next to a bicycle.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or how long the woman, who hasn’t been publicly identified, may have been down on the Bellflower street she was discovered. Or if she could have survived if the driver had stopped and called for help, as the law requires.

Investigators are looking for the driver of a white pickup, believed to have fled north on Clark Street.

This is at least the 27th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

This was also the 6th person to die riding a bicycle in LA County in less than a month, and the tenth SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and her loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Man riding bike killed by hit-and-run driver in North Hollywood Monday night; 5th bike rider to die in LA County since end of June

July 22, 2025 / / No comments

Yet another life has been taken by a heartless coward who didn’t have the basic human decency to stop afterwards.

According to My News LA, a 52-year old man was killed by a hit-and-run driver while trying to ride his bike across a North Hollywood street Monday night.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was trying to cross Lankershim Blvd south of Arminta Street around 10:55 pm when he was struck by the driver of an older-model silver Dodge Ram pickup traveling south on Lankershim.

He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver continued driving south without stopping.

KTLA-5 reports that the victim was riding outside of the crosswalk, which is absolutely irrelevant since there is no requirement for bicyclists to use one. And just like drivers, they are entitled to move from one side of the street to the other, whether turning, crossing or making a U-turn.

So the question is whether the victim had the right-of-way, which could depend on where the driver came from and how fast they were going.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Valley Traffic Bureau Detective Otrosina at 818/644-8036, or Detective Martinez at 818/644-8033.

As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.

This is at least the 26th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the tenth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fifth we’ve learned about in the City of Los Angeles.

This was the fifth person to die riding a bicycle in LA County in less than a month, and the ninth SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , ,

Update: 29-year old man riding bicycle killed in early morning crash in South LA’s Vermont Square neighborhood; driver also injured

July 13, 2025 / / No comments

A man riding a bicycle was killed by a driver early this morning in the Vermont Square neighborhood of South Los Angeles.

According to KTLA-5, the victim was riding east on West Vernon Avenue at South Figueroa Street shortly before 1 am Sunday.

A driver traveling south on Figueroa slammed into him, then continued on to hit several parked cars.

The victim, identified only as a 29-year old man, died at the scene.

The driver was badly injured, and remained at the scene.

The station reports that local residents rushed out to assist the victims after the crash, and attempted to lift the driver’s car off the other man. It’s unclear if they succeeded, but at least he didn’t die alone.

The driver was extracted from his car, a while Honda, and taken to a hospital suffering from facial injuries.

There is video from the Citizen app showing the aftermath of the crash, but portions are fairly graphic, so be sure it’s really something you want to see.

Police were unsure this morning whether speed or alcohol were involved. But given the early morning hour and the damage to multiple vehicles, it seems likely the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed.

The intersection is controlled with a red light, but it’s unknown at this time who had the right-of-way.

This is at least the 25th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fourth we’ve learned about in the City of Los Angeles.

He was the fifth bike rider to die in LA County in just the past two weeks.

Update: The victim was identified at Jonatan Perez, no city of residence given. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jonatan Perez and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Bike rider killed in West Hollywood hit-and-run on deadly Fountain Ave; one third of 2025 SoCal bike deaths hit-and-runs

July 11, 2025 / / 2 comments

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 Gardner 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. Gardner 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.

Update: The victim has been identified as 27-year old Blake Ackerman, no city of resident given. 

According to a crowdfunding page to support his mother and sister,

Anyone who knew Blake was lucky to call him a friend. Many of his friends became an extension of his family. Blake and his family welcomed everyone with open arms, into their home, their gatherings, and their family dinners. No matter who you were, you were always welcome.

Blake was full of limitless potential. He lived well and accomplished so much in his all-too-short years. He was a born leader, he served as student-body president and vice president at Beverly Hills High School, undergraduate vice president at USC, senior articles editor for the Loyola Law Review, and president of Loyola’s Surf & Ski Club. He also co-founded a human-rights advocacy group dedicated to prison-to-school education.

Prior to graduating law school, Blake externed for Judge Autumn D. Spaeth of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. In 2023, he earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School, then clerked for Judge Clyde J. Wadsworth of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals in Oahu, where he met his soulmate, Torie. Together they moved back to his hometown of Los Angeles, and Blake joined Morgan Lewis as a litigation associate. Even in his busy professional life, Blake’s caring heart extended to pro bono work, he arranged one final matter to help someone in need, and his firm has honored to carry it forward in his memory.

As of this writing, the page has raised over $126,000 of a $150,000 goal.

Photo of Blake Ackerman from GoFundMe page

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Blake Ackerman and his loved ones. 

Thanks to Brian Nilsen for the heads-up. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Bicyclist killed by driver in early morning Pomona hit-and-run, police wait over a week to inform the public

July 8, 2025 / / No comments

Once again, someone riding a bicycle has been murdered by a heartless hit-and-run driver.

And once again, police were in no hurry to tell us about it.

According to My News LA, police found the victim lying in the roadway at Monterey Avenue and Eleanor Street in Pomona around 1:10 am on Monday, June 30th — over one week ago.

He was taken to a hospital suffering from serious injuries, but died shortly later. He has not been publicly identified.

Police are looking for the driver of a gray four-door sedan, possibly a Nissan Altima or similar make and model.

There’s no word on the how the crash occurred, or any description of the driver at this time. However, there are sharrows in both direction on Monterey, which may have contributed to the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Pomona Police Department at 909/620-2156.

This is at least the 23rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County. This was also at least the seventh SoCal bike rider killed by hit-and-run drivers since the first of the year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,
« Older Entries  
Wordpress Theme by ThemeZee