Archive for Bicycle Safety

Update: 67-year old bike rider dies days after Glassell Park collision

August 11, 2018 / / One comment

Sad news from Glassell Park, where a 67-year old man has died after his bike was stuck by an SUV driver earlier this week.

However, it’s unclear what day the crash happened.

According to The Eastsider, the victim, identified as Apolinar Venancio, was struck on Avenue 34 east of Eagle Rock Boulevard in LA’s Glassell Park neighborhood.

The crash occurred around 6:15 pm either Wednesday or Thursday; the story cites both days in different places.

Police report Vanancio was riding on the sidewalk along Avenue 34 when he allegedly rode out off the sidewalk between two cars, and into the path of the SUV. He was knocked to the street, suffering a head injury.

He died at a local hospital around 9:30 am Saturday, surrounded by his family.

The driver remained at the scene following the Glassell Park crash.

A street view shows a narrow, unmarked two lane roadway on 34th, with curbs along most of the street.

The question is where Vanancio came off the curb, and why he wouldn’t have been aware of the SUV bearing down on him, if the collision occurred as it was described by police.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Central Traffic Division Detectives at 213/833-3713 or the Central Traffic Division Watch Commander at 213/388-3746.

This is at least the 31st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

It’s also the fourth bicycling death in the seven county SoCal region in just the last eight days.

Update: A GoFundMe page for the man friends called Don Polo has raised over $2,200 of a $20,000 goal to pay his funeral expenses. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Apolinar Venancio and all his family. 

Thanks to Walk Eagle Rock for the heads-up. 

Photo of Apolinar “Don Polo” Venancio from the GoFundMe page; other photos courtesy of Felicia G.

 

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

Breaking News: Bicyclist killed this morning in Cypress collision

August 9, 2018 / / 9 comments

The Cypress Police Department is reporting that a bike rider was killed this morning.

Unfortunately, that’s about all they’re reporting.

According to the department, a crash was reported by several people at 6:06 am Thursday at the intersection of Ball Road and Walker Street in Cypress.

When officers arrived, they found the bike rider was already dead. The victim has not been identified in any way pending notification of next of kin.

The driver remained at the scene.

No other information is available at this time.

A street view shows an intersection with two lanes and left turn lanes in every direction, along with bike lanes on both Ball and Walker.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Cypress PD Officer Eric Mount at 714/229-6634.

This is at least the 30th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 3rd that I’m aware of in Orange County.

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

Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the heads-up.

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

Update: Road bike rider killed in East San Diego County crash

August 4, 2018 / / 3 comments

A man has been killed riding a road bike in an unincorporated area east of San Diego.

According to the Union-Tribune, the victim was riding south in the bike lane on Avocado Blvd just above Nabal Drive in the Casa del Oro neighborhood of San Diego County around 8 am. He reportedly swerved into the traffic lane, and was struck by a car driven by a 63-year old woman.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to a regional trauma center, where he died from his injuries.

The only identifying information given is the make of his bike, a Masi Gran Corsa road bike.

As always, the question is whether there were any witnesses other than the driver.

It’s possible that he may have swerved out of the bike lane to avoid an obstruction, or moved left to turn onto Nabal Drive without checking for traffic.

However, it’s also possible that the driver may have been speeding, or drifted into the bike lane and only assumed the he swerved in front her. The lack of physical evidence in bike crashes can make it difficult, if not impossible, to identify the exact point of impact.

Crashes like that are so common they are often referred to sarcastically as an SWSS, or Single Witness Suicide Swerves.

Hopefully we’ll get more information soon.

This is at least the 29th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 6th that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 61-year old La Mesa resident Daniel Lusteg. 

And yes, he was wearing a helmet. In this case, it was not enough to help.

Meanwhile, Frank Lehnerz forwards a Google image showing what might have made Lusteg swerve.

What hasn’t been mentioned is that if he swerved around this or any other object, it would suggest that the driver didn’t give a three-foot passing distance as required by law.

Otherwise, anything less than a swerve into the left turn lane shouldn’t have been enough to cause a collision. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Daniel Lusteg and his loved ones.

Thanks to Jeff Kucharski, Charles Schenck and Frank Lehnerz for the heads-up. 

 

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

35-year old San Pedro man killed in Long Beach collision Thursday morning

August 3, 2018 / / 2 comments

A San Pedro man rode his new e-bike to work for just the second time yesterday.

And the last.

According to the Long Beach Post, 35-year old Ben Rael — described by his brother as having “the biggest damn heart you can imagine” — had saved up for six months to buy the bike he lost his life riding.

The Press-Telegram reports Rael was riding west on the south sidewalk on 7th Street approaching Martin Luther King Jr. Ave around 6:35 am Thursday. Witnesses say he rode off the sidewalk and into the street against traffic, and was immediately struck by the driver of a large pickup.

Rael was apparently thrown into the back of the truck, where the driver performed CPR until paramedics arrived; he died after being taken to a nearby hospital.

Police said alcohol was not a factor.

However, damage to the truck, and Rael’s shattered bicycle, suggest that speed may have been. It’s possible that the driver may have been speeding, or that Rael may have been traveling at a high speed when they hit head on.

Or both.

Either could explain why he apparently rode out directly into the path of an oncoming truck, which is the lingering question in explaining what happened.

This is at least the 28th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 13th in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Ben Rael and all his family and loved ones.

 

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

Bike rider dies after collision on a San Diego freeway early Tuesday morning

July 28, 2018 / / 2 comments

Earlier this week, we mentioned a bike rider had suffered major injuries when he was hit by a driver on a San Diego freeway.

Sadly, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports the victim died of his injuries the next day.

According to the paper, 53-year old San Diego resident David Sheridan was struck by the driver of a Toyota Camry around 5:15 am on the southbound State Route 163, near the transition to State Route 52 in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood.

Earlier reports indicated the driver’s car was traveling at 60 mph as she transitioned from westbound SR-52 to southbound SR-163. She crashed into Sheridan’s bicycle after the driver ahead of her swerved to avoid Sheridan as he rode in the traffic lane ahead of her.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died at 11:38 am Wednesday.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

There’s no explanation given for why Sheridan would have been riding on a major freeway where bicycles are not allowed.

A satellite view shows a four lane freeway on the southbound side, with a double transition lane entering from both directions of SR-52.

It’s possible Sheridan may have been riding on the shoulder of the freeway, and was caught in traffic when he tried to cross the entrance lanes. However, that is just speculation.

There’s no word on whether he had lights on his bike at that pre-dawn hour. The U-T also notes that he was wearing a helmet, even though it wouldn’t have done a damn bit of good under those circumstances.

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

And this is the third SoCal bike rider killed while riding on a freeway in recent memory.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for David Sheridan and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to Phillip Young for the heads-up. 

 

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

Breaking News: Bike rider killed in Cudahy collision; few details available

July 23, 2018 / / 10 comments

Sometimes, bad news never makes the news.

The East Los Angeles Station of the LA County Sheriff’s Department is reporting that a man died after he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle in Cudahy on Saturday.

The victim, described only as an adult Hispanic man, was riding east on Santa Ana Street at Atlantic Avenue at 11:50 am, when he made a left turn onto Atlantic Ave.

He was stuck by the driver of a 2010 Dodge Charger traveling west on Santa Ana after apparently turning into the path of the car.

He taken to a nearby hospital with a major head injury, and died following surgery.

No other information is available at this time.

A street view shows one lane in each direction on Santa Ana with a right turn lane eastbound at Atlantic, and left and right turn lanes in the opposite direction.

This is at least the 26th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 12th in LA County.

Update: The victim’s family has identified him as Bellflower resident Daniel Romero; he died just 10 days after his 23rd birthday.  

At this time, a crowdfunding campaign to help pay his funeral expenses has raised a little over $2,100 of the $10,000 goal. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Daniel Romero and his loved ones. 

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

Bike rider killed in early morning Perris collision on Friday the 13th

July 19, 2018 / / 3 comments

Note: Due to this death in Perris last week, and Monday’s fatality in El Cajon, there won’t be any Morning Links today. We’ll catch up on everything tomorrow.

Somehow, we missed this one last weekend.

According to the Riverside County News Source, a bike rider was killed in a pre-dawn collision in Perris Friday morning.

The victim, identified as 30-year old Perris resident Raul Sangerman Otiz, was attempting to cross Perris Blvd on or near the Ramona Expressway when he was stuck by the driver of a northbound vehicle around 5:45 am Friday.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries.

A street view shows northbound Perris Blvd has two through lanes, with a right turn bay and double left turn lanes; the southbound side has three through lanes with both left and right turn lanes.

There’s no word on which direction Otiz was traveling, or which party had the right-of-way. Either Otiz or the unidentified driver had to have gone through the red light, although it’s possible the light could have changed while he was crossing the wide intersection before he could get to the other side.

Police do not suspect that drugs or alcohol played a role in the collision.

This is at least the 25th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Raul Sangerman Otiz and all his loved ones.

 

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

Man killed in El Cajon bicycling collision Monday night, press blames the victim

July 19, 2018 / / 6 comments

Note: Due to tonight’s breaking news, and the discovery of another fatal bike crash in Perris last week, there won’t be any Morning Links today. We’ll catch up on everything tomorrow.

An El Cajon bike rider died after being stuck by the driver of a pickup Monday night.

Yet somehow, the San Diego paper managed to wait until the second sentence before blaming the victim.

Parroting the coroner’s press release, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that 40-year old Jason Wilcox was struck around 10:30 p.m Monday when “he rode into the intersection of Second Street and Pepper Drive” in El Cajon without a helmet.

According to the paper, the driver “traveled into the intersection at the same time” at a high rate of speed, and was unable to stop in time.

Wilcox, who is described as a transient, was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he died of multiple blunt force injuries 50 minutes later.

There’s no word on which direction either Wilcox or the unidentified driver were traveling.

However, a street view shows a four lane roadway on Second with a 45 mph speed limit and a bike lane on either side, with the intersection controlled by a traffic signal in each direction.

That means either the victim or the driver went through the red light; the way the Union-Tribune’s story is written, it implies that Wilcox was at fault. However, there is nothing in the coroner’s press release to suggest that.

The statement that the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed also suggests he was exceeding the 45 mph speed limit.

It should be noted that few homeless people have, let alone use, bike helmets. And even the best bike helmet won’t prevent injuries to other parts of the body; a high-speed collision with a truck is unlikely to be survivable, with or without one.

This is at least the 24th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in San Diego County. It’s also the second in El Cajon in the last three months.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jason Wilcox and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to Jeff Kucharski for the heads-up. 

Screen shot of the coroner’s press release

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

San Bernardino man killed while riding bike, innocent victim of road rage argument between two drivers

June 5, 2018 / / One comment

This morning, we mentioned a report that a man had been killed in a road rage dispute between a pair of San Bernardino drivers.

Sadly, that new has been confirmed.

The San Bernardino Sun reports that the victim was struck as he was crossing Fifth Street near Ramona Ave around 7 pm, collateral damage in a dispute between two drivers.

According to the paper, 32-year old Rosendo Ortiz and 28-year old Karina Saucedo, both from San Bernardino, became involved in a road rage incident as they headed east on Fifth near Meridian Ave.

They were still arguing as they approached Ramona, nearly two miles from where the incident started.

Ortiz crashed into the victim, identified as 45-year old San Bernardino resident Efrain Garcia. Saucedo, who was following slightly behind, crashed into a parked car to avoid them.

Garcia died at the scene; both drivers were reportedly cooperating with police.

Remarkably, no arrests were made at the scene. Anyone with information is urged to call San Bernardino Police Det. Peck at 909/384-5664.

If Garcia’s death really is the result of road rage, both drivers should face murder charges. But probably won’t.

This is at least the 23rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in San Bernardino County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Efrain Garcia and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.

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

Bike-riding father killed in late night Compton hit-and-run; yet another victim of a cowardly driver

May 20, 2018 / / 2 comments

Yet another bike rider has been killed by a hit-and-run driver — just days after bike riders went to City Hall to demand safer streets in South LA.

This time the death came a little further south in Compton.

Making it clear that hit-and-run is a problem throughout the LA area.

According to KTLA-5, 59-year old Compton resident Darnell Parker was struck with a vehicle at Alondra Blvd at Bradfield Ave around 12:05 am.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Almost needless to say, the driver fled following the crash.

KBCS-2 reports he was attempting to cross Alondra when he was run down. Although someone should tell them that hit-and-run is a crime, not an accident.

Parker was reportedly riding to a relative’s home when he was killed, leaving his children without a father.

Yes, this is the cost of traffic violence. And what happens when cowardly drivers leave their victims to die in the street.

Sheriff’s deputies are looking for video from nearby surveillance cameras, as well as possible witnesses. Anyone with information is urged to call the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Compton station at 310/605-6500.

This is at least the 22nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th in LA County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Darnell Parker and all his family. 

 

 

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