Archive for Injuries and Fatalities

Update: Road cyclist killed on PCH near Thornhill Broome Beach in Ventura County, another victim of SoCal’s killer highway

February 22, 2025 / / 5 comments

Southern California’s deadliest roadway has claimed another life.

This time in Ventura County. And once again, the victim appears to be a road cyclist.

According to the Ventura County Star, the victim was struck by a motorist while riding in the northbound lanes of Pacific Coast Highway shortly before 11:15 this morning.

They place the crash in Ventura County near the sand dunes south of Thornhill Broome Beach, about 2.4 miles south of Mugu Rock.

Meanwhile, KVTA 1590 places the collision on PCH north of Sycamore Canyon Road at 11:13 am.

The station reports the victim was leading a group of eight other bicyclists on the shoulder of the highway when the rider allegedly made an abrupt turn into the northbound traffic lane, and was hit by a driver traveling at 55 mph.

Ventura County firefighters said someone was performing CPR on the victim when they arrived. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and additional units were called off.

There’s no information yet on the identity of the victim or the driver. And no word on why the victim may have swerved into the traffic lane, or what group the riders may have been associated with, if any.

Despite recent efforts to improve safety, too many people have died, and continue to die, on PCH as a result of traffic violence. And too many of those have been riding bicycles.

This was at least the seventh bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Ventura County.

Update: The victim has been identified only as a 66-year old Los Angeles man, though he has still not been publicly named, while the driver was a 37-year old woman from Malibu, also unnamed.

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

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

45-year old bike rider Marcos Perez Domingo died two days after Encinitas collision on New Years Day

February 15, 2025 / / No comments

As long as we’re doing this tonight, we can add another name to the list.

About a few days ago, I learned that a man had died after he was hit by a driver while riding a bicycle in Encinitas.

According to The Coast News, 45-year old Encinitas resident Marcos Perez Domingo was struck while riding at Encinitas Blvd and Valley Park Way around 6 pm on January 1st.

That address doesn’t seem to exist, however, they may mean Encinitas Blvd and Village Park Way.

Domingo died two days later after being taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to learn any more the crash. And no, I don’t know why the news of Domingo’s death didn’t surface earlier.

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

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Marcos Perez Domingo and all his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

33-year old man riding bicycle killed by motorist in Valentines Day Santa Ana collision.

February 15, 2025 / / 3 comments

It was a not-so-romantic Valentines Day in Santa Ana, where a 33-year old man was killed riding his bicycle Friday evening.

Which means it’s not likely to be romantic for his loved ones going forward, either.

According to an Instagram post from the Santa Ana Police Department, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding on south on Raitt Street near Myrtle Street when he was struck by a driver around 6:18 pm.

Despite the efforts of Orange County firefighters, he died after being taken to a local hospital.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on how the crash occurred or who may have been at fault. Or more importantly, how it could have been avoided.

The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call Santa Ana Police Detective K. Briley at 714/245-8215, or the Department’s Traffic Division at 714/245-8200.

This was at least the fifth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in Orange County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Driver kills ebike rider in La Habra crash, 2nd victim critically injured; victims may be current & former La Habra High students

February 1, 2025 / / 7 comments

KCBS-2 reported Monday that a pedestrian was killed by a driver in La Habra, with another person critically injured.

It took until Saturday night to discover that the victims were apparently sharing an ebike.

According to On Scene TV, the victims, identified only as a former high school student and a current student at La Habra High School, were struck near Hacienda Blvd & Russell Street sometime before 8:46 pm. Although from the minimal description, it’s unclear whether they had both had attended La Habra High.

The site reports they were riding north on Hacienda when they were hit from behind by the driver, with enough force to throw both victims into the windshield. It also left the ped-assist ebike embedded deeply in the sedan’s grill, as shown in raw video from the scene, which suggests the driver may have been traveling at a high rate of speed.

The former student died at the scene, while the other victim was rushed to a trauma center in critical condition.

The driver remained at the scene, if only because the car appears to be underivable; it’s unknown if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.

This was at least the fifth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Orange County.

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

Update: 80-year old Long Beach resident Enrique Barajas killed by hit-and-run driver while riding bike on Atlantic Ave

January 22, 2025 / / No comments

Enrique Barajas deserved better.

Then again, anyone who still rides a bicycle at 80 years old deserves better than to be killed by a cowardly hit-and-run driver.

According to investigators, Barajas was riding north on Atlantic Ave near Pleasant Street around 12:15 pm Monday, when he attempted to merge from the bike lane into the traffic lane. He was sideswiped by the driver of an SUV traveling in the same direction, who continued on without stopping.

The Long Beach native was taken to a local hospital where he died the next day.

The crash could have occurred where the bike lane ends as the road bed narrows under a railroad underpass, forcing anyone using it to move into the right lane.

However, some of the news reports indicate that Barajas was merging into the left lane when he was sideswiped by the SUV driver, who was traveling in the right lane. That suggests that Barajas may have been attempting to merge into the left lane to make a turn when he was struck on the right side, rather than the left.

Meanwhile, a Long Beach website raises the possibility that the driver may not have known that they struck Barajas. However, they should have known they hit something after seeing damage to the side of the vehicle.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Police Detective Johnson at 562/570-7355, or anonymously at 800/222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.

This was at least the fourth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

It also appears to be the first caused by a hit-and-run driver.

Update: James forwarded the following information about the location of the crash. 

This area is essentially a highway with narrow bike lanes, on street parking which puts all or most of the bike lane in the door zone as well as intersection designs that assume bicycle riders can and will mingle with high speed car traffic at intersections.  It’s basically Huntington Beach but with on-street parking and narrower bike lanes.  He apparently  was hit while moving into the “number one lane” in an area where a parked car could conceivably force you into traffic.

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

38-year old man riding bicycle killed in Ontario DUI crash on Christmas Eve; driver identified as rookie LAPD officer

January 10, 2025 / / 2 comments

Once again, someone riding a bicycle was killed by a drunken hit-and-run driver in Southern California, and we didn’t learn about until weeks later.

Except this time there was a cop involved.

Allegedly.

According to the Los Angeles Times — the only source currently reporting the story — 38-year old Chino resident Fabio Cebreros was riding his bike on Bon View Ave in Ontario on Christmas Eve, when he was struck by an off-duty cop around 7:37 pm.

The driver was identified as 39-year old Aaron Kleibacker, a rookie officer with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division.

Cebreros was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries,

Kleibacker initially fled the scene before returning, although it isn’t clear if he turned himself in, or if he was recognized by a witness or identified some other way.

He reportedly cooperated with investigators, but failed a sobriety test, testing at over twice the legal limit.

Kleibacker was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, and released the next day. Charges are pending.

The Times reports Kleibacker appears to have joined the LAPD after serving with the Marines. An LAPD spokesperson confirmed that he still works for the department, although probationary officers can be fired outright for alleged misconduct.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or where it happened on Bon View; there’s also no information on how long Cebreros was hospitalized before he died.

We also don’t know how long it took Kleibacker to return following the crash, which could have an impact on whether he faces hit-and-run charges, in addition to vehicular manslaughter and — presumably — DUI counts.

This was at least the 56th bicycling fatality in Southern California last year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

Twenty of those deaths last year involved hit-and-run drivers.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Fabio Cebreros and his loved ones.

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

72-year-old Patrick Petre dies following Palm Desert crash — just 5 miles from another fatal bike crash a day earlier

January 4, 2025 / / 2 comments

It only took three days into the new year for the second person to be killed riding a bicycle in Southern California.

And both in the Coachella Valley.

New Channel 3 in Palm Springs reports that 72-year-old Patrick Petre died on Friday, one day after he was struck by a driver in Palm Desert.

The crash occurred around 6:30 am Thursday at Fred Waring Drive and San Pablo Ave, just five miles from where another man was killed riding a bike in Rancho Mirage a little more than 20 hours earlier.

That victim has not yet been publicly identified.

In both cases the driver remained at the scene. And just like the earlier case, there’s no word on how the crash that killed Petre occurred, or who was at fault.

Hopefully we’ll learn more soon.

Petre is the second bicyclist killed in Southern California this year, and the second in Riverside County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Patrick Petre and his loved ones. 

Thanks to Jeff Rusk for the heads-up. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Man riding a bicycle killed in New Year’s Day Rancho Mirage crash; first SoCal bicycling death this year

January 1, 2025 / / No comments

Well, that didn’t take long.

Just over ten hours into the new year, we’ve already seen the first person killed riding a bicycle in Southern California this year.

News Channel 3 is reporting that the victim was killed when he was struck by a motorist shortly after 10 am Wednesday near Highway 111 and Frank Sinatra Drive in Rancho Mirage.

The victim, identified only as a man, died at the scene.

The driver remained after the crash.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know right now. No word on how the crash occurred, or who might have been at fault. Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

This is the first bicycling fatality I’m aware of in Southern California this year, as well as the first in Riverside County.

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

Update: A press release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says deputies were dispatched to the crash scene at 10:11 am. 

According to the press release, the driver of the SUV cooperated with investigators, and there was no indication that drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash. 

Anyone with information is urged to contact Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas of the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station at 760/836–1600.

Update 2: The victim was identified as 76-year old John Henebry, Jr.

He was described as a world-famous golf photographer, known for “capturing and showcasing the beauty and subtleties of landscapes and golf courses worldwide.”

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

44-year old Oxnard resident Antonio Rodriguez died Monday, ten days after he was struck by driver in La Colonia area

December 23, 2024 / / One comment

It was exactly a week ago that we reported on an Oxnard man who suffered major injuries when he was struck by a driver while riding a fixie in the city’s La Colonia neighborhood.

Even though the local paper felt the need to note that he was riding brakeless, and wasn’t wearing a helmet, even though there’s no indication either had anything to do with it.

Sadly, though, he didn’t make it.

The Ventura County Star reports that 44-year old Oxnard resident Antonio Rodriguez died today, ten days after he was struck by a 20-year old motorist.

The crash reportedly occurred round 7:55 am on Friday, December 13th, at First Street and Roosevelt Ave.

However, there’s still no word on how the crash occurred, or who may have been at fault. The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators; he hasn’t been ticketed or charged, though the crash remains under investigation.

And yes, the paper still felt the need to comment, without context, that Rodriguez didn’t have brakes or a helmet.

Whether his bike had brakes only matters if he was somehow unable to stop before riding out in front of the driver or crashing into him. And Rodriguez’ lack of a bike helmet shouldn’t make any difference unless he suffered a head injury, or his other injuries may have been survivable if he had one.

Anyone with information is urged to call Oxnard Police Officer Ivan Sanchez at 805/385-7749, or email ivan.sanchez@oxnardpd.org.

This is at least the 55th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Ventura County.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Woman walking bicycle killed in double Fullerton collision; 1st driver stayed afterwards, 2nd driver fled

December 10, 2024 / / 4 comments

These days, there’s a one-in-three chance a Southern California driver will flee the scene after a fatal crash involving someone on a bicycle.

Yesterday, a pair of Fullerton drivers changed those odds to 50/50.

According to the Fullerton Observer, a woman was killed while walking a bicycling in the eastbound lanes of W. Orangethorpe Ave at Jefferson Ave around 8 pm Monday.

The victim was walking in the left lane of the six lane roadway when she was truck, first by a 32-year old driver in a black Lexus, then by the driver of light-colored pickup truck. Only the first driver bothered to stick around afterwards.

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

There’s no word on why she was walking in the left lane, although it’s possible she was just trying to cross the busy street.

This crash occurred just 2.3 miles from where another man was killed riding his bike on West Orangethorpe Ave and Campus Drive in April.

Anyone with information is urged to call Fullerton Police Traffic Accident Investigator Feaster at 714/738-6812, or via email jfeaster@fullertonpd.org. Anonymous tips can be sent to the Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855/TIP-OCCS.

This is at least the 54th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th that I’m aware of in Orange County.

Nineteen of those 54 deaths have involved hit-and-run drivers.

Update: Orange County bike advocate Bill Sellin forwards news that the victim was 49-year old Cassandra Lea Morris; no address was given. 

One contributing factor is that crosswalks on the street are located half a mile apart, which would have meant going well out of her way if she was attempting to cross the street when she was killed.

Speed could have also been a factor on such a wide, straight street with limited traffic signals, which could easily have encouraged drivers to travel faster than the posted speed limit. 

This post from northocbikes and mikeocbike offers more context. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Cassandra Lea Morris and her loved ones. 

Thanks to Bill Sellin for his help in identifying the victim. 

 

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