Archive for Injuries and Fatalities

Update: 67-year old man killed riding bike in Santa Ana collision Sunday morning; 4th SoCal bike death in last 8 days

More bad news on Southern California streets.

Multiple sources are reporting that a man was killed riding a bicycle in Santa Ana Sunday morning.

The victim, identified only as a 67-year old man, was apparently riding south on Bristol Street when he was struck by a driver traveling east on Edinger Ave around 8:30 this morning.

He was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.

The driver remained at the scene, and police don’t suspect they were speeding or under the influence.

The intersection is controlled with a traffic signal in each direction, with bike lanes on Bristol above Edinger. There’s no word on who may have had the green light in the moments before the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to call Santa Ana PD Cpl. W. Hadley at 714/245-8216.

This is at least the 44th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and already the seventh that I’m aware of in Orange County.

The victim was also the fourth bike rider to die on SoCal streets in just the last eight days.

Update: The victim has been identified as 67-year old John Story

My deepest sympathy and prayers for John Story and all his loved ones.

 

Bike rider killed in midnight Victorville collision; 43rd SoCal bike death this year

The carnage continues on Southern California streets.

According to the Victorville Daily Press, someone on a bicycle was killed in a collision shortly after midnight Wednesday.

The victim, who hasn’t been positively identified, was riding west on Silica Drive near Hesperia Road when they were rear-ended by the driver of a Ford Explorer around 12:48 am.

The victim died at the scene.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on whether the victim had lights on their bike, or if the driver of the SUV was distracted. Or if there was some other reason why the driver were apparently unable to see someone on a bicycle directly in front of them.

Anyone with information is urged to call Deputy M. Lee or Deputy R. Castillo at the Victorville Police Station at 760/241-2911.

This is at least the 43rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

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

Man on bicycle killed by speeding hit-and-run driver in LA’s Exposition Park; 5th fatal bicycling hit-and-run in the city this year

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

This time, in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

According to KNBC-4, the victim was apparently crossing Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd on Hoover Street around 11:30 pm Monday when he was struck by a driver heading west on MLK at a high rate of speed.

He was thrown several feet into the middle of the intersection, and died after being taken to a nearby hospital.

The victim has been publicly identified only as a man in his 30s.

The driver speed off, evidently without stopping. Witnesses describe the vehicle only as a gray colored sedan.

Hopefully, we’ll get more information soon.

This is at least the 42nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County. It’s also the ninth in the City of Los Angeles.

Shamefully, 15 of those Southern California victims have been hit-and-run drivers, with six taking place in Los Angeles County, including five in the City of LA.

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

 

Update: AIDS/Lifecycle rider dies in solo crash in LA’s Fairfax District yesterday; 2nd ride participant killed in LA this year

I could just cry.

Late this morning, AIDS/Lifecycle confirmed rumors that one of the participants in the 545-mile San Francisco to Los Angeles ride died after an apparent fall at the conclusion of the ride.

According to the group, Glen Brown, an experienced bicyclist and a first-time participant in the fundraising ride, was killed in a single-bike crash.

According to Streets For All’s Michael Schneider, it happened on the 800 block of North Ogden, in LA’s Fairfax District, which likely means Brown was riding home after finishing the ride.

There’s no word yet on what may have caused him to fall, or what injuries he may have suffered.

This is the second death associated with the ride in Los Angeles in less than 60 days. Five-time ride participant Andrew Jelmert was killed by an alleged speeding, DUI driver on Crystal Springs Drive in Griffith Park at the conclusion of an April AIDS/Lifecycle training ride.

The AIDS/Lifecycle ride is a fundraiser for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Los Angeles LGBT Center, who appear to be blameless in both of these tragedies.

It raised over $17 million for the two groups this year.

This is at least the 41st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 15th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County. It’s also the eighth in the City of Los Angeles.

And a sad reminder that things like this can happen to even the most experienced riders, and the best among us.

Correction: I originally wrote that the ride was 450 miles, rather than the actual distance of 545 miles. 

Update: I’ve learned that Glen Brown wasn’t riding home after the end of the AIDS/Lifecycle ride, after all. 

According to an email from Bryan J. Blumberg, the last few blocks of the final day’s route took riders east on Santa Monica Blvd, then turned right on Ogden Drive for 4 blocks before entering Fairfax High School, where the ride ended.

Tragically, after 545 miles, Brown died just a block and a half from the finish. 

Blumberg also forwarded an email from AIDS/LifeCycle Ride Director Tracy Evans, who reports that Brown, who came out from Chicago for the ride, was rushed to Cedars Sinai, where he died of his injuries. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Glen Brown and his loved ones.

Thanks to Zoe Kurland and Bryan J. Blumberg for the heads-up.

 

40-year old man riding ebike killed in San Clemente hit-and-run; 2nd SoCal bike rider killed in hit-and-run in two days

Another day, another Southern California bike rider left to die in the street.

In a paywalled story, the Orange County Register is reporting that a man riding an ebike was killed by a hit-and-run driver in San Clemente early Tuesday.

Forty-year old Capistrano Beach resident Joshua Gene Cervantes was riding north on Avenida La Pata near Avenida Pico when he was run down by an unidentified driver around 1:25 am.

He died at the scene, despite efforts to resuscitate him.

The driver fled after the crash, abandoning his car a short distance away.

There’s no word on how the collision occurred, or whether Cervantes was struck while riding in the bike lane on Avenida La Pata, or while crossing the intersection.

His death comes just just over 24 hours after a 41-year old bike rider was killed in a Colton hit-and-run.

This is at least the 40th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Orange County.

Cervantes is also the 14th SoCal bike rider killed in a hit-and-run this year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Joshua Gene Cervantes and all his loved ones. 

41-year old man riding bike killed by Colton hit-and-run driver; 13th SoCal bike rider killed by hit-and-run drivers this year

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

This time in Colton early Monday.

But unfortunately, that’s almost all we know.

According to the Daily Bulletin, the victim, identified only as a 41-year old man, was struck by a driver around 12:54 am near North Rancho Avenue and West Johnson Street.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or any information about the suspect or their vehicle at this time.

The driver should face a murder charge once they’re caught for making a conscious decision to leave another human being to die in the street.

But they won’t.

This is at least the 39th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

A full third of those deaths have been hit-and-runs.

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

Wrong way bike rider killed in early morning Long Beach crash

A man was killed riding his bike against traffic in Long Beach early today.

According to the Long Beach Police Department, the victim was riding east in the westbound lanes of Anaheim Street near Coronado Ave around 12:15 am Saturday, when he was struck by a driver traveling west on Anaheim.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified only as a 32-year old Long Beach resident.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators; at this time, police don’t believe they were distracted, speeding or under the influence.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Police Department Collision Investigation Detail Detective Kevin Johansen or Detective Jeff Meyer at 562/570-7355.

This is at least the 38th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

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

Woman killed attempting to walk bike across I-5 in San Diego’s Pacific Beach

Once again, someone with a bike has been killed on a SoCal Freeway.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, a woman was struck by a driver while attempting to walk her bike across southbound Interstate 5 in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood.

The crash occurred around 9:30 am Tuesday, after she had been walking her bike on the shoulder of the freeway south of Garnet Ave.

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

The driver stopped and cooperated with CHP investigators. Neither the driver or her passenger were injured.

No explanation was given for why she was walking her bike on the freeway, or why she tried to cross the freeway.

This is at least the 37th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

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

Update: 28-year old Duarte man riding bicycle killed in DTLA assault just after midnight Tuesday

A man on a bicycle was murdered when he was assaulted in Downtown Los Angeles early this morning.

According to My News LA, the victim was riding near the intersection of Seventh and Flower in DTLA when he was pulled off his bike by an unknown assailant, striking his head on the pavement.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on whether his bicycle or anything else was taken, or if there was some other reason for the attack. Or any reason at all.

KTLA-5 identifies the victim only as a man in his 30s.

Anyone with information is urged to call 877/527-3247.

This is at least the 36th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 13th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County. It’s also the eighth in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: The victim has been identified as 28-year old Duarte resident Oscar Gaytan.

Update 2: Gayton’s family reports he had attended a game at Dodger Stadium, and was likely headed to the nearby Metro station to catch a train home when he was attacked.

Police are looking for a suspect described only as a man in his 30s. 

A crowdfunding page to help pay funeral expenses for the professional nurse has raised slightly less than $10,000 of the $25,000 goal. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Oscar Gaytan and his loved ones.

Rancho Cucamonga man killed in Upland collision with apparent Metrolink train Wednesday morning

It seems like a collision with a train would be the easiest kind of crash to avoid.

Yet it still happens far more often than it should.

That was the case in Upland Wednesday morning, where the Fontana Herald News reports a 53-year old Rancho Cucamonga man was killed by a train.

The victim, identified as Leo Steven Beveridge, was struck by a train at the Metrolink crossing on Central Ave at 8:53 am, and pronounced dead at the scene nearly 40 minutes later.

It’s not clear from the limited information whether Beveridge was struck by a Metrolink train, or if other lines might use that same track.

There’s also no word on whether there was a working railroad crossing at the site, or why he would have been unaware of an oncoming train.

However, it’s a tragic reminder to never cross under or around crossing gates, or assume it’s safe to cross after one train passes, because there’s often another coming from the opposite direction.

This is at least the 35th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Leo Steven Beveridge and his loved ones.