Archive for Injuries and Fatalities

Man riding bicycle killed Thursday in Koreatown hit-and-run; drivers fled in one third of all SoCal bike deaths this year

September 27, 2025 / / Comments Off on Man riding bicycle killed Thursday in Koreatown hit-and-run; drivers fled in one third of all SoCal bike deaths this year

For once, police in Los Angeles didn’t wait to ask for our help.

According to a tweet/X post from the LAPD, the department is asking for the public’s help in finding a hit-and-run driver who killed a man riding a bicycle Koreatown Thursday afternoon.

The victim, identified only as a man in his late 60s, was riding south on Harvard Boulevard when he was run down from behind as he approached 11th Street around 12:30 pm.

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

My News LA describes him a man in his late 60s.

The driver kept going without stopping, and was last seen driving south on Harvard. Police described the suspect vehicle as a dark green Chevy Silverado pickup truck, no model year given.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD West Traffic Division detectives at 213/473-0234. As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the driver in any fatal hit-and-run in Los Angeles.

This is at least the 45th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 15th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; this was also the eighth we’ve learned about in the City of LA.

Drivers have fled the scene in 15 of those fatal bicycling crashes in Southern California since the first of the year, a pace of one out of every three fleeing the scene.

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

 

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Man riding bike killed by semi-truck driver in Oxnard collision Thursday morning

September 25, 2025 / / 7 comments

A man was killed when he was run down from behind while riding a bicycle in Oxnard Thursday morning.

According to the Ventura County Star, the victim was riding north Vineyard Ave when he was struck by northbound semi-truck driver. The paper places the collision in the city’s Del Rio neighborhood, just north of Simon Way on Vineyard shortly after 10 am.

There’s no identity for the victim or the driver at this time. There’s also no word on why the driver apparently didn’t see someone riding a bicycle directly in front of him in broad daylight.

The victim was taken to the Ventura County Medical Center, where he died of his injuries.

The driver remained at the scene and assisted the fallen bike rider.

Anyone with information is urged to call Oxnard Police Corporal Manuel Perez at 805/385-7750, or email manuel.perez@oxnardpd.org.

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

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

Read the story on Yahoo if the paper blocks you. 

 

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Update: 53-year old Micah Pan killed riding bicycle in Chino hit-and-run Saturday; 28-year old Chino woman arrested

September 22, 2025 / / Comments Off on Update: 53-year old Micah Pan killed riding bicycle in Chino hit-and-run Saturday; 28-year old Chino woman arrested

Somehow, I missed this one.

According to multiple sources, a man riding a bicycle was killed by a heartless hit-and-run driver in Chino Saturday evening.

The victim, identified as 53-year old Chino Hills resident Micah Pan, was riding on the 5200 block of Eucalyptus Ave around 6:35 pm when he was struck by the motorist, who drove away leaving him lying in the street.

Pan was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

Police arrested 28-year old Chino resident Jazmine Carreto on suspicion of hit-and-run causing injury, which is likely to be increased to hit-and-run causing death when she is arraigned.

There’s no word at this time on how the crash happened, or how police identified Carreto as the suspect.

There are narrow painted bike lanes in both direction on Eucalyptus; however, it’s the sort of perfectly straight four lane street, with a center turn lane, that is likely to encourage speeding.

Anyone with information is urged to call Chino police investigators at 909/334-3116.

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

Pan is also the 14th bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver in Southern California since the first of the year, meaning one out of every three drivers who kill bike riders in SoCal flee the scene.

Update: A Chino paper describes Pan as a local optometrist and a longtime resident; he’s survived by his wife Linda, as well as 18-year-old son Jacob and 16-year-old daughter Jane. 

According to the Chino Valley Champion, 

His patients remember him as a family man dedicated to his wife and children who was kind, professional and had a positive impact on those around him.

The driver, Jazmine Carreto, was arrested in Upland about five hours after the crash, and released on bail Sunday evening; no court date has been scheduled yet. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Micah Pan and his loved ones.

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Update: One person killed and 2nd injured when two bike riders collided on San Diego’s Lake Murray Bike Path Friday morning

September 19, 2025 / / 3 comments

Sometimes the danger doesn’t come from drivers.

Or even on the roadway.

That was the case in San Diego Friday, when one person was killed and another injured riding on the bike path at the city’s Lake Murray around 7:25 am.

According to multiple sources, the two bicyclists collided head-on while reportedly exceeding the posted 10 mph speed limit.

One victim died at the scene, while the other was hospitalized.

There’s no word on exactly where on the trail around Lake Murray that the crash occurred, but people who know the trail say there are a number of blind curves where you wouldn’t see someone coming from the opposite direction.

There’s also no information yet on the identity of either victim, or the condition of the survivor.

This is at least the 42nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 68-year old El Cajon resident David Engler.

Authorities say he was not wearing a helmet, but while the medical examiner’s report says he died of blunt force trauma, it does not indicate whether he suffered a head injury. 

The other victim was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for David Engler and his loved one.

And best wishes for a full and fast recovery for the surviving victim. 

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Someone riding bicycle killed by alleged DUI hit-and-run driver in Carlsbad crash early Saturday morning

September 13, 2025 / / One comment

Someone riding a bicycle was killed in a pre-dawn crash in Carlsbad Saturday.

And while we don’t know anything about the victim, we do have an ID on the alleged drunken coward accused of killing them.

According to multiple reports, the victim was struck by the driver while riding on the 4400 block Carlsbad Blvd, between Tamarack Ave and Cannon Road, around 4:34 am Saturday.

The victim was already dead when police arrived; there’s no word at this time on how the crash occurred.

The driver, identified as 27-year old Escondido resident Alexander Gendron, was tracked down about a mile away, with police relying on witnesses, license plate readers and a drone to find him.

He was booked on suspicion of leaving the scene of a collision resulting in injury or death, DUI causing injury or death, and vehicular manslaughter. That could be upgraded to murder if there is a previous DUI on his record.

There is a painted bike lane on both sides of Carlsbad Blvd, which runs north and south along the beach.

Given the hour, the victim could have been homeless, or someone riding to or from work. Or it could have been someone just out for an early morning ride.

Anyone with information is urged to call Traffic Accident Investigator Cpl. Matt Bowen of the Carlsbad Police Department at 442/339-2282.

This is at least the 41st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

This was also the 13th bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver in Southern California since the first of the year

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

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

67-year old woman riding ped-assist ebike killed by pickup driver in Desert Hot Springs collision Sunday morning

September 8, 2025 / / Comments Off on 67-year old woman riding ped-assist ebike killed by pickup driver in Desert Hot Springs collision Sunday morning

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

After horrible month of August, we managed to go a little more than a week without news of yet another person killed riding a bicycle on the mean streets of Southern California.

That ended yesterday, when a 67-year old woman was killed by the driver of a Ford F150 pickup in Desert Hot Springs.

According to the Desert Sun, the victim was riding a ped-assist ebike east on Pierson Blvd when she was run down from behind about half a mile west of North Indian Canyon Drive, shortly after 7 am.

The woman, identified Monday as Desert Hot Springs resident Laura Harker, was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs suffering from multiple traumatic injuries. She died about half an hour after she was struck.

The driver of the pickup remained at the scene. CHP investigators said it was unclear why the driver didn’t see Harker; however, the occurred about half an hour after sunrise, so the sun would have still been low on the horizon.

Although that doesn’t mean they weren’t distracted, or that there wasn’t some other reason why they didn’t see her.

It’s also unknown how fast the driver was traveling on the perfectly straight rural road, which likely would have had little or no traffic at that hour.

The crash remains under investigation.

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

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Laura Harker and all her loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

64-year old man killed in Placentia collision Friday evening, as SoCal’s awful August just keeps getting worse.

August 30, 2025 / / One comment

This awful August just keeps getting worse.

My News LA is reporting that a man was killed riding a bicycle in Placentia yesterday evening — the 10th fatal Southern California bicycling crash we’ve learned about this month.

According to the site, the victim was riding on the 200 block of East Orangethorpe Ave around 5 pm Friday when he was struck by a driver.

The victim, identified only as a 64-year old man, was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.

There’s no word at this time on how the crash occurred, or who may have been at fault. But at least the driver remained at the scene.

A street view appears to show bike lanes on Orangethorpe, along with two traffic lines in each direction and a center left turn lane.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Traffic Bureau of Placentia Police Department at 714/993-8157.

This is at least the 39th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth 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: , , ,

39-year old man killed riding bicycle in Santa Ana Wednesday night; driver arrested for DUI

August 28, 2025 / / 4 comments

Please, not another one.

For the ninth time this month, we’ve learned about yet another person killed riding a bicycle in Southern California.

According to a press release from the Santa Ana Police Department, a man was killed by an alleged drunk driver while riding in the city Wednesday night.

The victim, identified as 39-year old Wilmington resident Andrew Rodriguez, was crossing Grand Ave at Fairhaven Ave when he was struck by a southbound driver around 11:35 pm.

Rodriguez died at the scene, despite the efforts of officers and paramedics. The driver, 26-year old Santa Ana resident Vanessa Anahi Picenavalos, was arrested for DUI.

The intersection is controlled by a traffic signal; there’s no word on who may have had the right-of-way. There’s no bicycle infrastructure in any direction

Anyone with information is urged to call Santa Ana Police Detective K. Briley at 714/245-8215, or the Traffic Division of the Santa Ana Police Department at 714/245-8200.

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

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Andrew Rodriguez and his loved ones.

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

Man riding bicycle killed by driver in Twentynine Palms Monday afternoon, 8th SoCal bicycling death reported this month

August 26, 2025 / / Comments Off on Man riding bicycle killed by driver in Twentynine Palms Monday afternoon, 8th SoCal bicycling death reported this month

A bad month for Southern California bike riders just keeps getting worse.

For the eighth time this month, we’ve learned that someone was killed riding a bicycle, this time in Twentynine Palms.

According to a press release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reposted by a local radio station, the victim was struck by a driver while riding on the 5100 block of Adobe Road in Twentynine Palms around 12:51 pm on Monday.

Investigators report the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding north on Adobe while weaving in and out of the northbound lanes. He was struck by the driver, presumably head-on, after swerving onto the southbound side of the road.

He died at the scene, despite the effort of bystanders and first responders to perform CPR.

The driver remained on scene and cooperated with investigators, and is not believed to have been under the influence.

Adobe is a four lane mostly rural roadway with a center turn lane; there are a handful on businesses on the west side of the road the victim may have been attempting to get to when he was killed.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station at 760/366-4175, or anonymously at 1-800/782-7463 or at wetip.com.

This is at least the 37th 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 his loved ones. 

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

13-year old Michael Smith killed by speeding hit-and-run driver in South LA last month; ghost bike installed tomorrow

August 20, 2025 / / 3 comments

This is what keeps me up at night. And what really pisses me off.

Because not only did the police, city and news media fail to inform us about yet another fatal hit-and-run, but the victim was a kid just out for a bike ride.

Here’s what we know so far about the needless death of Michael Smith, courtesy of a press release from Streets Are For Everyone.

The loved ones of Michael Kejuan Ramaun James Smith, Streets Are For Everyone, community members, and members of SAFE Families will host a Ghost Bike Memorial event to honor and remember Michael Smith, who was struck and killed by a speeding driver on July 22nd, 2025.

Michael was riding his bicycle on 83rd Street, headed toward Main Street to pick up a friend for a bike ride. He was struck and instantly killed by a speeding driver who was allegedly traveling at 75 MPH on a residential street. The driver fled the scene but was later arrested and has since been released on bail.

Michael, who would have celebrated his 13th birthday on September 16, was a radiant and compassionate child who loved riding bikes. He was also an entrepreneur, running his own ice cream truck since the age of seven, with dreams of growing his business and future.

The intersection is controlled with a traffic light, but are no bike lanes on either street.

This is at least the 36th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; this was also the seventh we’ve learned about in the City of LA.

Six of those seven Los Angeles victims lost their lives riding in South LA.

Michael Smith was the 12th SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year — fully one third of everyone killed riding a bicycle in Southern California this year.

But at least this time, they — allegedly — caught the heartless coward who left Michel to die in the street.

If you want to attend the ghost bike installation tomorrow, here is the information from the press release. If you do, ask Councilmember Price why we continue to all this to happen in South LA.

And why no one is telling us about it.

Ghost Bike Memorial Details

Date: Thursday, August 21, 2025

Time: 4:30 PM

Location: Intersection of 83rd Street & Main Street, South Los Angeles

Who:

Ellen Atwater, Michael’s Mother, and other family members
Councilmember Curren D Price Jr.
Damian Kevitt, Executive Director of Streets Are For Everyone
Pastor Patricia Strong-Fargas, Co-Chair, Faith for SAFEr Streets
John Jones III, Founder of East Side Riders
Members of SAFE Families
Friends and community members

In addition to the ghost bike, 13 white doves will be released in honor of Michael, who would have turned 13 years old next month.

Update: My News LA reports the crash occurred around 2:55 pm. Michael died after being taken to a hospital. 

Photo courtesy of SAFE

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