Archive for Injuries and Fatalities

Watts bike rider killed in collision with Metro bus driver Friday afternoon; Metro immediately blames the victim

January 17, 2026 / / One comment

Someone riding a bicycle was killed by the driver of a Metro bus in Watts Friday afternoon.

Yet all we know about the victim is that Metro didn’t waste time blaming them for the crash.

According to KTLA-5, the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was stuck by the bus at Compton Ave and East Imperial Highway around 4:30 pm.

According to Metro, the bus was traveling south on Compton, when the bike rider allegedly ran the red light while apparently riding on Imperial Highway.

The victim was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. Metro expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the victim.

A photo from the scene shows the victim’s bike wedged underneath the bus. There doesn’t appear to be bicycle infrastructure in any direction.

As usual with collisions in unincorporated Los Angeles County, the crash will be investigated by the CHP. There should be video from the bus to determine what actually happened, and whether the victim actually ran the red light, or if something else may have caused or contributed to the crash.

Which is not to say that the victim didn’t run the red light. But Metro has an inherent interest in saying their driver wasn’t at fault.

This is just the second bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California this year, as well as the second in Los Angeles County.

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

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

Man riding bicycle killed in San Dimas collision Friday evening, first SoCal bicycling death of 2026

January 10, 2026 / / 5 comments

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

We managed to make it a full ten days into the new year before someone was killed riding a bicycle in Southern California.

That we know about, anyway.

That ended Friday evening, when a man was struck and killed by a motorist while riding a bike in San Dimas.

According to SGV City Watch, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding north on San Dimas Ave near East Baseline Road when he was run down by the driver of a pickup around 6:30 pm.

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

There’s no word yet on how the crash happened, or who may have been at fault. Although a sheriff’s spokesman said it appeared to be “accidental.”

So, just an “oopsie.”

Even if a photo showed significant damage to the front of the truck, suggesting a hard impact. But at least the driver stuck around this time.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

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

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Update: 60-year old man killed riding bike in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos; 2nd San Diego County bicycling death in 4 days

December 11, 2025 / / Comments Off on Update: 60-year old man killed riding bike in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos; 2nd San Diego County bicycling death in 4 days

Evidently, things aren’t going well in San Diego County these days.

Just days after a man was killed riding his bicycle in Oceanside, another bike rider was killed in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood.

Multiple sources are reporting that the victim was killed when he was rear-ended while riding in the 12900 block of Salmon River Road around 5:35 pm Wednesday.

The victim, identified only as a 60-year old man, was riding north on Salmon River Road when a 51-year old woman traveling in the same direction hit him from behind, saying she just didn’t see him.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on why the driver failed to see a grown man on a bicycle directly in front of her, although police said she did not appear to be under the influence.

Investigators were looking into whether visibility or road conditions played a role in the crash. However, a street view shows a straight roadway with no obstructions, and the weather was hot and dry, though it was foggy in some coastal areas.

Local residents complained about a lack of speed limit signs in the area, so there’s no telling how fast the woman was driving.

Anyone with information was urged to call the police or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477; apparently, the cops didn’t really want to be bothered by giving own phone number.

This is at least the 55th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 60-year old San Diego resident Yi Zhang.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Yi Zhang and his loved ones. 

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

52-year old man riding bicycle killed in Oceanside collision Saturday night; driver remained at the scene

December 10, 2025 / / Comments Off on 52-year old man riding bicycle killed in Oceanside collision Saturday night; driver remained at the scene

A man riding a bicycle was killed in Oceanside on Saturday.

And every single news report got the story wrong. Because the victim wasn’t struck by an SUV.

He was hit and killed by someone driving one.

According to multiple sources, the 52-year old man was struck by the driver around 10:42 pm Saturday at 314 South Harbor Drive, near the Oceanside Harbor.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was airlifted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla suffering from a severe head injury, as well as a compound fracture of his upper thigh.

He was pronounced dead after arriving.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, who don’t suspect drug or alcohol use played a role in crash.

There’s no information at this time on how the collision occurred, or if the victim was wearing a helmet. This is one of the few times when that might have mattered, since we know he suffered a head injury, although we don’t know if that was his cause of death.

Anyone with information is urged to call Traffic Investigator Gomez of the Oceanside Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team at 760/435-4952.

This is at least the 54th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 13th 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: , , ,

Man killed riding bicycle killed by driver in Florence-Graham neighborhood; crash investigated by Sheriff’s homicide dept.

November 30, 2025 / / 3 comments

This is not the news any of us wanted to end the holiday weekend with.

Just as I was writing for tomorrow’s post that we could be thankful that no one was killed while riding a bicycle over the long Thanksgiving weekend, news broke that it wasn’t true.

Because a man described only as an “adult male” was killed Sunday evening in the Florence-Graham neighborhood of South LA in unincorporated Los Angeles County.

According to a tersely worded Nixle notification from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide detectives are responding to a death investigation involving a bicyclist and vehicle. The incident was reported on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at approximately 5:55 P.M. at the intersection of E. 71st St & Holmes Ave. in unincorporated Los Angeles.

The victim was transported to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

There is no additional information available at this time.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

You can also offer tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 800/222-TIPS (8477), or at lacrimestoppers.org.

It seems telling that the crash is being handled by the homicide unit, rather than traffic investigators, though we don’t know enough right now to speculate what that may actually mean.

Never mind that, even for a case being investigated by homicide detectives, they still say that victim was killed by a “vehicle,” rather than someone driving one.

Or as Andrew put it in forwarding the notice to me,

“Death investigation involving a bicyclist and a vehicle,” not “a driver ran down another person in cold blood and didn’t even stop.”

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

This is at least the 53rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 12th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

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

Thanks to Andrew for the heads-up. 

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

Update: 72-year old man dies in fall from bike, attempting to avoid child riding scooter on San Luis Rey River Trail in Oceanside

November 23, 2025 / / 3 comments

For once, it mattered that a victim was wearing a bike helmet.

But sadly, it didn’t make a difference this time.

Because a 72-year old man died after suffering a head injury in a fall off his bicycle, while swerving to avoid someone on a scooter in Oceanside Sunday morning.

A seven-year old child.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was riding with a companion when they caught up to a family headed in the same direction, San Luis Rey River Trail near Mance Buchanon Park, around 10:40 am.

The child on the scooter “unintentionally veered” into the victim’s path as they were trying to pass, causing him to fall. Despite wearing a helmet, the man suffered a head injury.

Relatively slow speed falls like that are exactly what bike helmets are designed to protect against, but this time, it didn’t seem to help.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a nearby fire station, but died before he could be airlifted to a hospital, despite the efforts of first responders.

Apparently the child was unharmed. Physically, anyway.

This is at least the 52nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 12th that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: NBC San Diego says the seven-year old scooter rider was a girl. 

My deepest sympathy for the victim and his loved ones. 

 

 

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

37-year old man riding bicycle killed by motorcyclist in South LA hit-and-run; over 1/3 of fatal SoCal bike crashes hit-and-run

November 13, 2025 / / 2 comments

Twenty-four hours later, we still don’t know much more than we did last night.

What we do know is that multiple sources reported that someone riding a bicycle was killed by a motorcyclist in a South Los Angeles hit-and-run Wednesday night.

The crash happened around 7:25 pm on East Vernon Ave between Avalon Blvd and McKinley Ave in the South Park neighborhood of South LA.

The victim died at the scene. My News LA identifies him as a 37-year old homeless man.

Witnesses described someone on a motorcycle fleeing the scene, but were unable to provide a description.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know at this time. Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD South Traffic Division Officer Hurd at 213/677-9791, or 877/527-3247 after business hours.

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 51st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; this was also the ninth we’ve learned about in the City of LA.

Nineteen of those drivers have now fled the scene, or more than one out of three fatal crashes involving someone on a bicycle in Southern California since the first of this year.

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

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

35-year old Long Beach man dies 2 weeks after crash with alleged speeding driver, who was arrested at the scene

October 24, 2025 / / One comment

For the third time this week, a Southern California bike rider has died.

But at least the driver stuck around this time.

According to Long Beach Watchdog, a man died two weeks after he was struck by an alleged speeding driver while riding his bicycle in Long Beach October 6th.

The victim, identified as 35-year old Long Beach resident Raul Augustin Gallopa, was biking east on Fourth Street at Bonito Ave around 7:53 pm when the driver of a BMW slammed into him as Gallopa tried to turn north onto Bonita.

Twenty-four-year old Ahkeyajahnique Owens of Long Beach was arrested at the scene for reckless driving, as police accused him her of traveling at a high rate of speed on the narrow three-lane street; there’s no word at this time whether she has been formally charged.

Correction: Owens was initially identified as a man, but she identified as a woman when she was charged with manslaughter for Gallopa’s death — one day after she also killed two other people in a Long Beach hit-and-run. 

Gallopa was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, where he died on Monday; however, police weren’t told of his death until Friday.

Anyone with information is urged to call Collision Investigation Detail Detective Ashley Van Holland of the Long Beach Police Department at 562/570-7355.

Long Beach Watchdog reports this was the 47th traffic fatality reported by the LBPD this year, compared to 40 deaths from traffic violence for all of last year.

Meanwhile, Gallopa’s death is at least the 50th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the tenth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Raul Augustin Gallopa and all his loved ones.

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

45-year old man riding bicycle killed by two separate hit-and-run drivers in Vernon Wednesday morning

October 23, 2025 / / Comments Off on 45-year old man riding bicycle killed by two separate hit-and-run drivers in Vernon Wednesday morning

For the second time this week, someone riding a bicycle has been murdered killed by a heartless coward in a motor vehicle.

Or in this case, two heartless cowards.

Multiple sources are reporting that a man was killed in Vernon when he was struck by not one, but two drivers yesterday morning.

The victim was riding on Pacific Avenue (or Pacific Blvd) near 45th Street around 6:30 am Wednesday when he was run down by a driver traveling south on Pacific. He was knocked into the northbound lane, where he was hit by the second driver.

The victim died at the scene. He has been identified as 45-year old William Valle.

Neither driver remained at the scene and assisted the victim, as required by law. There’s no description of either driver or their vehicles at this time.

At that point, Pacific is a six lane virtual highway with a wide, sweeping curve, where drivers could easily exceed the posted 40 mph speed limit at that hour.

There’s no word on how quickly the second crash followed the first, or if it could have been prevented if the first driver had simply stopped after the crash to warn approaching drivers about victim lying in the roadway.

Valle’s death comes two days to the hour after Eric Williams was killed by an alleged drugged hit-and-run driver while riding on PCH in Huntington Beach Monday morning.

This is at least the 49th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Eighteen of those SoCal drivers have now fled the scene, or more than one out of every three fatal crashes involving someone on a bicycle since the first of this year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for William Valle and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to James Johnson for the heads-up. 

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

Update: One man killed, two others severely injured by alleged drugged, hit-and-run driver on PCH in Huntington Beach

October 20, 2025 / / 7 comments

This is not how any of us wanted to start the week.

Because once again, a motor vehicle has become a weapon of mass destruction in the wrong hands, killing one man and severely injuring two others.

And once again, on PCH in Huntington Beach.

According to multiple sources, the victims were run down, apparently from behind, while riding in the bike lane on southbound PCH just north of Newland Street around 6:45 this morning.

That would put it in the vicinity of Lifeguard Station 13.

Police arrived to find the victims strewn in the traffic lane, their shattered bicycles on the side of the road.

One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene; he has not been publicly identified at this time.

However, KTLA-5 reported on air that the victims were members of a Long Beach bike club.

The driver fled the scene, but was arrested after stopping on the side of the road about half-a-mile away. Given the damage to the victims and their bikes, it’s likely her 2006 Mercedes E-Class wasn’t in drivable condition.

Police identified her as 43-year old Long Beach resident Amber Calderon, who was booked on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, gross vehicular manslaughter, felony DUI and possession of narcotics.

If she has a previous DUI on her record, those charges would likely be upgraded to murder.

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash. However, under California law, DUI can be considered a contributing factor, but not the proximate cause of any collision.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team of the Huntington Beach Police Department at 714/536-5670.

This is at least the 48th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Orange County.

Drivers have fled the scene in 16 of those SoCal crashes, or one out of every three fatal crashes involving someone on a bicycle since the first of the year.

Update: The victim who died at the scene has been identified as 45-year old Garden Grove resident Eric John Williams.

There’s still no word on the identities or condition of the other victims.

Update 2: We have more information about the victims, thanks to a crowdfunding page for Eric Williams’ family, and a press release from the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

I’ll just let his family tell the story.

Our family is heartbroken. On October 20th, our brother-in-law Eric Williams — a devoted husband, father of four, and beloved pastor — was tragically killed while cycling in Huntington Beach. We’re doing everything we can to surround our sister Robyn and the kids with love and stability, and so many have asked how they can help. This fund has been created to support them through the days ahead.

Eric was a Godly man with a heart for Jesus and for people. He spent his life serving others — first as a youth and teaching pastor at Seaside Community Church, and later as the founder of Community Church of West Garden Grove. He was kind, funny, and steady in his faith, always lifting others up.

He and Robyn had just celebrated 20 years of marriage. Their children — Julia (high school freshman), Jeanette (6th grade), Alice (4th grade), and little James (3 years old) — were his greatest joy.

As of this writing, the crowdfunding campaign has raised an amazing $266,964 in less than three days.

Meanwhile, the driver, Amber Kristine Calderon, was arraigned in Santa Ana on Wednesday.

Calderon was charged with one felony count of hit and run causing permanent injury or death, and two felony counts of hit and run with injury.

Thanks to California’s lax hit-and-run laws, she faces a maximum sentence of 5 years and four months, according to the DA’s office. She did not enter a plea, and the hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 13 in the West Justice Center in Westminster.

Yes, that’s all.

Although the charges and possible jail time could change, depending on the results of her toxicology report.

The DA’s office says the other two victims, who should not be overlooked in the anger and grief over Williams death, suffered serious injuries “including spinal fractures, broken ribs, a broken ankle, as well as cuts and bruises.”

The press release also provides more information on how Calderon was taken into custody.

Despite having significant damage to her hood, windshield, front bumper and losing her passenger side mirror at the site of the collision, Calderon is accused of driving on a flat tire for another 2/3 of a mile to a beach parking lot at Magnolia Street and driving past the parking kiosk without paying.

A parking attendant flagged her down before a witness to the crash blocked Calderon in with his vehicle and told the parking attendant not to let her leave because she had just hit three bicyclists. The parking attendant radioed for the California State Parks Police to respond.

Calderon was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run resulting in death or injury, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony driving under the influence causing death or injury, and possession of a hard drug with a prior conviction. Toxicology results are still pending.

My News LA reports that Calderon has previous convictions for misdemeanor petty theft, felony sale or transport of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor burglary.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Eric John Williams and the other victims and their loved ones. And best wishes for a full and fast recovery for the survivors. 

Thanks to Michael, Zachary, James Johnson, Jeffrey, Mike and William for the heads-up. 

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