Archive for Injuries and Fatalities

Bike rider killed in Palm Springs hit-and-run; victim identified as 30-year old Desert Hot Springs man

October 24, 2019 / / 3 comments

It took awhile, but we finally got confirmation that the victim in Monday’s Palm Springs hit-and-run was riding a bicycle at the time.

The victim, identified by his family as 30-year old Palm Desert resident Raymundo Jaime, was riding on South Palm Canyon Drive between Mesquite Avenue and Morongo Road around 9:30 pm Monday when he was struck by a driver, who continued without stopping.

He died at the scene.

Police are looking for a dark-colored compact with likely front-end damage; the driver fled south on Palm Canyon. There’s no description on the driver or make of car.

Jaime’s family called on the driver to turn themself in.

Someone’s sitting at home knowing that they hit someone, they hit a person, and they know that they killed him. They know that; there’s no way on God’s green earth can they not know,” said Jeanette Jaime, Raymundo’s aunt and godmother. “I can understand the fear in them, but it just sickens me that someone can just do this to another person, to a human being.

 

He leaves behind his wife and a four-year old daughter.

“She is going to grow up without a father,” Jaime said. “It means that she will cry herself to sleep. They had a very awesome relationship.”

A crowdfunding page set up to benefit them has raised just $225 of the $10,000 goal in two days.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Palm Springs Police Department at 760/323-8116.

This is at least the 61st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 8th that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers Raymundo Jaime and his family and loved ones.

Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.

 

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Update: Bike rider killed in North Hills hit-and-run; victim struck by two drivers, second fled on foot

October 19, 2019 / / 2 comments

News is just breaking that a bike rider was killed in LA’s North Hills neighborhood Friday night.

According to KABC-7, the victim was struck by two cars around 8:30 pm at Rayen Street and Woodley Ave in North Hills; the first driver stayed at the scene, while the second reportedly abandoned his car and ran away.

The victim died after being taken to a local hospital.

In a story that hasn’t been posted online yet, KNBC-4 reports the victim was knocked off his or her bike by the first driver before getting hit by the second, who fled on foot.

Judging by the bike lanes visible in the video, the crash appears to have occurred on Woodley Ave just south of Rayen. Video from the scene shows the victim’s mangled bicycle resting on the center yellow line, with the abandoned car blocking both southbound lanes.

No other details or description of the victim are available at this time.

This is at least the 60th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 26th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also 12th bicyclist killed in the City of Los Angeles this year.

Update: The LA Daily News describes the victim as a 56-year old man.

According to the paper, the victim was attempting to turn left onto southbound Woodley against the light when he was struck by a southbound 21-year old driver in a Lexus.

That was confirmed by a witness who left a comment below.

The Lexus driver was attempting to make a U-turn to get back to the victim when the bike rider was run over by the second driver, who fled the scene in his or her car — not on foot as originally reported. Again, that’s confirmed by the commenter below.

The suspect vehicle is described only as a black sedan.

A ghost bike will be placed at the scene Monday night. 

Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD Valley Traffic Division at 818/644-8000.

Update 2: The LA County Medical Examiner has identified the victim as 56-year old Joel Fisher. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Joel Fisher and his loved ones.

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43-year old Bino Conde dies days after crash while standing with his bike on Oxnard sidewalk

October 16, 2019 / / One comment

Sadly, another man has died days after he was injured in an Oxnard crash.

And all he did was stand on a street corner with his bike.

According to the Ventura County Star, 43-year old Oxnard resident Bino Conde was injured Wednesday afternoon as a result of a collision he wasn’t even involved in.

Conde was standing on the corner of Saviers Road and Bard Road when he was struck by a pickup driven by a 23-year old man that overturned in a crash.

A car driven by a 88-year old woman was headed south on Saviers when she tried to turn left on Bard, and collided with the northbound pickup. The truck rolled over, striking Conde on the northeast corner.

He was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where he died of his injuries on Saturday.

And no, there’s probably nothing he could have done to avoid something like that.

This is at least the 59th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and just the fifth that I’m aware of in Ventura County; four of those have been in Oxnard.

Conde died just one day after another man was killed riding his bike the wrong way, just two miles away, at Saviers Road and West Wooley Road.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Bino Conde and his loved ones.

 

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67-year old Thomas Burke dies five days after bike hit by pickup driver in San Diego’s Otay Mesa

October 16, 2019 / / Comments Off on 67-year old Thomas Burke dies five days after bike hit by pickup driver in San Diego’s Otay Mesa

Last week, we were told a San Diego man was expected to survive a brain injury suffered when his bike was hit by a truck in Otay Mesa.

Today, we learned he didn’t.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that 67-year old Thomas Burke died on Monday, five days after he was injured last Wednesday morning.

Burke was riding north on Beyer Boulevard near Del Sol Boulevard when he was struck by a pickup driver around 11:35 am. He was taken to a hospital in the Hillcrest neighborhood with a brain bleed and other injuries that were expected to be survivable.

Police initially said he was riding in the left of two lanes on the four lane street. However, according to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office, Burke was in a designated bike lane when he was run down from behind.

Which means he definitely did not come out of nowhere, as one witness said.

Just two more example why you should always take initial reports with a grain of salt. If not the entire bag.

The crash remains under investigation. But if Burke was riding in the bike lane, there should be no question who was at fault.

This is at least the 58th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and just the second that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Thomas Burke and his loved ones.

 

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Man killed riding a bicycle on the Gardena Freeway in Compton Thursday morning

October 13, 2019 / / One comment

Once again, a bike rider has been killed while riding on a SoCal freeway.

According to a story from the City News Service, 43-year old Compton resident Nelson Mariano Velez-Segovia was inexplicably riding in the right lane of the 91 (Gardena) Freeway near Wilmington Ave in Compton early Thursday morning.

At 6:40 am, a driver was reportedly unable to avoid him, and slammed into Velez-Segovia at roughly 55 mph.

Not surprisingly, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The LA County Coroner’s office places the location as the freeway onramp; however, neither source mentions which direction he was traveling in.

No explanation is given for why he was riding on the freeway, particularly in the traffic lane; bicycles are prohibited from all limited-access highways in Los Angeles County.

It’s possible he may have been riding on the shoulder, and moved into the traffic lane when the shoulder disappeared at the onramp. Or he may have been forced into the lane by cars entering the freeway.

Unfortunately, we’ll probably never get any answers beyond what is contained in the brief story.

This is at least the 57th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 25th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Nelson Mariano Velez-Segovia and his loved ones.

 

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Update: Wrong way Oxnard bike rider killed in truck crash, police claim driver didn’t know

October 11, 2019 / / 4 comments

First it was a hit-and-run.

Then it wasn’t.

According to the Ventura County Star, a 45-year old man was killed when he was struck by the driver of a semi-truck while riding his bike against traffic on an Oxnard street.

Yet police say the driver had no idea he’d hit anyone, let alone killed someone.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was struck just after 11:30 am as he was riding east in the westbound lane of East Wooley Road, west of Saviers Road in Oxnard

He was dead at the scene before emergency personnel arrived.

The driver of the truck continued west without stopping. When Oxnard police stopped the truck shortly later, the driver reportedly cooperated with investigators, claiming he was unaware of the crash.

Unfortunately, they don’t explain how the crash happened. It strains credibility to believe the driver could have been unaware of a head-on collision; however, it’s possible he may not have known if he sideswiped the victim or hit him with the truck’s wing mirror.

Though one way or the other, he should have.

There’s also no explanation for why the victim was riding on the wrong side. Wooley Road is a divided highway with a planted median, and a bike lane that stops several hundred feet short of the intersection with Saviers.

This should serve as yet another reminder to never ride in the street against the flow of traffic.

This is at least the 56th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in Ventura County; three of those have been in Oxnard.

Update: The victim has been identified as 45-year old Oxnard resident Javier Lopez.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Javier Lopez and his loved ones.

 

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Update: Drinking, unlicensed hit-and-run driver slams into four bike riders in El Centro, killing 44-year old man and injuring 3

September 29, 2019 / / Comments Off on Update: Drinking, unlicensed hit-and-run driver slams into four bike riders in El Centro, killing 44-year old man and injuring 3

It’s not often we hear from Imperial County. And when we do, the news usually isn’t good.

That’s the case today, when an unlicensed driver swerved off the road and struck a group of people who were riding their bikes in El Centro Sunday morning.

The four were riding north on the shoulder of State Route 111, just south of Interstate 8, when they were rear-ended by a 31-year old woman around 7:30 am, killing a 44-year-old man and severely injuring a woman.

Two others suffered minor injuries.

The driver was arrested shortly later after fleeing the scene. Officials said she had been drinking, but was not legally intoxicated, and didn’t have a valid license.

The victims were all reported to be Mexican citizens.

This is at least the 55th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first in Imperial County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 44-year old Emeterio Millan of Mexicali, Mexico. 

The most seriously injured victim was flown from El Centro to Palm Springs for treatment, while the Mexican consulate was working to help the other victims and get Millan’s body back home to Mexicali. 

The driver, a resident of El Centro, is being held on $150,000 bond on felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter charges.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Emeterio Millan and all his loved ones. And best wishes for a fast and full recovery to all those injured in the crash. 

 

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Update: Man killed in Carlsbad train collision in what may be first San Diego County bike death this year

September 27, 2019 / / One comment

The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that a 24-year old man was killed when he was struck by an Amtrak train while crossing the tracks in Carlsbad Thursday night.

According to the paper, the victim, who has not been publicly named, was riding east on the sidewalk near Grand Ave and Washington Street when he rode onto the tracks, and somehow struck the side of the train around 7:30 pm.

He was taken to an Oceanside medical center, where he died.

Sadly, he was on his way to meet friends in Carlsbad Village, the Times of San Diego reports.

A street view shows the railroad crossing is controlled by warning lights and crossing arms. However, the arms don’t extend to the sidewalk where the victim was riding. No explanation is given for why he apparently either didn’t notice the train, or was unable to stop in time to avoid it.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is urged to call the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department at 858/565-5200.

This is at least the 53rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year; remarkably, it appears to be the first in San Diego County.

As we’ve noted many times before, a train crash is the easiest kind of collision to prevent because you know exactly where it will go, and get a clear warning of when it’s coming; it’s also the most difficult to survive.

So never ride through or around crossing arms or warning signals, and never stop on the tracks.

Update: The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the victim has been identified as 37-year old San Diego County resident Jason Lynn Holsinger, despite initial reports that the victim was 24.

The San Diego medical examiner confirms that Holsinger rode around the crossing gates and into the side of the train.

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

 

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Update: Man walking bicycle across Redondo Ave struck and killed by two drivers; 5th Long Beach bike death of 2019

September 27, 2019 / / One comment

A man was killed when he was struck by two drivers while walking his bike across the street in Long Beach.

Or maybe three, since Long Beach authorities were quick to throw him under the bus.

According to a press release from the Long Beach Police Department, the victim, who was originally thought to be riding his bike, was struck around 6:20 am Thursday near the intersection of Redondo Ave and 11th Street.

He was crossing southbound Redondo, and had stopped in the left lane to wait for traffic to clear when he was struck by the driver of an SUV, and knocked into the left lane on the other side.

A driver headed in the opposite direction swerved around him, before he was hit by the driver of a second car as he lay in the roadway.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, despite efforts to save him.

Both drivers remained at the scene. A police spokesman said neither driver was intoxicated, and weren’t distracted by their cellphones.

However, there is also no way of knowing if the drivers were distracted without examining their phones, which requires a warrant. And there are many other forms of distraction, which may or may not have contributed to the crash.

A story from the Long Beach Post reports that the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was allegedly crossing the street illegally in low light conditions, according to unnamed authorities.

The reports are unclear exactly where the victim was crossing the street, saying only that it was somewhere south of 11th.

However, according to CVC 21955, the prohibition against crossing mid block only applies if there is a traffic signal at both ends of the block. In this case, there is a traffic light on 10th, but not on 11th.

So it’s hard to understand how the victim could have broken the law by simply crossing the street.

Anyone with information is urged to call LBPD Det. Allen Duncan at 562/570-7355.

This is at least the 52nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 24th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County. It’s also the fifth bicycling death in Long Beach, in what is turning out to be a very bloody year for the city.

Update: The victim has been identified as 59-year old Mike Yanis, who was homeless. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Mike Yanis and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Michael Muhammad for the heads-up.

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

Man killed lying in street next to bicycle in South LA’s Hyde Park neighborhood

September 24, 2019 / / 2 comments

KTLA-5 is reporting that a man with a bicycle was killed when he was struck by a driver in South LA Sunday night.

According to LAPD investigators, the victim was lying in the street next to a bicycle on Arlington Ave, near the intersection with West 48th Street in the Hyde Park neighborhood, when a driver swerved around him just before midnight.

Unfortunately, another driver following in the same direction was unable to stop or go around him in time.

He apparently died at the scene.

There’s no explanation given for why the victim, publicly identified only as a 58-year old man, was down in the street. It’s possible that he may have fallen or been knocked off his bike, suffered a medical emergency, or simply passed out under the influence.

The coroner’s office shows one possible victim on that date, a 58-year old black man identified as Larry Mitchell; unfortunately, there’s no location given so it’s hard to say for sure if that’s who it was.

This is at least the 51st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 23rd that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County. It’s also the 11th bicyclist killed in the City of Los Angeles this year.

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

 

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