Archive for Injuries and Fatalities

Bike rider killed in collision in LA’s Miracle Mile; no details available

September 8, 2017 / / One comment

Sad news from LA’s Miracle Mile district, where a bicyclist was killed in a collision Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, there’s almost no information about the crash.

According to the City News Service, the wreck occurred in the area of Olympic Blvd and Ridgeley Drive; another site places the time of the crash around 11 pm.

The victim died at the scene.

Raw news video from the scene shows what appears to be a mangled mountain bike resting next to a pair of shoes in the street, and identifies the victim as male.

The driver remained at the scene; news footage shows a sedan with a broken windshield. However, that site places the crash a few blocks further east on the 5500 block of Olympic.

No other details about the victim or the crash are available at this time.

This is the 41st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 20th in Los Angeles County. It’s also the seventh in the City of Los Angeles.

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

 

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

Update: Van Nuys bike rider killed in double hit-and-run Wednesday night

September 7, 2017 / / 2 comments

Heartbreaking news from Van Nuys, where a woman was left to die by a pair of heartless cowards Wednesday night.

According to multiple sources, the victim was struck by a speeding driver around 11:23 pm at the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Stagg Street, and thrown nearly 120 feet by the force of the impact.

The driver, later identified as 24-year old Van Nuys resident Erik Limon, fled the scene, leaving his victim lying unprotected in the street.

Another driver ran over her as she was lying in the street; that driver also fled without stopping.

The victim, who has been identified only as a woman in her 50s, died at the scene.

Police suspect her bicycle was stuck under Limon’s car as he fled, and disposed of later; as of this writing, it has still not been found.

His car was recovered, and he was arrested at his home around 3:15 Thursday afternoon.

The second driver, reportedly a woman in an older gold Camry, is still at large.

KABC-7 reports the victim was in a crosswalk when she was struck by Limon’s car. However, according to KCBS-2, she may have been riding against traffic.

Anyone who finds a damaged bicycle in the area, or who has other information about the crash, is urged to call the LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division at 818/644-8000.

There is an automatic $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver, or in this case, drivers, in any fatal hit-and-run in the City of LA.

This is the 40th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 19th in Los Angeles County. It’s also the sixth in the City of Los Angeles.

Fourteen of those SoCal deaths have been the result of hit-and-runs, half of those in LA County.

Update: Surveillance video on KNBC-4 shows the victim riding northbound in the southbound lane, where she was struck by the Limon’s car as he turned right. Despite earlier reports, he does not appear to be speeding at the time of the crash.

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

 

Category: Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Bike rider killed in Redondo Beach collision; second Redondo Beach bicycling death this year

September 5, 2017 / / 2 comments

Three day weekends are always dangerous times for people on bicycles.

And this one was no exception.

According to multiple sources, a bike rider was struck by a car on Artesia Boulevard near Felton Lane in Redondo Beach around 9:15 Monday night.

The victim has been publicly identified only as a man; he was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The female driver remained at the scene; police do not suspect intoxication.

No other information is available at this time.

A street view shows Artesia is a wide, divided commercial street with two lanes and a left turn lane in each direction, and no bike lane. There’s no word on where the victim was riding at the time of the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to call Redondo Beach PD Investigator Clint Daniel at 310/379-2477 ext. 2721.

This is the 39th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 18th in Los Angeles County. It’s also the second bicycling death in Redondo Beach this year.

Update: The Beach Reporter has identified the victim as 52-year old Redondo Beach resident Greg Trawick, known to his friends as Bama Greg.

He was just a block from his home when he was killed.

According to the paper, Trawick was headed north on Felton when he made eye contact with a driver waiting to turn left onto Felton from westbound Artesia. But when he started to cross the street, he was hit by a second car headed east on Artesia. 

Which makes it strange that police say no charges are likely to be filed since Felton is a signalized intersection at Artesia.

In order for the crash to have occurred as it’s described, either Trawick or the driver had to have gone through a red light. And there’s no suggestion in the story that Trawick did. 

He leaves behind an ex-wife and a 16-year old daughter. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Greg Trawick and his loved ones.

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Bike rider killed when suspended driver veers into Oceanside bike lane

August 31, 2017 / / 7 comments

And then there were two.

Less than two hours after a man was killed riding his bike in Long Beach, another man was killed while riding on an Oceanside highway.

According multiple, mostly identical reports, the victim was struck from behind while he was riding west on State Route 76 east of Melrose Drive around 11 am.

Oceanside police were unable to revive him at the scene, and he died after being airlifted to an Escondido medical center.

He has not been publicly identified at this time.

The 25-year old driver reportedly veered into the bike lane where the victim was riding. He was arrested at the scene on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant, as well as driving with a suspended license.

A satellite view shows three through lanes on westbound SR-71, with a double left turn lane, right turn lans and a bike lane. There’s no protection for the bike lane, which runs between the right through lane and the right turn lane, despite the apparent 55 mph speed limit.

Anyone with information is urge to call OPD officer David Paul at 760/435-4431 or Sgt. Rick Davis at 760/435-4906.

This is the 38th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in San Diego County. It’s also the second in Oceanside this year.

Update: The victim has been identified as 70-year old Wildomar resident Paul Cornish.

Update 2: It was later discovered that the driver, Felix Ruizbazan, was driving a stolen car. 

Update 3: Twenty-six-year old Felix Ruiz Bazan pled guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated; in addition to driving a stolen car without a license, Bazan was high on meth at the time of the crash.

He faces ten years behind bars when he’s sentenced.

Meanwhile, Cornish once held the record for the fastest crossing of the US by bicycle, which eventually led to the creation of the Race Across America (RAAM).

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Paul Cornish and his loved ones.

 

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

Update: Bike rider killed in North Long Beach collision; 17th rider killed in Los Angeles County this year

August 31, 2017 / / 2 comments

The Press-Telegram is reporting that a bike rider was killed in North Long Beach this morning.

According to the paper, the victim was struck by a car Downey Ave at La Jara Street around 9:45 am.

The rider, who has not been publicly identified, reportedly turned onto the street diagonally, putting him directly into the path of the oncoming car.

A police spokesperson says the victim saw the car at the last moment, but was struck as both he and the driver tried to avoid the crash.

He died at the scene.

A street view shows two lanes in each direction on Downey with a center left turn lane, and a parallel access road on either side.

It’s unclear where the rider would have entered the road at a diagonal angle. It’s possible he may have come off a side street intending to turn at La Jara, or vice versa, but that is just speculation.

It’s also questionable why he wouldn’t have seen the driver, since Downey offers an unobstructed view in both directions. As well as who told police he tried to avoid the crash after seeing the driver at the last minute.

It’s impossible to know what he may have seen and when, since he’s unable to give his side of the story. Or just what his actions were as a result unless they were observed by independent witnesses.

This is the 37th bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 17th in Los Angeles County this year. And it’s at least the 13th bicycling death in Long Beach since 2010.

Update: The Press-Telegram has identified the victim as 54-year old Long Beach resident John Anthony Holland.

According to the paper, Holland was struck while riding northwest across northbound Downey Ave between Hedda and La Jara streets.

The driver reportedly moved into the right lane to avoid Holland at the same time Holland made a U-turn to his right, putting him directly into the path of the car.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for John Anthony Holland and his loved ones. 

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

Bicyclist killed crossing street in Ontario Friday night

August 27, 2017 / / 2 comments

Sad news from Ontario, where are man was killed while riding his bike Friday night.

As usual for the Inland Empire, not much information is available.

According to the Daily Bulletin, a man was hit by the driver of a vehicle while crossing 4th street on his bike just east of the 15 Freeway around 9 pm Friday.

The victim, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced dead at a regional medical center around 9:40 pm.

The driver, who had been traveling east on the roadway, stayed at the scene and called 911.

A press release from the coroner’s office (second item) adds a few more details, placing the site of the crash just east of the southbound onramp to the 15, and identifying the victim as a white male.

No other information is available at this time.

A street view shows a wide roadway on 4th with six lanes in each direction, a right turn lane, and double left turn lanes leading onto the freeway.

Despite the traffic signal, there’s no crosswalk visible in the photo.

If the victim was traveling from north to south, it could have been difficult to cross the roadway in time, with or without the light.

This is the 36th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth in San Bernardino County.

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

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

Update: Long Beach man killed by fleeing driver after crosswalk collision injures 2nd rider

August 14, 2017 / / One comment

For the second time in three days, an LA County bike rider has been killed by a hit-and-run driver.

And this time, it may have been intentional.

According to multiple sources, two men were either riding or walking their bikes across Long Beach Boulevard in the crosswalk at Bort Street in Long Beach around 1:20 a.m.

Depending on the source, one or both were then struck by the driver of an SUV headed south on Long Beach.

One of the men somehow ended up on the hood of the Ford SUV, and was carried several blocks before being thrown off by the fleeing driver.

He was severely injured, and died at scene after police arrived.

The other rider suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

KTLA-5 reports the driver circled the block once before abandoning his car and fleeing on foot. They also say police believe they know the identity of the driver, but have not yet made an arrest.

That is contradicted by a story in the Press-Telegram, which says authorities have the vehicle, but don’t yet know who was behind the wheel or have a description of the suspect.

KTLA also places the actual site of the wreck several blocks away at the Long Beach Boulevard offramp of the 91 Freeway, saying Bout was where the victim was thrown off and landed in the street.

There is also some dispute over how the victim ended up on the SUV.

Most reports indicate he either landed on the hood as a result of the crash, or jumped onto it in an attempt to stop the driver from getting away.

However, according to KTLA,

The second cyclist then jumped on the driver’s side running board of the SUV, reached into the window and tried to turn off the ignition before the driver took off with the man clinging to the side of the vehicle, a Long Beach police news release stated.

Earlier, Watt said the bicyclist jumped on the hood before police released additional information about the incident.

Either way, the driver had to know the victim was on his vehicle, and made a conscious decision to flee with the victim clinging to his SUV, resulting in the rider’s death.

Which means he should face a charge of vehicular homicide once he’s caught. If not 2nd degree murder.

This is the 35th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th in Los Angeles County. It’s also at least the 12th bicycling death in Long Beach since 2010.

Update: The LA Times has confirmed the details of the KTLA report. 

According to them, the SUV struck one of the victims at the Long Beach Blvd offramp.

The other rider, who was not hit, jumped on the running board of the SUV, and hit his head on a curb when he was thrown from the vehicle as the driver made a sharp right onto Bort.

The victim has been identified only as a 51-year old man. 

This is a reminder that it’s not worth your life to stop a fleeing driver.

Gather all the details you can — make, model, color, license and a description of the driver — as well as photos or video, if possible. Then get out of the way and let the police deal with it.

Update 2: The victim has been identified as 51-year old Los Angeles resident Odie Ervin. He was a popular member of a local lowrider bicycle club. 

Anyone with information is urged to LBPD Det. Brian Watt at 562/570-7355.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Odie Ervin and all his loved ones.

Thanks to James Johnson, John McBrearty, and Mike Wilkinson for the heads-up. 

 

Category: Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: Man killed walking his bike across the street in South LA hit-and-run

August 12, 2017 / / 5 comments

Another human being has been murdered by a heartless hit-and-run driver, for the crime of crossing the street.

According to multiple sources, a man was walking his bike across Broadway at 88th Street at 2:30 am when he was killed by a hit-and-run driver.

A witness reports seeing the driver of a Chevy Tahoe plow into the victim while speeding up to go through the light after it turned red. Then flee the scene without slowing down.

The victim, identified only as a possibly being in his late 40s, died at the scene.

A street view shows a staggered intersection at 88th, with a red light and crosswalks at each corner. Broadway has two lanes and a left turn lane in each direction, with a wide parking lane, making it a very broad street to cross.

The City of Los Angeles offers an automatic $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the driver in a fatal hit-and-run. Information can be provided anonymously at LACrimeStoppers.org.

This is the 34th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 15th in Los Angeles County. It’s also the fifth in the City of LA.

Update: The victim has been identified as 57-year old Albert Arnold. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Albert Arnold and all his loved ones.

Category: Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

LA Sheriff’s reserve deputy dies competing in World Police and Fire Games mountain bike race

August 11, 2017 / / 5 comments

Tragic news from what should have been a fun competition.

The LA Daily News reported this afternoon that a mountain biker competing in the 2017 World Police & Fire Games suffered a heart attack around 9:30 this morning.

He was transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital from the course near Castaic Lake, where he arrived in full cardiac arrest.

Sadly, he didn’t make it.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced on Facebook this evening that Reserve Deputy Jacob Castroll passed away at 11:14.

According to their report, he was found unresponsive on the trail by another competitor at approximately 9:40 am.

Castroll’s death is being investigated by the department’s Homicide Bureau since the circumstances of his death are unknown.

It’s possible that he may have fallen after suffering a heart attack or some other physical problem, or that he may have gone into cardiac arrest after falling.

He had served as a reserve deputy with the Malibu/Los Hills sheriff’s station for the past seven years. He is survived by his wife and three children.

The Daily News gives Castroll’s age as 68.

This is the 33rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th in Los Angeles County.

Update: Contrary to earlier reports, The Acorn reports Castroll died due to blunt-force trauma to the head and neck, suggesting a fall rather than a heart attack.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jacob Castroll, and all his family and friends.

 

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

Motorized bike rider dies after being struck by two drivers in Redlands

July 31, 2017 / / 4 comments

Once again, a bike rider has been left to die street by a heartless coward.

According to the Redlands Daily Facts, a 55-year old San Bernardino man was riding a motorized bicycle south on Alabama Street north of Pioneer Street in Redlands when he was rear-ended by the driver of a Subaru Impreza  around 10:30 pm.

That driver fled the scene, leaving the victim lying in the street, where he was struck by a second driver a few minutes later.

The second driver had the decency to remain at the scene.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was pronounced dead at Loma Linda University Medical Center a short time later.

No one will ever know if the victim, who has not been publicly identified, could have survived if the first driver had called for help and stayed at the scene to prevent the second crash.

The 20-year old driver turned himself in to police two hours later.

Which would have given him plenty of time to clear out his text messaging history or hide any other possible evidence of distraction or drug or alcohol use.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Redlands Police Department at 909-798-7681 ext. 1.

This is the 32nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh in San Bernardino County. And it’s just the second bicycling death in Redlands in the last five years.

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

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