Archive for Bicycle Safety

Update: 48-year old Riverside man riding bike killed in alleged drunken hit-and run; driver followed and arrested

July 17, 2022 / / 2 comments

Once again, a Southern California bike rider has been murdered by a drunken hit-and-run driver.

Allegedly.

According to My News LA, the driver fled the scene after running down the victim in Riverside Saturday night.

But for a change, the driver was captured a short time later.

The victim, identified only as a 48-year old Riverside man, was crossing Indiana Ave on La Sierra Ave on his bike when he was run down by a speeding driver traveling east on Indiana; there’s no word on what time the crash happened

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

Witnesses followed the driver, who was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He was identified as a 40-year old man from Corona, but no name was given.

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

Sixteen of those deaths have been hit-and-runs.

Update: KCBS-2 puts the time of the crash as around 10:10 pm.

Update 2: The victim has been identified as Riverside resident Jerry Hodges. The driver has still not been identified. 

Update 3: The Riverside Police Department has identified the alleged driver as 40-year old Corona resident Jose Luis Cacho Jr. He was released on $75,000 bond after being booked on vehicular homicide, hit-and-run and DUI charges.

Cacho was also charged with violating probation on a previous DUI conviction. That raises the question of why he hasn’t been charged with murder, since he would have received a Watson notice informing him that would be possible if he killed someone while driving drunk anytime in the future. 

Maybe that’s a question we should ask Riverside County DA Michael Hestrin. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jerry Hodges and his loved ones. 

Thanks to Accident News Now and Eric Lewis for the heads-up. 

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

73-year old man killed in Fountain Valley left cross collision; Southern California on pace for nearly 100 bike deaths this year

July 5, 2022 / / 4 comments

Once again, a driver has proven that paint is no protection.

Whether it’s a bike lane. Or in this case, a crosswalk.

According to the Daily Pilot, a man died after he was struck by a driver while riding his bike in Fountain Valley.

The victim, identified as 73-year old Fountain Valley resident Dac Them Kieu, was riding his bike in the crosswalk on Garfield Ave at Brookhurst Street, on the border with Huntington Beach, when he was hit by the driver of a massive Ford pickup around 6:57 am.

Dac was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries.

The Orange County Register reports the 65-year old driver was turning left off eastbound Garfield when he crashed into Dac, who was riding east in the crosswalk, which would put him on the westbound side of the street.

The fact that Dac was in the crosswalk suggests he had been riding on the sidewalk. That means he wouldn’t have been riding against traffic, since both the sidewalk and crosswalk are bidirectional.

Although drivers don’t always look for anyone coming from the opposite direction, even though they should.

The driver remained at the scene. Police do not believe intoxication played a role in the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to call the traffic bureau of the Fountain Valley Police Department at 714/593-4481, reference incident #22-22611.

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

That puts us on track for nearly 100 SoCal bicycling deaths this year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Dac Them Kieu and all his loved ones.

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

Woman riding on bike trail killed by alleged DUI driver in Rancho Cucamonga collision

June 28, 2022 / / 4 comments

Yet another bike rider has needlessly lost their life to an alleged drunk driver.

The Daily Bulletin is reporting that someone on a bicycle was struck by a driver while riding on the Pacific Electric Trail in Rancho Cucamonga Saturday evening.

According to the paper, 19-year old San Bernardino resident Jessica Carrillo allegedly ran a red light on Archibald Ave while the victim was crossing on the trail around 6:50 pm.

The Rancho Cucamonga Police Department reports the victim was riding west on the Pacific Electric Trail when she was run down as Carillo drove south on Archibald.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Facebook post identifies her as Debbie Morgan-Alam, a longtime member of the Ride Yourself Fit group.

Carillo remained at the scene, and was booked on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter, DUI causing injury and DUI causing injury with a blood alcohol content over .08 percent.

And proving once again that people on bicycles are at risk anywhere cars are present, even when riding on a fully separated pathway.

Anyone with information is urged to call San Bernardino Sheriff’s Deputies E. Rebollar or V. Peterson at 909/477-2800.

This is at least the 47th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Debbie Morgan-Alam and her loved ones.

Thanks to Victor Bale and Michael Wagner for the heads-up.

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

US Army vet from Belize killed in March bike crash in Carson, only makes the news now

June 22, 2022 / / One comment

Too often, someone can be killed in a bicycling crash, and it never makes the news.

Or if it does, it may show up somewhere far away.

That was the case this March, when a 20-year veteran of the US Army was killed, without making a blip in the local media until the story popped up in his home country of Belize yesterday.

According to the Breaking Belize News website, 49-year old Sergeant Brian George Martinez was killed in an early morning collision while training for the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Class, a one day amateur bike race held annually in the country since 1928.

The news surfaced in a story about his mother donating his bicycling gear to the Cycling Federation of Belize following his death.

An April Facebook post from the organization said Martinez was killed in Los Angeles on March 17th, just one week after he sent in his registration for the race.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s office confirms his death.

Meanwhile, a website for a Los Angeles law firm places the collision at the intersection of East Victoria Street and South Avalon Boulevard in Carson.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or if the driver was ticketed or charged. Or even stopped following the crash, for that matter.

In addition to his military career, Martinez worked as a Licensed Clinical Health and Mental Health Therapist in Los Angeles.

This is at least the 46th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Brian George Martinez and all his loved ones. 

 

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

Update: Ebike rider killed in collision in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood, police quick to blame the victim

June 21, 2022 / / 9 comments

The bad news just keeps on coming.

The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that a 63-year old man riding a “battery-assisted bicycle” has been killed in a collision in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood.

Evidently, they’ve never heard of an ebike.

According to police, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding west on Harbor Drive near Beardsley Street around 9:30 this morning when he swerved to go around a box truck.

He reportedly struck the right front fender of a Dodge Charger traveling in the left lane, and was thrown across the car’s hood.

He died at the scene.

Police say there’s no evidence of intoxication, even though there’s not a single mention of a driver, as if the Charger was driving itself.

There’s also no word on how fast the driver was going; it seems unlikely that simply crashing into the side of the car would throw the victim over the hood.

There’s also no word on whether the truck was parked in the bike lane on Harbor or traveling in the right lane. And no explanation where the victim was riding prior to the crash.

This is at least the 45th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

He is also the seventh bike rider to die on SoCal streets just this month.

Update: Raw video from the scene shows the car, with a shattered windshield, but no visible damage on the right front side where police say the victim’s bike struck the car. 

I’m not embedding the video because it shows the victim’s body in the roadway covered by a tarp, as well as his broken bicycle. So be sure you really want to see that before you click the link. 

Thanks to T for the link. 

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

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

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

June 19, 2022 / / 5 comments

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.

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

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

June 16, 2022 / / Comments Off on 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.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

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

June 15, 2022 / / 2 comments

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. 

 

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

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

June 12, 2022 / / 2 comments

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.

 

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

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

June 8, 2022 / / 5 comments

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. 

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