Archive for Bicycle Safety

Man killed riding bike in early morning Huntington Beach hit-and-run; driver possibly under the influence

March 30, 2019 / / 5 comments

Yet another life has been needlessly taken by a cowardly driver who didn’t bother to slow down, let alone stop as required by law.

According to multiple sources, the unidentified victim was riding in a crosswalk on Beach Blvd at Adams Ave in Huntington Beach at around 2:10 am when the driver of a BMW blew through a red light and slammed into him.

The victim, described only as a man in his 30s or 40s, died shortly afterwards.

The driver apparently crashed into a tree about a half-mile away in Huntington Beach, and fled the scene on foot. He was taken into custody about a mile from that crash scene, based on information police found in the car, and booked on suspicion of vehicular homicide.

Police are investigating whether he was drunk or stoned at the time of the crash, which seems highly likely.

Video from the scene shows a mangled cruiser bike with plastic baskets front and rear, and a large amount of debris strewn in the street, suggesting the victim may have been homeless or collecting recyclables.

However, that is just speculation at this point.

Anyone with information is urged to call Huntington Beach Police Accident Investigator B. Atkins at 714/536-5666, or Investigator A. Turner at 714/536-5670.

This is at least the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third I’m aware of in Orange County; two of those three deaths have been hit-and-runs.

Update: The victim has been identified by his mother as 33-year old Ray MacDonald, who lived in the Huntington Beach area for the past three years; he was killed the day after his birthday.

He leaves behind a daughter, and a loving family and friends.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Ray MacDonald and all his loved ones.


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

Canadian man dies days after rear-ending minivan in Indian Wells bike crash

March 28, 2019 / / 2 comments

Sometimes these things just don’t make any sense.

Earlier this week, we mentioned that a bike rider was in critical condition after apparently rear-ending a stopped minivan in Indian Wells.

Unfortunately, I’ve just received word that he didn’t make it.

According to News Channel 3, the victim was riding west on Highway 111 near Province Way in Indian Wells when he somehow rear-ended a stopped minivan around 10:52 Monday morning.

An email from the Desert Bicycle Club identifies the victim as 68-year old Paul Jackson, a part-time resident from Calgary, Canada.

He’s described as a very experienced cyclist, which makes this tragedy that much harder to understand.

It’s possible that the minivan was parked and Jackson didn’t see it for some reason. Or it’s equally possible that the driver may have come to a sudden stop after cutting him off, or he could have somehow been forced into the rear of the van.

Or any number of possible explanations.

Unfortunately, we may never know unless a witness other than the driver comes forward.

A street view shows a separated lane on HIghway 111, but it appears to be a curbside parking lane, rather than a bike lane.

Anyone with information is urged to call Officer Conoway of the Indian Wells Police Department Traffic Team at 760/836-1600.

This is at least the 15th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second I’m aware of in Riverside County; in fact, it’s the second in the county in just the past week.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Paul Jackson and all his family and loved ones.

Thanks to Victor Bale for the heads-up.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Riverside road cyclist left dying in the street by hit-and-run driver

March 23, 2019 / / 3 comments

Yet another Southern California bike rider has been killed by a cowardly hit-and-run driver.

According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, Riverside police found the 53-year old victim lying in the westbound bike lane on Victoria Avenue, just west of Myers Street, around 7:45 Saturday morning, after receiving a report of a bicyclist down.

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

Police initially thought the man, who has not been publicly identified, had fallen off his bicycle. However, hospital officials reported his injuries were consistent with being hit by a motor vehicle.

Unfortunately, no witnesses have come forward, so there is no description of the suspect or the vehicle used in the crime.

Video from the scene shows a black road bike and silver helmet lying on the side of the road.

Screen grab from KTLA report

No other information is available at this time.

Regardless of how the crash may have happened, there is simply no excuse, ever, for leaving a crash victim bleeding in the street. The driver should face a murder charge for making a conscious decision to let the victim die, rather than calling for help and providing assistance as the law requires.

We’ll never know if he might have survived if he’d gotten help right away.

Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Zach Fishell at 951-826-8723, or email zfishell@riversideca.gov.

Let’s hope they find the coward responsible for this crash. And that prosecutors treat this needless death with the seriousness it demands.

This is at least the 14th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first I’m aware of in Riverside County.

Update: The Press-Enterprise has identified the victim as 52-year old Riverside resident Brian Sabel.

Despite wearing a helmet, he died of a head injury at Riverside Community Hospital roughly 45 minutes after he was found in the roadway.

No word on how long he had been lying there before help arrived.

This would appear to be his Strava profile.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Brian Sabel and his loved ones.

Thanks to John McBrearty for the heads-up.

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

Man riding bicycle killed after allegedly riding in front of driver in Oxnard crash

March 23, 2019 / / 2 comments

Once again, a bike rider is dead after somehow magically appearing in front of a driver.

According to the Ventura County Star, the victim was struck by an 18-year old driver on Saviers Road near Iris Street in Oxnard around 8:10 pm Thursday, although a local TV station places the time of the crash shortly after 10 pm.

The driver was headed south on Saviers when he said the victim, identified only as a man in his mid-20s, “suddenly appeared in front of (his) vehicle.”

The bike rider was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where he died.

The driver, who hasn’t been publicly identified, stayed at the scene, telling police he was unable to avoid the man’s bicycle.

There’s no explanation given for why the driver wasn’t able to see the victim or his bike.

However, in any case like this, where there doesn’t appear to be any surviving witnesses other than the driver, it’s important to remember that we’re only getting one side of the story.

It’s entirely possible that the victim somehow rode out in front of the driver’s car. But it’s also possible that he may have been riding safely in the bike lane on southbound Saviers, and the driver just didn’t see him.

Because no one, ever, comes out of nowhere.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Senior Officer Paul Knapp of the Oxnard Police Department at 805/385-7750 or email paul.knapp@oxnardpd.org.

This is at least the 13th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first I’m aware of in Ventura County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

19-year old Team California cyclist Tate Meintjes killed Tuesday while training for Redlands Classic

March 13, 2019 / / 2 comments

Once again, a competitive cyclist has been killed in a training collision.

And this time, it’s in our own back yard.

According to the Redlands Classic, 19-year old Team California rider Tate Meintjes was killed in a collision while previewing the course for today’s time trial.

Meintjes was riding with his teammates on Sand Canyon Road, just east of Crafton Avenue above Redlands, at 10:52 yesterday morning when the driver of the car he was following made a sudden U-turn directly in front of him.

He was unable to stop in time, slamming into the car and smashing through a window. An emergency room physician happened to be riding nearby, and came to Meintjes aid shortly after the crash.

He was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The Reno-based racer had begun his career in mountain biking, before making the jump to road racing last year. Meintjes rode with the U-23 Bear Development Team in 2018, switching to Team California this year.

His Twitter account shows a typical young man enjoying the bicycling lifestyle; the last post was dated just two weeks before he died.

The race will go on today at the urging of his parents; the Redlands Classic will use the hashtag #RideForTate in his honor throughout this year’s race.

This is at least the 12th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third I’m aware of in San Bernardino County; it’s also the second in just two days in the county.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for TateMeintjes and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Eric Lewis for the heads-up.

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

Fontana boy killed in crash after allegedly falling off his bicycle

March 12, 2019 / / 3 comments

A 13-year old boy was killed in a Fontana crash yesterday afternoon.

According to the Fontana Herald News, the victim was riding against traffic in the eastbound lane of Merrill Ave in Fontana, east of Hemlock Ave, just before 1 pm when he allegedly fell in front of an oncoming driver.

The driver attempted to swerve, but struck him with the right rear of her car.

He was taken to Loma Linda University Hospital with head trauma, where he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.

He has not been publicly identified.

There’s no mention of whether he was wearing a helmet, as required by law for anyone under 18. In this case, it may matter since he apparently died of a head injury.

The driver stayed at the scene. No word on how fast she was going.

A street view shows a narrow two-lane roadway with a dirt shoulder on the eastbound side.

This is at least the eleventh bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

Somehow, it always seems sadder when the victim is a child.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

62-year old woman killed riding a bike on Railroad Ave in Newhall

March 1, 2019 / / 2 comments

A woman was killed in a Newhall crash this morning, apparently for no other reason than she was riding a bicycle.

According to The Signal, the victim was struck by a driver around 7:05 this morning at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and 15th Street. She was transported to a local hospital, where she died.

She was publicly identified only as a 62-year old woman pending notification of relatives.

The victim was riding on Railroad at the time of the crash; there’s no word on where the person who struck her was driving, or how the crash occurred.

Initial reports had said the victim was a pedestrian, or a man in his 50s.

Photos from the scene appear to show a teal and yellow cruiser bike; debris was left strewn across the roadway.

A street view shows a four-lane road with a single left turn lane and wide parking lanes on Railroad; 15th ends at Railroad with a signalized intersection.

This is at least the tenth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth I’m aware of in Los Angeles County 

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

Thanks to Sindy Saito for the heads-up. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Man killed riding a bike on Manchester Blvd in South LA hit-and-run

February 24, 2019 / / 4 comments

Once again, another innocent person has been murdered by a heartless hit-and-run driver, once again on Manchester Blvd in South Los Angeles.

And once again, don’t count on our elected leaders actually doing anything about it.

According to KTLA-5, the victim, identified only as a man in his late 20s, was riding eastbound on Manchester Blvd at South Gramercy Place when he was run down from by an unknown driver around 9 pm last night.

The victim, who appeared to be on a knobby-tired bicycle, died at the scene. The impact was hard enough that a witness described finding his shoes on opposite sides of the wide, four lane street.

Unfortunately, there is no description of the suspect or his or her vehicle.

An infuriating report by KCAL-9 says the victim was riding in the street despite the presence of a wide sidewalk, implying that’s where he should have been.

This is the second fatal hit-and-run involving a bicycle rider on Manchester Blvd in less than a year, following the death of Frederick “Woon” Frazer at less that a mile away at Manchester and Normandie last April.

That driver still hasn’t been charged, despite admitting to being behind the wheel, and allegedly repainting and hiding her SUV in an attempt to cover up the crime.

Which makes you wonder just what it takes to get the DA to file charges.

In addition, no action has been taken to improve the deadly street that has now taken the lives of two bike riders in recent months, despite the presence of both Manchester and Normandie on the city’s High Injury Network.

As with any fatal hit-and-run in LA, there is a standing $50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

This is at least the tenth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the third in the City of Los Angeles.

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

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

Man killed in collision after apparently falling off his bicycle in Koreatown

February 20, 2019 / / One comment

A man was killed in a Koreatown crash early Wednesday morning in what police initially thought was a hit-and-run.

Investigators at first thought the victim had been hit by a driver who fled the scene before being run over by a second vehicle.

But concluded the second driver had been the only one involved after reviewing video from a nearby security camera.

Early reports indicate the collision occurred at the intersection of Wilshire Blvd and Catalina Street in Koreatown at 3:30 am Wednesday, near the site of the former Ambassador Hotel, now the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools.

According to KTLA-5, the victim, identified only as a Hispanic man in his 30s, was reportedly riding back and forth across Wilshire Blvd when he somehow came off his bike.

He was lying in the street when he was run over and dragged 30 feet by an oncoming car; he was apparently pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver stopped and cooperated with investigators.

The station places the crash scene a block west at Wilshire Boulevard just west of South Berendo Street; no explanation was given for the discrepancy.

The station also reports that coroners smelled alcohol at the scene, suggesting the victim may have been intoxicated, which could explain why he was was lying in the street. Although it does not explain why the driver failed to seem him or the bicycle next to him.

This is at least the ninth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the second in the City of Los Angeles.

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

Thanks to Mike Wilkinson, Sindy Saito, David Drexler and John McBrearty for the heads-up. And my apologies for the delay in posting this.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

South LA man killed in possible street racing crash while riding his bike in Florence neighborhood

February 12, 2019 / / One comment

This morning we mentioned a breaking news report about a fatal crash between two drivers in South LA’s Florence neighborhood that may have involved two people on bicycles.

Sadly, our worst fears have bee confirmed, although several of the details were wrong.

According to multiple sources, 54-year old James Findley was killed when he was struck by a single driver around 10:35 pm at the intersection of 82nd Street and South Broadway in the Florence neighborhood of South LA.

The reports indicate Findley was riding on 82nd Street when he was run down by one of two drivers who were allegedly street racing north on Broadway.

That driver remained at the scene after crashing into several parked cars, while the other took off without stopping.

Findley was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other bike rider was involved in the crash, despite the presence of two badly mangled bicycles, as seen in this screen shot from the KNBC-4 broadcast, with one attached to a bike trailer.

Findley may have been ghost riding the other bicycle, which is where a person rides one bicycle while towing another riderless bike alongside.

It’s also possible that the second bike may only appear to be damaged, and could have been left by a bystander.

He was just a half block from the Florence home he shared with his sister, who heard the crash and immediately recognized his bike.

Findley is described as the second youngest out of nine brothers and sisters, and leaves behind an adult son.

According to KCBS-2, the driver who hit him admitted to street racing; however, that has not been confirmed by other sources. He was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence and vehicular manslaughter.

Police are searching for the missing motorist on a possible charge of hit-and-run. Drivers can be responsible for hit-and-run if they leave the scene after causing a crash, regardless of whether they were actually involved.

This is at least the seventh bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the first in the city of Los Angeles.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for James Findley and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Steve S and Sindy Saito for the heads-up.

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