Archive for Bicycle Safety

Update: Man riding bicycle against traffic killed in Oxnard hit-and-run; 7th SoCal bike rider killed by hit-and-run drivers this year

May 4, 2024 / / One comment

For the seventh time this year, a Southern California bike rider has been left to die in the street by a heartless hit-and-run driver.

This time in Oxnard.

According to the Ventura County Star, the victim was riding against traffic in the northbound bike lane on Saviers Road near Pleasant Valley Road shortly after 6 pm Friday, near the Speedway Express gas station.

An SUV driver exiting the gas station turned right onto Saviers, and crashed head-on into the victim, before fleeing the scene.

The victim, identified only as an adult man, died shortly after being taken to a local hospital.

Anyone with information is urged to call Oxnard Police Traffic Investigator Patrick Blanche at 805/200-5668, or email patrick.blanche@oxnardpd.org.

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

He was also the second wrong-way bike rider killed in Oxnard in just ten days.

Yet another reminder to alway ride in the direction of traffic, even in a bike lane.

Update: The victim has been identified as 33-year old Oxnard resident Youssef A. Ayad. Police are looking for the driver of a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer. 

My deepest sympathy and prayer for Youssef A. Ayad and all his family and loved ones. 

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

Update: 45-year old man killed in hit-and-run in Sepulveda Basin; 80% of 2024 LA County bike deaths are hit-and-runs

May 3, 2024 / / 3 comments

KNBC-4 is reporting that a man was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the Sepulveda Basin Friday night.

According to the station, the man was riding south on a dark stretch of Woodley Ave near Victory Blvd when he was struck by a motorist shorty after 8 pm, and thrown roughly 45 to 50 feet from the point of impact.

The victim, identified only as 45-year old man, died at the scene.

The suspect vehicle is described only as a silver SUV with likely front end damage; there’s no description yet of the heartless coward who left him to die alone in the street.

Hopefully we’ll learn more in the morning.

This is at least the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fourth in the City of Los Angeles.

Six of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs, as have four of the five deaths in LA County.

As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the driver in any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division Investigator Hansen at 818/644-8115 or Investigator Reyes at 818/644-8022.

Update: The victim has been identified as Jose Pineda, no age or city of residence given. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Pineda and his loved ones.

Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

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

Man riding bicycle killed in Fullerton collision Thursday night; 4th Orange County bike death already this year

April 27, 2024 / / Comments Off on Man riding bicycle killed in Fullerton collision Thursday night; 4th Orange County bike death already this year

A bad week for Southern California bike riders got worse Thursday night, when a man riding a bicycle was killed in a collision in Fullerton.

According to the Fullerton Observer, quoting word-for-word from a press release from the Fullerton Police Department, the victim was struck by the driver of an SUV around 9:05 pm near West Orangethorpe Ave and Campus Drive, in the shadow of the massive 5 and 91 Freeway interchange.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding “in an unknown direction” in the leftmost lane on eastbound Orangethorpe when he was struck by the 19-year old driver traveling “at an unknown speed.” He died at the scene.

The driver remained at the site following the crash, and police don’t believe he was under the influence at the time of the collision.

The awkward phasing that the victim was riding “in an unknown direction” suggests he could have been riding against traffic, or illegally riding with traffic in the left lane. However, it could also mean that he was simply attempting to cross the street when he was run down.

It also implies that the driver didn’t see the victim prior to impact, or he would have seen which way he was going.

Anyone with information is urged to call Fullerton Police Traffic Accident Investigator Manes at 714/738-6815, or email jmanes@fullertonpd.org.

This is at least the 15th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in Orange County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Update: Innocent bike rider becomes collateral damage in South LA police chase; victim identified as Colombian man

April 24, 2024 / / Comments Off on Update: Innocent bike rider becomes collateral damage in South LA police chase; victim identified as Colombian man

It was bound to happen sooner or later.

We’ve seen a number of police chases in recent years that resulted in close calls with people riding bicycles, with riders nearly struck by fleeing drivers.

Now you can remove “nearly” from that statement.

According to multiple sources, a man was killed while riding his bike in South LA Wednesday morning, collateral damage to a burglary suspect attempting to speed away from pursuing cops.

The incident began when the suspect allegedly tried to break into a vehicle near East 48th and Central Streets in South LA, and attempted to flee in his car with the owner of the vehicle in close pursuit.

The LAPD took over the chase near 48th Street and Central Ave, pursuing the suspect through several area streets before he slammed into the victim at 46th and Hopper Ave around 6:12 am, while reportedly driving on the wrong side of the roadway.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was sent flying through the air, landing next to his badly damaged bicycle. A witness description suggests that he likely died instantly upon impact.

The driver lost control after the crash, smashing into eight other vehicles before rolling his car, coming to rest upside down in the street. He reportedly attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody.

He will likely face yet to be determined felony charges, according to police.

One of which should be murder.

This is at least the 14th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the third in the City of Los Angeles.

And yet another tragic reminder of the dangers police chases pose to innocent bystanders.

Update: The victim has been identified as 46-year old Colombian native Jose David Monsalve Rojas. 

According to KTLA-5, 

A GoFundMe page set up by loved ones describes Monsalve Rojas as a father of five who left Colombia in search of a better life and had a dream, they said, of curing his daughter’s liver disease.

“Imagine, a regular morning now turned into a day we’ll never forget,” the campaign organizer wrote. “David touched lives in ways that words can barely capture. A soul so deeply devoted to his children.”

So far, the crowdfunding page has raised less than $700 of the modest $5,000 goal. 

Meanwhile, the speeding driver who struck Rojas with her Chevrolet Suburban SUV was ID’d as 23-year old Germaine Smith.

Smith is being held on $327,000 bond after being booked for felony evading causing death, as well as additional outstanding warrants,

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Traffic Group Detectives at 213/486-0690; information can be provided anonymously online or by calling 800/222-8477.

My deepest sympathy for Jose David Monsalve Rojas and all his loved ones. 

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

35-year old man killed riding salmon in Oxnard collision Sunday night; victim identified as Oxnard resident Joey Paquet

April 24, 2024 / / Comments Off on 35-year old man killed riding salmon in Oxnard collision Sunday night; victim identified as Oxnard resident Joey Paquet

Sometimes it helps to wait a few days to write something, because the story can change.

That’s what happened when a man was killed riding his bicycle in Oxnard Sunday night.

Despite initial reports that the victim was a 45-year old North Hollywood man, he was later identified as 35-year old Oxnard resident Joey Paquet.

According to an updated story from the Ventura County Star, Paquet was riding against traffic on Oxnard Blvd at the northbound offramp to the 101 Freeway around 9:40 pm, when he was struck by a driver turning right off the offramp.

He died at the scene.

The driver of the SUV remained following the crash and cooperated with investigators; police don’t suspect the driver was under the influence.

Anyone with information is urged to call Oxnard Police Traffic Investigator Raul Camacho at 805/200-5668.

A crowdfunding campaign to pay Paquet’s funeral expenses has raised a little more than $2,700 towards the modest $4,000 goal. Commenters on the page described Paquet as a bright light who brought kindness and positivity to their neighborhood.

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

And it’s one more tragic reminder to always ride with traffic when you’re riding on the roadway.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Joey Paquet and all his family and loved ones.

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

Update: Young man riding bicycle killed in Wilmington hit-and-run — 3rd fatal LA County bike hit-and-run this year

April 11, 2024 / / Comments Off on Update: Young man riding bicycle killed in Wilmington hit-and-run — 3rd fatal LA County bike hit-and-run this year

News is just coming in that a bike rider was killed in a Wilmington hit-and-run Thursday night.

According to KCBS/KCAL News, the victim, described only as a man in his 20s, was struck by a driver around 8:45 pm while riding at Wilmington Blvd and West G Street.

He died at the scene.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, and no description of the heartless coward who left him there to die, or the vehicle they were driving.

There is a bike lane in both directions on Wilmington, with the intersection controlled only by stop signs on West G.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

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

Five of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs, as have all of the deaths in LA County.

As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the driver in any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: The victim has been identified as 28-year old Wilmington resident Junior Valle.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Junior Valle and his loved ones.

.

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

Longtime La Grange club member Edgar Burcksen died after suffering a heart attack; he was 76.

April 8, 2024 / / Comments Off on Longtime La Grange club member Edgar Burcksen died after suffering a heart attack; he was 76.

More bad news.

This time, it could hit close to home for many LA bicyclists.

According to an email from Velo Club La Grange, longtime club member Edgar Burcksen died Sunday morning, five days after he was injured while riding on San Vicente Blvd this past Tuesday.

Unfortunately, there’s no information at this time on whether Burcksen was struck by a driver or injured in fall, or where it occurred on San Vicente, which runs from South LA to Santa Monica. (Note: See Update 2 below for more information.)

Here’s how the email to club members described Burcksen.

Edgar was a long time LaGrange member who was a dependable, hardworking wheel just as he was in his life as an accomplished film editor, husband, father and friend. Well into his seventies, Edgar continued to ride numerous double centuries and participated in many club events including the LaGrange cup races. In 2006 Edgar edited the documentary about club founder Raymond Fouquet and Velo Club LaGrange early days called “The Gift”.
 Edgar’s cheerful smile and laugh will be missed.

Edgar is survived by his wife Jana, his son Branko and daughter Romaika.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

Update: Film industry publication Variety reports Burcksen died of complications from a heart attack in Los Angeles; he was 76. 

According to IMDB, Burksen had a long career in Hollywood as a film editor after moving here from his native Netherlands, working on projects ranging from The Hunt for Red October and Die Hard 2 to award-winning TV series and documentaries. 

Here’s how they end their bio.

Edgar Burcksen is an avid cyclist who rides100 miles every week with his Brentwood cycling club LaGrange, he is a member of the Editors Guild, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, he served the Board of Directors of ACE for many years and was the Editor in Chief of ACE’s magazine CinemaEditor for more than 17 years. For his contributions during his tenure as Editor in Chief of CinemaEditor he received the prestigious Robert Wise Award during the 2011 ACE Eddie Awards. He is fluent in English, German, French and of course Dutch.

Update 2: I’m told that Burcksen’s heart attack had nothing to do with the fact that he was riding a bike at the time, and was not caused by bicycling. He actually passed 12 days after the initial incident. 

As a result, I am removing his death from the fatality totals for both Southern California and Los Angeles. 

I also initially spelled his name as Burksen, rather than Burcksen, based on other reports, and apologize for the mistake. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Edgar Burcksen and all his family and loved ones. 

Photo from Velo Club La Grange

Thanks to Mitchell Guzik, Aaron A. Thomas and ChrisByBike for the heads-up.

Category: Health / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: 32-year old Jaime Gutierrez killed in collision while riding a bicycle in Good Hope collision

April 6, 2024 / / Comments Off on Update: 32-year old Jaime Gutierrez killed in collision while riding a bicycle in Good Hope collision

Good Hope wasn’t good or hopeful for someone riding a bicycle Saturday evening.

According to My News LA, the victim was struck by a driver around 5:14 pm on state Highway 74 at Taylor Road, in the unincorporated section of Riverside County.

Actually, the story said the victim was struck by Tacoma Pickup, as if the driver had nothing to do with it.

A witness reported the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was lying on the dirt along the right-hand shoulder of the highway. They died at the scene.

The driver stopped and remained following the crash.

There’s no word on the victim’s age or sex at this time. There’s also no information on how the crash happened, or who may have been at fault. Or even which direction they were traveling.

This is at least the 12th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of already this year in Riverside County.

Update: This victim has been identified as 32-year old Perris resident Jaime Gutierrez. No details available.

Update 2: A crowdfunding campaign to help pay for his funeral has raised a little over $3,700 of the $30,000 goal. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jaime Gutierrez and all his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

55-year old Michael Sorensen killed in Simi Valley collision, after allegedly running stop sign on his bike

March 26, 2024 / / 3 comments

A Simi Valley man was killed after running a stop sign on his bicycle.

Allegedly.

According to the Ventura County Star, 55-year old Michael Sorensen was riding south on Quimisa Drive in Simi Valley at 1 pm Tuesday, when he tried to make a left turn onto West Los Angeles Ave, reportedly running the stop sign in the process.

Sorensen was struck by a driver traveling west on Los Angeles. He died at the scene.

The T-shaped intersection doesn’t have a stop sign on Los Angeles, which has a 50 mph speed limit. A bend in the road could have hidden the car from Sorensen’s view until it was too late, especially if the driver was exceeding the speed limit by even a few miles.

The driver remained on scene and cooperated with police, and did not appear to be impaired.

Whether Sorensen actually ran the stop sign depends on whether there were any independent witnesses aside from the driver who may have seen whether he stopped, particularly since the driver’s view of Sorensen could have been obstructed by the bend in the road.

Anyone with information is urged to call Simi Valley Police Officer Bryan Sarfaty at 805/583-6189, or email bsarfaty@simivalley.org.

This is at least the 11th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Ventura County.

However, it’s the second bicycling death in Simi Valley in three months.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Michael Sorensen and all his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

51-year old mother of two dies in hospital after Oceanside hit-and-run; 2nd North San Diego County bike death this week

March 22, 2024 / / Comments Off on 51-year old mother of two dies in hospital after Oceanside hit-and-run; 2nd North San Diego County bike death this week

St. Patrick’s Day was anything but lucky in San Diego’s North County this year.

A little more than 23 hours after a 48-year old man was found dead in a protected bike lane in Encinitas, a 51-year old mother was critically injured by a hit-and-run driver in Oceanside.

Sadly, she didn’t make it.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the victim, identified as 51-year old Oceanside resident Tracey Gross, was declared brain dead after being flown to Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla.

Gross was riding home on her bicycle on westbound SR-76 near Singh Way when she was struck by a driver, who fled the scene.

She was found lying in the roadway by passing motorists around 11:35 pm, suffering from severe injuries. Her bicycle was found over two miles away at SR-76 and College Boulevard, apparently dragged there by the fleeing driver.

Surgeons plan to harvest her organs tomorrow to be donated to people on the transplant list, following her wishes.

Gross had worked as postal carrier walking a mail route in Oceanside for the past decade; there’s no word on why she would have been working so late on a Sunday.

Family members say they weren’t notified until nearly noon the next day, despite having both her driver’s license and postal employee ID card on her at the time of the crash.

Oceanside police are looking for the driver of what they suspect is a silver 2013 to 2015 Kia Optima, with damage to the right front bumper and headlight, and parts of the bottom engine cover missing. The damage suggests Gross may have been rear-ended as she rode on the right side of the roadway.

Police suspect the driver lives in the Oceanside area, near the site of the collision. There’s a high probability that he or she may have been under the influence, since the crash occurred late on St. Patrick’s Day.

Gross leaves behind her two adult children, aged 28 and 22, as well as her mother, who flew in from her home in Reno, Nevada to be with her in the hospital.

Her mother described her as an amazing, strong and brave woman, who always stood on her own two feet and loved her family and children deeply.

Anyone with information is urged to call Officer Jose Gomez of the Oceanside Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team at 760/435-4952, or email at jjgomez@oceansideca.org.

This is at least the 11th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Tracey Gross and all her family and loved ones. 

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