The 30 mph LAPD fail, Sunday’s CicLAvia and L.A. bike politics from the 1890’s

April 13, 2012 / / 6 comments

A few quick — or maybe not so quick — updates on the ever-changing Susanna Schick/Pinkyracer case before we move on to other matters.

Schick’s friend Jennifer Beatty offers an update on her condition, along with the off-and-ongoing investigation on her ChipIn page, which is now up to nearly over $6000; seriously, you guys rock.

KPCC’s always excellent Patt Morrison interviews LAPD Chief Beck, asks him about the case and gets exactly the sort of non-specific answer you’d expect. But hats off to Patt for asking the question.

Meanwhile, KCRW’s Warren Olney discusses hit-and-run and the Pinkyracer case with Don Ward, aka Roadblock, and LAPD bike liaison Sgt. David Krumer; thanks to Mike for the heads-up.

Mike also sends word that police say Susanna Schick told them she was travelling at 18 mph before she fell; fast enough to get hurt, but hardly enough to account for her extensive injuries. Schick, who is now communicating online, confirmed on Twitter that her bike computer showed she was travelling at 18 mph just before the fall.

Or at least, that’s what they said to MSNBC.

The police officers who claimed to be following her — and who assisted her after they say she fell on her own with no provocation — insist she was riding at 30 miles per hour, according to KNBC-4.

That’s quite a speed differential.

Yes, a fall at 30 mph could very well result in the injuries she suffered. Only problem is, a top pro cyclist would have a hard time accelerating from a full stop to 30 mph on level ground in a few hundred feet. And no one has suggested that Schick was engaged in a mad sprint away from the light.

The mere fact that police investigators would believe she fell at 18 mph and suffered such severe injuries — or that she miraculously managed to hit 30 mph in such a short distance — demonstrates just how desperately traffic investigators need specialized training in bike collisions.

The MSNBC story that Mike referred to also says Schick was riding without lights and reflectors, which could help explain why the driver cut into the bike lane while she was in it. However, Schick has said she was at least using a rear blinkie, which the police should have seen.

And which seems to be visible — to people with better eyesight than I have these days, at least — in security footage posted online Thursday by the L.A. Times.

The pair of videos show a car exiting a parking garage on the 200 block of South Spring Street shortly before midnight, then what looks to be the same car swinging into the bike lane on Spring, barely missing a cyclist riding in the lane.

By barely, I mean it looks to be by inches, though camera angles can be deceiving.

Any cop who witnessed that and failed to stop the driver needs some serious retraining. Which doesn’t even come close to what I really want to say right now.

And after initially suggesting that Schick may have been drinking, LAPD Lt. Vernon now says there’s no evidence that alcohol played a roll in the incident.

It would be nice if he said that in the form of a public apology after so publicly smearing her.

He also says he examined the bike on Thursday, but didn’t see any sign of damage. But doesn’t mention who let him in, since the victim is in the hospital and her friend didn’t do it.

Then again, the police also said there was no damage to my bike after I was the victim of a road rage attack, even though I had to walk it two miles home because it wasn’t in ridable condition.

There’s that little matter of better police training in bike collision investigations again.

Meanwhile, LAist offers a great comment from Gary Kavanagh about the improbability of Susanna Schick suffering her injuries in a solo fall. As well as one from someone who witnessed the immediate aftermath of Schick’s fall, if not the fall itself or what caused it.

One more thing.

I’ve heard from a reliable source that police detectives have collected security camera footage from a building at 5th and Spring, which I’m told offers a clear view of the intersection in question.

So maybe, just maybe, we might actually find out what really happened last Friday night.

………

This weekend’s CicLAvia allows Angelenos to experience our city in a whole different way; and yes, it matters. Zev says it’s time to slow down, get off your bike and smell the CicLAvia. There will be a number of Westside feeder rides headed to the event, including rides from the Bikerowave and back again, too. LACBC offers tips for safe and happy riding this Sunday.

My advice?

Remember CicLAvia isn’t a Gran Fondo, it’s a moving street fest. And it belongs to every Angeleno and visitor willing to spend their Sunday without a motor, bike riders, pedestrians and skaters, older walkers in walkers and toddlers in tiaras. So slow down, enjoy the day and make room for everyone.

Seriously, don’t be a jerk. And have fun.

……..

The LACBC is in the process of forming a new Civics committee to offer a non-partisan look at local political candidates and help ensure the election of bike friendly politicians, to be co-chaired by board members Efren Moreno and myself.

We’re just looking for an open date for our first meeting, after our first two proposed dates failed to work out for various reasons. I’ll let you know as soon as we set a date and location, probably within a couple weeks.

The meeting, not the notification.

Meanwhile, a reader sends word suggesting that this may not be the city’s first non-partisan cycling organization.

In November, 1898, the East Side Cycling Club held its annual pre-election “smoker” party to which all the local political candidates were invited to speak before the wheelmen.  The ESCC’s own platform basically had one plank (“Good Roads!”) and the club members themselves were of assorted political leanings.

So imagine the club’s surprise when the local Republicans mailed out post cards announcing that “there will be a Republican meeting at the hall of the bicycle club,” signed (oh so ironically) “Yours respectfully” by the Republican campaign secretary.

Think of the social media uproar this would have caused if only they’d had the technology back then!  But instead, the club made do with chalk and fury.

On the evening of the smoker, all attendees were greeted with a conspicuous chalkboard.  On it, the offending postcard was affixed next to a brief and  unequivocal statement signed by the club’s board of directors, including Republican Owen McAleer, who himself was just a few years away from being L.A.’s mayor.  Though concise, the message conveyed the ESCC’s staunch nonpartisanship, and to the club’s further credit, neither Republicans nor non-bikers were turned away from the event.

……..

My friends Sarah Amelar and Jon Riddle have written a new guide to Los Angeles bicycling, offering routes, tips and other useful information for locals and tourists alike; find it soon at your favorite local bike shop.

………

The cyclist who killed a 71-year old pedestrian in San Francisco apparently lied about laying his bike down to avoid a collision, while a bike commuter says it’s time to grow up and start acting like we belong here; I couldn’t agree more. However, while a cyclist killing a pedestrian is national news, pedestrians are killed by cars on a daily basis with hardly a peep.

And no, I don’t mean the candy kind.

Then again, bike cops don’t always seem to follow the law, either.

………

That Cypress Park kid who wrote to his councilmember asking for bike lanes in front of his school may be a lot older before he gets them. LADOT makes improvements to a key intersection along the new Expo bikeway. New buffered bike lanes will soon make their bow on Winnetka Ave. Caltech busts a bike thief. A Long Beach crime scene technician raises funds to replace an 82-year old cyclist’s stolen bike. A singer from Long Beach is planning a bike-based concert tour of the West Coast.

Cyclelicious asks who are all these legal drivers we keep hearing about, in contrast to all us scofflaw cyclists. A San Diego cyclist reflects on last month’s death of bike rider David Ortiz; thanks to David Huntsman for the heads-up. Moorpark struggles to find room for cyclists at the city’s skate park. Levi Leipheimer says he had a premonition that he was going to be hit by a car just moments before it actually happened; a Santa Rosa writer says a three-foot passing law, like the one currently under discussion in California, could have made a difference for Levi. A Sequoia mountain biker avoids death by millimeters when he’s impaled on a tree branch that just missed his jugular vein and cranial nerves. A hit-and-run driver kills a Richmond cyclist. A father and daughter are remembered after being killed by a speeding and possibly texting teenage driver in Concord, so why does the press insist on calling it an accident?

Bad bike shop marketing and service could be contributing to the lack of women riders; Bikeyface probably wouldn’t argue with that. Lovely Bicycle concludes cities do need bike lawyers. Five things drivers need to understand about sharing the road with cyclists, and 10 things you don’t need for bike touring. The makers of my favorite beer are the new official beer sponsor for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge; I guess Coors isn’t Colorado’s favorite anymore. Chicago cyclists support speed cameras for motorists. A Massachusetts cyclist is killed after his bike fails, possibly due to a recalled Cervelo fork.

Canada prepares for fair-weather bike traffic jams. Toronto’s Deputy Mayor urges city residents not to vote for cyclists. British Columbia police accuse a cyclist of staging fake bike collisions for a quick financial payout; damn, why didn’t I think of that? Looks like London’s cycling mayor won’t get the support of the city’s cyclists. A UK driver admits to screaming abuse at a pair of cyclists and obstructing them with his car; nice to know it’s not just American drivers who do that. New Zealand bike shops are warned that if you’re going to have a Going Out of Business Sale, you actually have to, you know, go out of business. Australia’s Global Mail offers a very nice, in-depth look at cycling in the City of Angeles, including quotes from several people you might know.

Finally, a New York pedestrian asks what the f*** is wrong with the city’s spandex-clad cyclists, among other Gothamists. Dave Moulton asks when did society decide that we don’t want dangerous and deadly driving to be a crime?

And I don’t think I ever got a chance to mention this great Spanish language PSA, courtesy of the LACBC’s City of Lights, LADOT and REI.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bike Events, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, General, Injuries and Fatalities, Law Enforcement, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Update — LAPD drops, then reopens investigation into Pinkyracer case, blaming the victim for her injuries

April 11, 2012 / / 39 comments

According to KNBC-4, the LAPD has closed its investigation into the road rage assault of cyclist Susanna Schick. And shifted all the blame for the incident onto the victim.

Based on the descriptions of two on-duty officers who claimed to have seen the whole thing — yet remarkably, failed to do anything to prevent it — Schick merely fell over, resulting in numerous broken bones as well as a significant concussion.

According to police spokesman Lt. Paul Vernon, speed may have been a factor in the collision, noting that Schick is a long-time motorcycle racer.

Yet she wasn’t riding a motorcycle on Friday night. And the severity of her injuries are inconsistent with a solo fall from a bike; even at high speed, she’s unlikely to have suffered six broken ribs and broken her pelvis in three places in a fall on level ground. Let alone been knocked cold for upwards of 15 minutes, despite wearing a helmet.

The fact that she has raced motorcycles is entirely irrelevant to this investigation.

Excuse me, former investigation.

Yes, it’s possible that she suffered such severe injuries in a simple fall.

But it is so far from likely that to ignore them suggests a desire on the part of police to just close the books and get this case over with.

As of now, no one other than the officers at the scene have examined Schick’s bike for evidence of a collision that might be beyond the ability of a patrol officer untrained in bike collision investigations to spot. And to the best of my knowledge, no one at the department has made any effort to contact the driver of the Lexus to get his side of the story.

If they had, he might have denied everything. Or he may have blurted out, as did the infamous Good Doctor, that he was just trying to teach her a lesson.

We’ll never know, because the department has inexplicably closed the investigation without apparently bothering to talk to him.

Then there’s Lt. Vernon’s apparent attempt to discredit the victim, suggesting that Schick may have been drinking — despite failing to present evidence to support that.

… He also questioned whether she had been drinking, and said officers could have insisted on a blood test at the hospital.

Yes, they could have requested a blood alcohol test at the hospital, but apparently didn’t. They also could have requested a virginity test, but failed to do that, as well.

It’s entirely possible that Susanna Schick had a drink or two — or maybe 20 — before riding home on Friday night. There’s clearly no shortage of bars Downtown where she might have stopped.

But given that she lives just a few blocks from where the incident unfolded, she could have just as easily been on her way home from church, a movie or an AA meeting.

If the police have any evidence that she’d been drinking, they failed to produce it.

As I’ve said before, we have no way of knowing what really happened that night. Maybe the police are right, and she was the aggressor in the road rage dispute, then simply fell off her bike.

Or maybe they’ve once again let a dangerous driver off the hook, as they did when they accused Andres Tena of riding his bike backwards into a Hummer, or cyclists of milling in the middle of a dark street waiting for a driver to mow them down.

I’m not, as a friend of mine accused me, accusing the police of lying.

I would sincerely like to believe that, from their perspective at least, they have followed the evidence and come to what they believe is the right conclusion, however much I may disagree with it. And however repugnant it may be to speculate that the victim may have been drunk without offering evidence to support it.

But to me, this appears to continue the same old windshield perspective, anti-bike bias that Los Angeles cyclists, and cyclists throughout the U.S. — and around the world, for that matter — have fought for years.

And which I thought was finally gone for good thanks to a bike friendly mayor, and the efforts of LAPD Chief Beck, Sgt. David Krumer and the bike community members of the LAPD Bike Task Force.

This investigation may be over as far as the police are concerned.

But that doesn’t mean it passes the smell test.

Update: Evidently, someone at LAPD headquarters doesn’t think it passes the smell test, either.

According to KNBC-4, the department is reopening the investigation, just hours after they reported the case had been closed. 

Police are reopening the investigation into what caused a cyclist to severely injure herself Friday night as a potential aggravated assault case, citing growing community concern and a second interview with the 42-year-old cyclist Susanna Schick.

Must have been some interview. Or maybe it’s thanks to KPCC’s Patt Morrison, who questioned LAPD Chief Beck about the case in an on-air interview Wednesday afternoon.

Of course, they don’t say who is suspected of the assault. The way this case is going, it wouldn’t surprise me if they charged Schick with assaulting the Lexus.

This case is starting to look more like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride than a serious police investigation.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog’s Damien Newton says the department’s conclusion — or previous conclusion, at least — in the case strains credibility.

You could say that.

Either the department has badly bungled this investigation, or they have conducted the one of the worst public relations exercises in recent memory.

Or both.

In less than a week, the credibility of the department has been badly eroded within the cycling community. 

In fact, I’ve received messages from dozens of cyclists questioning just who was in that white Lexus, and whether some members of the department are trying to protect them.

Yes, it sounds crazy.

Then again, so does everything else about this case.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Law Enforcement, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , ,

LAPD reportedly dismisses hit-and-run in Pinkyracer case — in the middle of an ongoing investigation

April 11, 2012 / / 38 comments

Today we saw a turn of events so credibility straining it would get most Hollywood screenwriters fired.

And that’s not exactly a group known for believability.

An exchange of emails with LAPD Sgt. David Krumer shed light on the investigation into last Friday’s traffic incident that left Susanna Schick, aka Pinkyracer, broken and bruised in the ICU of a local hospital. Yet still raised as many questions as it answered.

And then it got strange.

Sgt. Krumer, the department’s highly respected liaison to the cycling community, had been out of the city through the holiday weekend, returning to his desk Tuesday morning. And was forced to immediately jump into the controversy surrounding the Schick case.

He reported that, contrary to earlier information, the LAPD did respond to the collision, and that a report was taken.

He said that the police were actually on the scene before the paramedics arrived, and that they were the ones who had called for an ambulance. And in fact, the officers were the ones who dropped Schick’s bike off at her home, rather than the paramedics as we had previously been told.

He said that there were conflicting reports that a collision had occurred, so the investigators were looking for video evidence to confirm exactly what had happened.

According to Krumer, the police also tried to interview Schick at the scene; perhaps due to the confusion caused by her injuries, she didn’t say anything about a collision. He said police would try to re-interview her again to clarify the situation.

It’s also possible that Schick doesn’t remember the collision itself due to her concussion; nearly four years later, I still have no memory of the solo fall that put me in the ICU.

He hinted that he had more information that would explain everything, but was prohibited from releasing it due to the ongoing investigation.

If only everyone else had such high standards.

Friends of Schick report that two detectives did in fact stop by to interview her in her hospital room — although interview might not be the best way to describe it. Instead, I’m told they put in at least as much effort trying to convince her she was wrong about the hit-and-run as they did asking what actually happened.

Then Tuesday morning, reports started to leak from police headquarters indicating that Schick wasn’t hit by a car after all; apparently there were witnesses who could discredit her entire story.

Witnesses in blue, no less.

And members of the department wasted no time in releasing the information Sgt. Krumer was prohibited from sharing.

I guess ongoing investigations don’t count when the department’s reputation is at stake.

I first heard rumors that a female detective was leaking information that Schick’s wreck had been witnessed by two officers who reportedly saw the entire event, and that they were the ones who called for the paramedics.

And they denied that any hit-and-run had occurred. Or that there was even another car involved in her fall.

By afternoon, a police spokesman was speaking to Blogdowntown on the record. LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon denied anything illegal had happened.

“There’s a great deal of discrepancy,” Lt. Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department said. “There is no crime here. She fell down on her bicycle.”

Remarkably, the police claimed that an experienced cyclist simply fell down. And somehow suffered multiple broken bones, as well as a shattered helmet, despite what would have been a relatively slow speed impact.

Blogdowntown reports that there is no dispute that the previously described white Lexus pulled out of a parking garage and swerved into the bike lane Schick was riding in on the opposite side of the street.

According to the report filed by the two officers who claim to have witnessed the events, Schick pedaled up to the car at the next red light, hit the passenger side mirror and started yelling at the people inside; the people in the car responded by rolling up their windows.

The officers said Schick continued riding for another block or two before the car turned right, and she simply began wobbling on her bike before falling over.

This semi-official version of events raises a lot of questions.

Not the least of which is why two police officers would witness a car serving across the entire width of a roadway and into a marked bike lane, jeopardizing the safety of a cyclist riding in it, and do absolutely nothing.

Repeat, nothing.

Which is exactly what they did when allegedly following an ongoing roadway dispute, even after they supposedly witnessed a cyclist striking a motor vehicle in anger.

Call me crazy, but wouldn’t that have been the time to light up the reds and stop both parties before the situation escalated?

Now, it’s entirely possible that Schick did strike the car’s mirror to get the attention of the people inside. I’ve slapped fenders, trunks and windows for the same reason, as it can be almost impossible to get the attention of music blasting, cell phone-using drivers these days.

And so far, no one has mentioned whether the officers had an unobstructed view of the situation. Schick has stated that the car followed her for at least a block, possibly in the bike lane itself —which would be yet another violation the officers failed to address, and which would have obscured the view of anyone following behind.

It’s possible, if not likely, that the Lexus could have hit Schick’s bike before or during its turn without the impact being visible to the police officers who supposedly saw everything.

It’s also possible that the car might have caused her fall without ever actually coming into contact with her bike. Which would still qualify as hit-and-run if it could be determined that the driver’s actions directly contributed to the wreck.

And the Department’s version of events fails to explain why, if a police report was filed over the weekend, no one in the department seemed to know anything about it on Monday morning. Or even knew a crash had occurred.

I’m not saying the police are wrong.

I wasn’t there. I don’t know what actually happened.

And they were — even if the information released so far doesn’t exactly add up.

But if the department is going to release information about an ongoing investigation, they need to be a lot more honest and open about it. And explain the apparent discrepancies in what we’ve heard so far, rather than falling over themselves to blame the victim.

Unfortunately, Schick’s bike may not be much help.

As it turns out, the supposedly tacoed rear wheel is actually a relatively minor bend. While it could still offer evidence of an impact, it may take an expert examination to determine exactly how it got that way.

Something else the police have yet to do, despite concluding that no impact occurred.

Meanwhile, the LACBC is calling for the LAPD and the City of Los Angeles to devote more resources halting the epidemic of hit-and-run; even if this turns out not to be one, drivers flee the scene in a full one-third of all L.A. collisions.

And writing on Streetsblog, Damien Newton calls on the LAPD to train a group of officers in the physics of bike and pedestrian crashes, so maybe in the future they can fairly assess blame without resorting to blaming the victims.

I couldn’t agree more.

But let me leave you with one final thought.

The LAPD investigators say they’ve ruled out hit-and-run, even though they’re still in the middle of an ongoing investigation. And despite continuing to look for video evidence or examining other physical that could prove that premature conclusion wrong.

So just how fair, open and honest can we really expect that investigation to be when, they’ve already announced the outcome in advance?

For a department that offers firearm training for all its officers, they certainly seem to have shot themselves in the foot.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Law Enforcement, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , , ,

LAPD never responded to Susanna Schick road rage assault — and aren’t sure it was one

April 10, 2012 / / 19 comments

My worst fears about the Susanna Schick collision were realized today.

Despite being run down by a road raging driver just blocks from LAPD headquarters, the police were never notified that a cyclist was lying facedown in the street for upwards of 15 minutes Friday night.

Or if they were notified, they never responded.

And no police report was ever filed.

I spoke with a reporter from the L.A. Times Tuesday morning, who mentioned that he’d been calling the police all morning. And everyone he spoke with said this was the first they’d heard of the hit-and-run road rage collision that put Susanna Schick in the ICU with a concussion and multiple fractures.

Absolutely horrifying.

At best, the call fell through the cracks on a holiday weekend. Maybe the paramedics were notified, and the call never got to the police. That’s scary enough.

Far worse is the possibility that any of us — cyclist, pedestrian or motorist — could be left lying in the street waiting for police who might never come.

Hopefully, Schick’s family managed to work their way through the police bureaucracy and get an investigation started today — giving a dangerous driver nearly three full days to cover his tracks.

We may all be a lot less safe on the streets than we thought.

……..

Just received word that a police report was finally filed today. But without witnesses or video evidence, police are treating Schick’s injury as a solo fall, and ignoring — or at least downplaying — the allegations that there was another vehicle involved. Let alone that it was a case of a road rage assault and hit-and-run.

Evidently, we really are on our own out there.

And while they appear to be downplaying Schick’s allegations, I’m told that a cyclist was ticketed in the same area for riding without reflectors on his pedals, despite having both front and back lights.

Yes, it’s illegal.

But probably the most technical, BS violation they could write a rider up for, rather than focusing their efforts on keeping us safe from the drivers who want to run us down.

In light of the LAPD’s massive failure in the Schick case, this is just rubbing salt in the wound.

……..

As for a medical update on her condition, word is that Schick’s doctors are trying to avoid surgery if possible. But she’s looking at a minimum of two months in the hospital or an assisted living facility before she gets back on her feet.

Her family also asks that friends refrain from visiting for the next few days so she can get her rest; too many visitors — and reporters — have worn her out.

The other burning question has been how her bike got back home; I’m told the paramedics dropped the bike off after delivering her to the ER.

And people continue to open their hearts and wallets, as 105 people have contributed $3700 to help defray her medical expenses as of 11 pm Monday.

There are days I’m really proud of my fellow cyclists.

……..

Several news sources have picked up the story, including the L.A. Times, KTLA-5, LAist — including a follow-up —  KNBC-4 and KPCC public radio; ESBK offers a personal reflection, as does Gas 2.0 and Net Impact Los Angeles, where Susanna Schick is part of the leadership team. Even the L.A. Weekly had a surprisingly even-handed report, while KCRW’s Shortcuts blog picked up my own posts (thanks Kajon). Toronto bike blog Bike Lane Diary reported on the collision, as did our own Claremont Cyclist.

Meanwhile, KCBS-2 ignored the family’s wishes and invaded interviewed Schick in her hospital room; the hospital has been instructed to keep the press out in the future while she recovers.

……..

A couple other quick notes on other bike-related subjects —

The first public workshop on the proposed Beverly Hills Bike Route Pilot Project will take place Wednesday evening; Better Bike’s Mark Elliot offers his thoughts on the subject.

Central Coast cyclists are fighting ill-advised rumble strips on Highway 1; thanks to Al Williams for the heads-up.

In case you missed it, a Bay Area cyclist could face manslaughter charges after blowing through an intersection and killing a pedestrian in the crosswalk. The rider reportedly posted online that he had entered the intersection on the yellow and that the light had turned red before he could get all the way across, and that he had done everything he could to avoid injuring anyone. Right. I’ve laid my bike on its side to avoid hitting someone else, knowing it was going to hurt like hell. And it did. But the other guy walked away, and that was all that really mattered. Thanks to Stanley E. Goldich for the tip.

Meanwhile, Streetblog SF points out that cars still kill a lot more pedestrians than bikes do.

A speeding teenage driver loses control in Concord, and kills a father and daughter riding their bikes on the sidewalk, leaving a second daughter with less serious injuries.

The recently founded West Hollywood Bicycle Coalition has started documenting hazards to cyclists in the city, and wants your help to add to the list.

My favorite non-L.A. bikewear designer offers a look at her new spring women’s line, which somehow manages to be practical, stylish and sexy at the same time. Hey Nona — you know us guys need clothes too, right?

And finally, Chris Willig sends a photo of the ghost bike that was installed for Mulholland bike victim Carol Schreder; let’s all be grateful we didn’t need another one this past weekend.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , ,

Update: Susanna Schick improving — but where are the police?

April 9, 2012 / / 8 comments

Good news about Susanna Schick.

And possibly frightening news for all of us.

Schick, the cyclist who was the victim of an apparent road rage attack while riding in the Spring Street green bike lane last Friday night, is reportedly improving. Her friend Jennifer Beatty says that she’s awake and talking, and was allowed to eat on Sunday for the first time since she was admitted to the ICU.

She also reports that members of Schick’s family have arrived at her bedside, and are beginning to look into the police response to her assault.

And that’s where it gets scary.

As of Sunday night, no one from the department has apparently made any attempt to speak to speak to Schick. And her family has no information to indicate that the police even responded to the wreck that left her lying face down and unconscious on one of the Downtown’s busiest streets for as long as 10 to 15 minutes.

She reportedly has no memory of police officers at the scene of her collision, and no information about a police report being filed.

And that’s scary as hell.

It’s possible that the police were there, and she simply has no memory of them; clearly, she would have been in a lot of pain and barely conscious at that point.

Though you’d think that if the police did respond, they would have asked her what happened once she woke up. Or that someone — anyone — within the department would have followed up by visiting her in the ICU over the weekend.

Then again, this did happen over a holiday weekend, with both Easter and Passover undoubtedly affecting staffing levels at the department. And it may have looked like a solo bike collision — though you’d think someone might have asked how a rider could fall with enough force to cause such serious injuries in between red lights on such a level street.

But in a case like this, a prompt response is vital, as the driver is likely to attempt to get rid of any evidence that he may have hit a cyclist.

In addition, the two-block area where this unfolded contains countless security cameras that could shed light on exactly what happened. But those digital files and videotapes often aren’t kept long, as many systems are designed to record over older video files.

I also haven’t received any word on what happened to her bike, which may show evidence of a strike-from behind collision. Presumably, it should be held by the fire department or in police custody — but again, only if they responded to the collision.

We should find out a lot more today when her family begins what can often be a long, difficult process to work through LAPD bureaucracy to not only get information, but to get the department to take a hit-and-run case involving a cyclist seriously — let alone an accusation of an assault with a deadly weapon.

Hopefully, her family can get the ball rolling this morning, and get an investigation up to full speed before it’s too late. If it isn’t already.

But it’s frightening to think that something like this could happen without police involvement from the very beginning.

Hopefully, that’s not the case here.

Or ever.

Update: I’ve just been informed that Schick’s bike is currently at her home. And yes, the rear wheel is bent, indicating a hit-from-behind collision. No word yet on how it got there. Meanwhile, her ChipIn fund is up to $1700 as of 10:20 am Monday.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Law Enforcement, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , , ,

Update — L.A. cyclist Susanna Schick seriously injured in DTLA hit-and-run road rage attack

April 8, 2012 / / 74 comments

Susanna Schick, aka Pinkyracer, resting in ICU; photo courtesy of Jennifer Beatty

Just getting word of a horrible — and possibly deliberate — hit-and-run assault that left a popular cyclist seriously injured.

Several sources report that Susanna Schick, also known as Pinkyracer, was chased down and apparently struck by a white Lexus while riding in Downtown L.A. around 11:30 Friday night. Details are still sketchy, but it appears to have been road rage attack; the driver fled the scene following the collision.

According to the victim’s own words from her hospital bed, relayed by her friend Jennifer Beatty, the incident started on Spring Street between 2nd and 3rd — just half a block from the new LAPD headquarters — when the driver reportedly swerved across two lanes of traffic and into the bike lane where she was riding.

They exchanged words at the next traffic light until the female passenger rolled up her window; once the light changed, the car continued to chase her down 1st Street along Downtown’s new green bike lane.

After that, her memory is foggy; she remembers an “inexplicable extreme wobble” of bike — apparently a result of her bike being rammed from behind —  then nothing until the paramedics woke her up just past 4th Street, face down on the pavement and unable to move.

Schick reportedly suffered a concussion, broken collarbone, six broken ribs and a shattered pelvis, along with facial lacerations, all to the left side of her body, suggesting a high impact collision. Fortunately, she is conscious and speaking, though confined to the Intensive Care Unit at a Downtown hospital.

The car is described as a recent model, white midsize Lexus, either two or four doors, with tinted windows. The driver is described as a well-dressed, olive-complected man around 6′ tall, with a well-dressed female passenger.

If you see a car that matches the description, do not attempt to stop him yourself. Call the LAPD Central Traffic Division at 1-213-972-1853 and let them handle it. Or if you witnessed any part of the incident or have any pertinent information, you can email me at the address on the About page and I’ll forward it to the right people.

Best wishes to Pinkyracer for a full and speedy recovery, and thanks to Joe Anthony and Jennifer Beatty for the information.

Update: I’ve named Susanna Schick as the victim after getting permission to publicly identify her, and added a link to her Facebook page. I’ve also clarified where the incident occurred, and used her description of the wobble, based on additional information from Schick.

Update 2: A ChipIn fund has been created to raise money for Susanna Schick to help pay for her expenses and the costs of recovery.

Update 3: More information has been added to ChipIn page, including the time and additional details of the collision, which I’ve added above. As of 9:30 Sunday, the ChipIn account has raised $240. In addition, the story was picked up by LAist Sunday evening; thanks to Blog Downtown for prominently featuring the story, as well.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , ,

Light bike weekend on tap, with a long list of bike events coming soon — and CicLAvia just a week away

April 7, 2012 / / Comments Off on Light bike weekend on tap, with a long list of bike events coming soon — and CicLAvia just a week away

Before we get to this week’s events, here’s your chance to enter the world big time Hollywood film finance.

Or maybe not so big.

Jaziel Ocampo is looking for just $669 on Kickstarter to finance a short film about bike commuting in Los Angeles.

For most L.A. film productions, that wouldn’t even cover the cost of breakfast.

……..

Bike Talk airs every Saturday at 10 am; listen to it live or download the podcast from KPFK.

Bike Long Beach hosts Bike Saturdays every weekend; ride your bike to participating local shops and business throughout the city to get special offers and discounts.

Flying Pigeon’s monthly Brewery Ride rolls on Saturday, April 7h; riders meet at the Flying Pigeon LA bike shop, 3714 North Figueroa Street, at 3 pm. Single speed beach cruisers are available to rent for $20. The Spoke(n) Art Ride takes place on Saturday the 14th; Sunday the 15th will feature a ride to CicLAvia.

Beverly Hills hosts a series of public outreach meetings to gauge support for the city’s proposed bike pilot bicycle routes. The first two meetings will take place at 7 pm on Wednesday, April 11th and Wednesday, April 25th at the Public Works Building, 345 Foothill Blvd, with the final hearing scheduled for a special meeting of the city’s Traffic & Parking Commission at 7 pm on Wednesday, May 9th in the Beverly Hills City Hall, 455 N. Rexford Drive, Room 280A.

Celebrate Earth Day a little early as C.I.C.L.E. presents the third annual Lorax Ride on Saturday, April 14th as part of Pasadena’s Earth & Arts Festival. The free ride assembles at 11 am at Pasadena Memorial Park, East Holly Street and North Raymond Avenue, with an 11:30 am departure.

The High Desert Cyclists are starting a series of comfortably paced 15 – 20 mile monthly Brunch Rides starting at Marie Keer Park, Avenue P and 3oth Street West in Palmdale. The first ride takes place on Saturday, April 14 at 8 am; bring money for brunch at a local restaurant or coffee shop.

The 10th Annual Laurel Foundation’s Ride for AIDS will take place with a two-day century ride from San Diego to Santa Monica on April 14th and 15th, and a one day ride from Santa Monica to Redondo Beach and back on April 15th.

If you enjoyed the last CicLAvia, you’ll love the next one on Tax Day, April 15th from 10 am to 3 pm; the route will follow the same expanded course as last October’s. While you’re there, stop by Orange 20 Bikes at the west end of the route, at the intersection of Heliotrope and Melrose, for a book signing with Eben Weiss, aka BikeSnobNYC, starting at 10:30 am. And be sure to visit Chinatown’s first annual Springfest from noon to 8 pm, making it the perfect spot for your CicLAvia afterparty.

Update: The first meeting of the newly formed LACBC Civics Committee scheduled Wednesday, April 18th at the Downtown Pitfire Pizza has been postponed yet again, date to be determined. The committee will serve to give the LACBC a voice in the local political process to help ensure the election of bike-friendly candidates; Efren Moreno Jr and yours truly will serve as Co-Chairs.

The University of Southern California presents an update to their draft campus bike plan at 1p on Thursday, April 19th at Tommy’s Place in the USC Ronald Tutor Campus Center, 3607 Trousdale Parkway.

Here’s an event for the bipedalists among us, as Los Angeles Walks is hosting a karaoke fundraiser from 7 to 11 pm on Saturday, April 21st  at Atwater Crossing, 3245 Casitas Ave.

Shifting Gears Cycling sponsors the 17th (or possibly 16th) Annual Santa Barbara Double Century on Saturday, April 28th and Sunday, April 29th. The two-day supported ride will travel 100 miles from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara, returning the next day.

Here’s your chance to ride with the USC Cycling Team on Sunday, April 29th, with your choice of three rides of increasing speed and difficulty starting at 9:30 am at Bike Effect, 910 W. Broadway in Santa Monica. Suggested $20 donation supports the 2012 USC Cycling race program.

The BikeFest Tour of Long Beach rolls on Saturday, May 5th, with rides of 31 and 62 miles, as well as a Gran Fondo, and day-long bike festival; proceeds support pediatric cancer research at Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach.

It might be worth the long drive to Davis CA for the first ever Legends Gran Fondo sponsored by the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame on May 6th, featuring America’s first Tour de France winner Greg LeMond — the man whose name is on my bike —  as well as former World Champion Ruthie Mathes, Olympic silver medalist Nelson Vails, and other members of the Hall of Fame.

May is Bike Month. The first National Bike to School Day is scheduled for May 9th, with National Bike to Work Week taking place on May 14th through 18th, and National Bike to Work Day on Friday the 18th.

The Amgen Tour of California will kick off with the first of eight stages on Sunday, May 13th in Santa Rosa, with Southern California stages from Palmdale to Big Bear on Friday, May 15th, Ontario to Mt. Baldy on Saturday the 19th, and the final stage from Beverly Hills to L.A. Live on Sunday, May 20th.

Good Samaritan Hospital’s annual Blessing of the Bicycles will take place on Tuesday, May 15th from 8 am to 9:30 am in front of the hospital at 1225 Wilshire Blvd. Expect a great breakfast and bike swag, with non-sectarian bike blessings from virtually every faith found in L.A.

L.A.’s favorite fundraising bike ride rolls out on Sunday, June 10th with the 12th Annual L.A. River Ride; this one just keeps getting bigger and better every year. Six different rides, from an easy family ride to a fast, flat century. Funds go to support the LACBC in building a better, more bikeable L.A. County; save $10 if you register by May 15th.

Sunday, July 1st, Shuntain Thomas, the Real Rydaz and We Are Responsible People (WARP) will host a ride through the streets of South Los Angeles to raise attention to the problem of childhood obesity and streets as recreational space. The ride starts at 10 am at Exposition Park, and ends at a street festival at 86th Street and Vermont Avenue.

Bikes are normally banned from the famed San Diego – Coronado Bay Bridge, but you can ride it on Sunday, August 26th, during the 5th Annual Bike the Bay, to benefit the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. Get an early registration discount through April 30th.

Early registration has opened for the national Pro Walk/Pro Bike® conference to be held September 10th through 13th in Long Beach. The 17th annual conference is sponsored by the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, and Project for Public Spaces.

This year’s Tour de Fat will take place on Saturday, September 15th at Los Angeles State Historic Park — and this time, it’s not scheduled on the Jewish high holidays, so everyone can attend.

Category: Bike Events / Tags: , ,

Update: Whittier cyclist killed when 78-year old driver backs over her in parking lot

April 4, 2012 / / One comment

“She looked real happy this morning.”

That’s how her stepmother described 26-year old Rosie Manzanares on the last day of her life. Just a few hours later, she lay dead in a parking lot, victim of a 78-year old driver who lost control of her car after visiting the hairdresser.

The collision occurred around 1:30 pm in the parking lot behind Celebrity Burgers, 11270 Whittier Blvd in Whittier.

According to the L.A. Times, the Toyota driven by Angelica Cuevas accelerated unexpectedly as she was backing out of her parking space, hitting Manzanares before coming to a stop on top of her.

No explanation is given for why the car accelerated; maybe the car malfunctioned, or maybe Cuevas panicked and hit the gas instead of the brake after seeing Manzanares behind her.

Either way, an innocent woman is dead. And an older woman has to spend the last years of her life knowing she took another.

It’s likely to be a very long time before either family — the driver’s or the victim’s — will have another happy morning.

This is the 11th cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second in Los Angeles County — both of which occurred in Whittier.

My heart and prayers go out to Rosie, and her family and loved ones.

Update: According to the Whittier Daily News, Cuevas had stopped her car halfway out of the parking space, then inexplicably accelerated as Manzanares rode behind her; Manzanares was pronounced dead at the scene.

Relatives say she had borrowed a bike in order to return a bracelet. Her father said she was getting help for a bipolar condition, and was in the process of straightening her life out.

Now she’ll never have the chance.

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

Malibu PCH workshop tonight, hats off to Cal Poly planner, and psych test for road rager Louis Mraz

April 4, 2012 / / Comments Off on Malibu PCH workshop tonight, hats off to Cal Poly planner, and psych test for road rager Louis Mraz

There’s still time to make it to Malibu for this evening’s public workshop to discuss the Bike Route Improvements Project along PCH through the west part of the ‘Bu.

Cyclists trying to get to that soon-to-be improved bike route by fighting their way through the east part of PCH are still on their own.

……..

A Cal Poly Pomona student has received a national fellowship for her research paper on Evaluating Demand for Bicycle Facilities in Community-Based Bicycle Planning, with an emphasis on minority and low-income communities.

Her work showed that bike use is higher in areas with household incomes less than $30,000 and commute times of less than 15 minutes. And that communities should target their efforts where there is both the greatest need and highest potential for increased usage.

Congratulations to Edna Cruz. Sounds like she’s got a great future in planning.

Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

……..

Following the death of San Diego cyclist David Ortiz — and the inexplicably inaccurate statements from the police — San Diego bicyclists will ride in his honor on Wednesday afternoon. And protest the unnecessarily dangerous conditions on the street where he was killed.

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Maybe he’s just nuts.

Road raging driver Louis Mraz, convicted of intentionally running down cyclist Winona Wacker in Highland Park, has been ordered to have a 90-day mental health evaluation before he’s sentenced; sentencing has been moved to June 29th.

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I love this piece from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on complaints about the new PA four-foot passing law. For a change, the writer clearly gets it when it comes to comparing the threat posed by cyclists and motorists.

I’ll point out here that I ride a bicycle from time to time, but almost never in traffic. It’s not because I’m scared to death of being mowed down by a careless, lawbreaking bicyclist.

Definitely worth the click.

……..

The first ticket for violating Pennsylvania’s new four-foot passing law comes just 15 hours after it goes into effect; hats off to the bus driver who blocked traffic to keep a hit-and-run driver from fleeing after he failed to give a rider four feet by running over his ass.

On the other hand, there are few things more ridiculous than comments from law enforcement that three — or in this case, four — foot passing distance is unenforceable unless there’s an actual collision.

A cop may not be able to to tell when a car is passing a cyclist at 2’8” instead of a full three feet. But any cop who can’t tell the difference between a foot or two and a yard or more has got serious problems.

……..

Damien Newton says the distracted driving zombies just aren’t going to cut it. More great photos from the recent Feel My Legs, I’m a Racer hill climbing stage race. LADOT wants your input on how to make Yucca Street bicycle friendly. The Real Rydaz are hosting a ride through South L.A. on July 1st, even if money and Metro is keeping CicLAvia from venturing there. Metro wants you to promise, cross your heart, that you’ll ride during Bike to Work Week next month. LADOT attempts to address an ongoing problem with a new campaign urging people to keep their trash bins out of the bike lanes. The newly issued Request for Proposals to reconstruct Santa Monica Blvd through the biking black hole of Beverly Hills includes instructions to consider bike lanes in both directions; it’s a start, anyway. Meanwhile, Beverly Hills announces public workshops for their upcoming Bike Route Pilot project; personally, I’d like to see separated cycle tracks on Rodeo Drive. Kick off the month-long lead-up to the BikeFest Tour of Long Beach with a free bike tune-up and tricycle races at Miller’s Children Hospital starting at Wednesday.

A Newport Beach cyclist is injured in a dooring; thanks to David Huntsman for the tip. Our neighbor to the south completes another 1.8 mile segment of what will eventually be a 24 mile bikeway around the San Diego Bay. Bike San Diego’s Sam Ollinger recaps day two of last month’s National Bike Summit. Visalia cyclists get their first sharrows, and unlike other cities I could name (cough: Los Angeles), an explanation of what they are. A San Francisco cyclist is severely beaten and robbed in an early morning attack. My favorite reality TV show are the L.A. police car chases that air intermittently on our local stations; now Cyclelicious offers proof that bicyclists can get in on the fun, too — even at 60 mph.

Ten things you need for a long-distance bike tour, starting with, yes, a bike. A new Albuquerque bike and pedestrian bridge will let cyclists cross I-25, while providing easy access to a strip club. Eight Denver cyclists are ticketed and their bikes impounded during the city’s first Critical Mass in four year. North Dakota cyclists push for bike lanes on a main street. The Springfield Cyclist calls your attention to the guy who didn’t crash in the Tour of Flanders. Chicago cyclists just want more police to enforce traffic laws — and stop parking in the bike lanes. Attention planning types, the bicycling director position for the city of Boston is about to open up; if they decide they don’t need an actual planner, let me know. That 90-year old New York trike rider is just a youngster compared to a couple riders here on the left coast. Louisiana considers legalizing sidewalk riding.

Toronto cyclists vow to fight the removal of existing bike lanes. A British bike rider complains about the lack of women in a bike company’s marketing brochure; seems to be a problem with a lot of companies that should know better. Helmet cams are bringing justice to UK streets. York city leaders step up to make their streets less safe for cyclists. England’s 125-year old Raleigh bicycle company is about to go Dutch. Edinburgh starts a new campaign to get cyclists in bike boxes, and keep drivers out. Germany wins the women’s world team sprint title, setting a new world’s record twice in the process. A badly broken collarbone has pro cyclist Fabian Cancellara down but not out, at least not for long. After being stripped of his title, and apparent time off for good behavior, ex-2010 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador plans to race in this year’s Vuelta. Oddly, the Tour of the Basque Country goes nowhere near Bakersfield; Spain’s Samuel Sanchez leads after three stages. An Aussie scientist gets 10 years for deliberately running down his bike-riding boss.

Finally, Good busts nine bike myths; then again, there’s at least that many reasons why you shouldn’t ride to work, right?

Category: Bikes & the Law, General, Legal Cases, Streets and Infrastructure / Tags: , , , , , , ,

A little this, a little that — NBC’s Tracy Morgan doors a cyclist, a killer Santa Cruz driver gets a sore wrist

April 3, 2012 / / 4 comments

A few quick notes before I hit the ground rolling on what promises to be a gorgeous day.

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Comedian, please.

Tracy Morgan, star of NBC sitcom 30 Rock, clearly doesn’t get it after dooring a cyclist in New York yesterday.

After flinging open the door of his car in the path of a bike delivery man, Morgan blamed the rider for wearing black. And made it clear that the incident was no big deal.

And in all honesty, it probably wasn’t.

To him.

According to the New York Post, Morgan was quoted as saying “This kind of stuff happens all the time in the city. I grew up in the city. I’ve been dealing with this stuff for years. Brooklyn-born and -raised, Bed-Stuy do or die.”

Unfortunately, he’s right. Whether he’s talking about cyclists getting doored, or celebs who refuse to take responsibility for their actions.

Meanwhile, E Online seems far more concerned about the comedian’s health than the cyclist he sent to the hospital with minor injuries.

At least future Gotham bike riders will face less risk of dooring from the city’s cabs, as the next generation cab design approved by the city will have sliding doors to protect those around them.

Maybe we can get Tracy Morgan to trade his Jaguar for one.

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While we’re on the subject of New York, local cyclists are tired of police blaming the victim and demand better protection and investigations from the NYPD. Meanwhile, a bike riding transit official clashes with a cop who tried to stop him from riding in a no-access area, and tries to pull rank by pretending to be a police commissioner.

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Pennsylvania cyclists get protection from a new four-foot passing law as of the first of this month; at least one driver can’t grasp the concept that it’s okay to wait until it’s safe to pass.

That seemed to be the rationalization our own governor used in vetoing last year’s three-foot passing bill, assuming that drivers would mindlessly slam on their brakes to slow down to pass cyclists at less than three feet, rather that wait a few seconds to pass safely.

Now he may get another chance to be less of an idiot do the right thing, as a new three-foot passing bill heads to committee — this time without the driver-appeasing clause Gov. Brown objected to last year.

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In a bizarre case from Edinburgh, a cyclist is slightly injured after jumping on the hood of a car during a roadway dispute, then holding on for dear life as the driver swerves from side-to-side and brakes repeatedly in an attempt to throw him off.

Note to cyclists — no matter how smart it may seem at the time, don’t climb onto the vehicle of the driver you’re arguing with.

Never mind getting killed. You could get strip searched.

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A Santa Cruz-area driver gets a whopping two years in jail for running down a cyclist and fleeing the scene, leaving his victim to die on the side of the road.

Can someone please explain to me how that isn’t murder?

The collision may have been unintended, but the decision to let his victim bleed out in the street was purely intentional.

Instead, Elliot Dess gets a slap on the wrist, while an innocent bike rider got the death penalty.

If the laws we have now don’t give prosecutors the tools they need to address crimes like this, then we need to change the law so future heartless killers will get the punishment they deserve.

Two lousy years.

Give me a break.

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San Diego cyclists are becoming a political force.

That’s something that should soon be happening here, as the LACBC is in the process of forming a political committee to help influence the election of bike-friendly civic leaders; more details soon.

……..

California’s oldest bike racer has another two titles under his belt. In an impressive performance, 93-year old Gordy Shields of El Cajon — soon to be 94 — won the state championship for his age group in both the 20k time trial and the criterium.

Of course, he was the only competitor in his age group.

But still.

……..

Finally, medical science at last discovers the discomfort many women riders have complained about for decades, and realizes that maybe it wasn’t all in their heads after all.

Meanwhile, Gothamist wonders if this, combined with reports of erectile dysfunction among some male riders, means cyclists will soon go extinct.

Uh, no.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Car vs Bike, General / Tags: , , , , , ,
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