Whittier rider dies of injuries suffered in Downey collision last month

May 29, 2014 / / 4 comments
Ghost bike in memory of Sal Sahagun; photo by Danny Gamboa

Ghost bike in memory of Sal Sahagun; photo by Danny Gamboa

Most bicycling collisions never make the news.

Even when they do, there’s seldom any follow-up. So we may never know if an injured rider made a full recovery or succumbed to his or her injuries days or weeks after the collision.

And no one other than a handful of people close to the victim will ever know.

That’s exactly what happened when a bike rider was critically injured in a collision with a big rig truck in Downey last month.

According to the Los Cerritos News, a 46-year old Whittier resident was hit while he was riding his bike at the intersection of Florence and Fairford Avenues around 8 am on Friday, April 25th. A satellite view shows a busy intersection leading to a freeway onramp, with heavy truck traffic visible in the photo.

No word on how the collision occurred; however, at that hour, he was most likely riding to work. The paper reports the driver was not charged, though the investigation was ongoing at the time.

Then no further word until someone reached out to the LACBC last week, asking for help in honoring a co-worker who had passed away recently after being injured in a collision on April 25th. However, they couldn’t find any information confirming the death, and reached out to me to see if I’d heard anything.

Sadly, that news came today, when a family member confirmed that Sal Sahagun has died of the injuries he suffered in that April 25th collision.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to get more details later.

This is the 42nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Sal Sahagun and all his family and loved ones.

Thanks to Colin Bogart for the heads-up.

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

54-year old bike rider killed in Ramona collision

May 28, 2014 / / 2 comments

Sometimes it’s clear that something bad has happened.

But exactly what often isn’t clear for hours — or sometimes days — afterwards.

That’s what happened Wednesday morning when word broke of a serious collision involving a bike rider.

First reports from the CHP put the collision west of San Diego in El Cajon, then later reports placed it in Ramona — even though the two cities are miles from one another. That was followed by initial news reports in which a CHP spokesperson confirmed someone had died, but said it wasn’t clear if the victim was the cyclist or the driver.

It took until late Wednesday afternoon before it was clear what had really happened.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, 54-year old Ramona resident Juan Perez Alarcon rode out of a dirt driveway on Warnock Drive at San Vicente Road just before 6:30 Wednesday morning, and directly into the path of a westbound car traveling at 45 mph. Other reports place the collision a long block away at Warnock Drive and Keyser Road.

Alarcon died at the scene shortly after the collision, despite the efforts of the driver and two others to tend to him.

No explanation is given for why he was apparently unable to see the oncoming car or stop before entering the roadway. However, judging from the satellite view, it’s possible the driver could have rounded the corner at San Vicente and gotten up to speed before either had a chance to react, if he’d been driving aggressively.

The paper notes he was not wearing a helmet, but does not say if he suffered a head injury. A side impact at that speed is unlikely to be survivable, with or without a helmet.

This is the 41st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in San Diego County. He is also the third cyclist to be killed in Ramona, with a population of under 21,000, in the past four years.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Juan Alarcon and his family. 

Thanks to Marvin Davis for the heads-up. 

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities /

Morning Links: A massive list of post-holiday bike news; San Marino dreads outsiders on bikes

May 28, 2014 / / One comment

After San Marino rises up against the great unwashed masses on bikes, a writer for the Pasadena Star-News takes offense at residents taking offense.

Actually, we should all take offense at that.

Unlike the mad rantings of the Wicked Witch of Wall Street, who feared New York’s blue hued Citi Bikes would besmirch her fair city, at least some San Marino residents fear the mere presence of less-entitled outsiders on bikes.

What, exactly, they think we’re going to do there is beyond me. Though the story suggests at least one anonymous fear-monger implies we’re going to molest, or at least annoy, their children and shower in their schools.

Okay.

To the best of my knowledge, the city’s proposed bike plan merely makes it more convenient for residents and outsiders alike to ride in and through the city.

Hopefully city officials will discard the mad rantings of xenophobic anti-bike residents, and opt for better safety for everyone, instead.

Thanks to Wesley Reutimann and Day One for the heads-up.

………

Speaking of Citi Bike, the popular New York bike share program celebrated it’s first birthday on Monday.

Surprisingly — for critics, at least — the city did not grind to a halt. Nor did it see a bloodbath of helmetless tourists run down on the streets.

Although it did get hit with a $1 million parking fine.

………

The Giro d’Italia moves on towards this weekend’s conclusion, as Columbian rider Nairo Quitana stole the leader’s jersey on a snowy climb; officials may or may not have caused mass confusion in the peloton by neutralizing the descent.

Apparently, Taylor Phinney’s violent crash in the national road race championships on Monday was caused by a race motorcycle that suddenly appeared in his path after he rounded a blind curve. He’s expected to miss this year’s Tour de France — if not the entire season — after surgery for a compound fracture of both bones of the left lower leg.

Velonews profiles the Scottsdale chiropractor who unexpectedly became the new national road champ.

And British TdF champ Chris Froome insists he doesn’t use anything stronger than espresso. Then again, didn’t that guy from Texas who insists he won seven Tours say the same thing?

………

Local

Former Talking Head and noted bike rider David Byrne falls in love with DTLA, and proclaims it the perfect place to start a bike program. Maybe he missed all those bike lanes spreading throughout Downtown.

Steetsblog is in the final days of a month-long fund-raising drive .

The Bike League profiles John Jones III of the Eastside Riders Bike Club.

Ovarian Psychos is sponsoring a three-part DIY Road Bike Mechanics Class next month.

Volunteers are needed to conduct bike counts in the San Gabriel Valley.

Unless he somehow rear-ended a stopped car, it’s highly unlikely a cyclist was responsible for colliding with a car in Saugus since they were both travelling in the same direction, despite what the story in the SGV Signal suggests.

A Long Beach bike rider is shot and killed after fleeing police.

 

State

A new Newport Beach bike lane could have been better.

San Diego combines bike lanes, sharrows and quiet streets to form a downtown bike loop.

Two Menlo Park residents set national age group cycling records.

The NY Times says San Francisco police are going high tech to catch bike thieves.

State Assemblywoman Christina Garcia receives a petition in support of Andy’s Law to stiffen penalties for hit-and-run — and take away the driver’s license for up to 10 years.

 

National

Bike and pedestrian advocates and urbanists need to work together if either are going to succeed.

Ten rules to build better bike parking.

A nationwide summer camp program mentors girls through bicycling.

New York police bravely crack down on scofflaw cyclists; evidently they’re the ones whose behavior must be tamed before the city can reach its Vision Zero goals.

No license, no problem. An unlicensed New York driver faces a whopping $500 fine for killing a cyclist. Good thing the NYPD has its priorities straight.

 

International

A new Canadian smart bike evidently does everything but turn the pedals for you.

Not surprisingly, Vancouver merchants discover bikes are good for business.

New survey says 82% of Brits think bicycle education should be part of the basic curriculum for school children.

Endurance cycling can help you live longer.

A Russian fat cat loses weight by bicycling, even though its owner does all the work.

Queensland cyclists will still be required to wear helmets, but registration is off the table.

File this one under duh, as a New Zealand study shows demand for safer bicycling routes.

 

Finally…

A camera-clad biking superhero fights for truth, justice and the British roadway, while another rider films himself hurling abuse at scofflaw pedestrians. And a real estate agent plans a bike ride to promote Boyle Heights to prospective clients, but cancels after a blowup over a tone-deaf approach to gentrification.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

80-year old Long Beach bike rider killed in collision with medical van

May 27, 2014 / / 10 comments

Would an 80-year old bike rider really run a red light?

That’s what we’re being asked to believe, after a cyclist lost his life on a Long Beach intersection Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, 80-year old Long Beach resident Mariano Carasaquit Libron was riding in the crosswalk on eastbound 16th Street, attempting to cross Long Beach Boulevard, when he was hit by a medical van.

The collision occurred at 1:27 pm as Libron reportedly ran the red light in front of the southbound transport vehicle driven by a 24-year old Long Beach resident. The Orange County Register reports responding officers found him lying unconscious in the roadway; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The satellite view shows a very wide six lane intersection, divided by two railroad tracks and a center median.

While anyone can make a mistake, it seems to strain credibility that an 80-year old man conservative enough to ride in a crosswalk — and presumably, on the sidewalk leading up to it — would blow through a light directly in front of oncoming traffic.

What seems far more likely is that the light may have changed while a slow-riding Libron was already in the intersection, and the transport driver somehow failed to see the rider directly in front of him after the light turned green as he approached the corner.

It’s also possible that the driver of the van may have been the only surviving witness; unless there were independent witnesses, investigators only have his word that the light was green.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Collision Investigation Detail Detective Steve Fox at 562/570-7355.

This is the 40th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th in Los Angeles County. This is also the eighth bike rider to die in Long Beach in the last four years.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Mariano Libron and all his loved ones.

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

Morning Links: A local bike shop worker moves up, a cycling triple crown, and a bad break for Phinney

May 26, 2014 / / Comments Off on Morning Links: A local bike shop worker moves up, a cycling triple crown, and a bad break for Phinney

Congratulations are in order for one of my favorite bike people.

Chris Klibowitz of the Santa Monica Helen’s Cycles, and former manager at the Westwood location, is leaving the bike shop after six years for a new job as editor at ROAD Magazine.

You’ll never meet a nicer guy. Or anyone more knowledgeable or passionate about bicycling, or more deserving of the opportunity.

And now that I think about it, maybe it’s ROAD that deserves the congratulations.

………

Talk about dominating your sport.

Just two days after winning the national time trial championship, UnitedHealthcare rider Allison Powers takes the road course win to go with her previous national crit title.

SmartStop Pro Cycling rider Eric Marcotte outsprinted teammate Travis McCabe to take the men’s road race title.

Meanwhile, newly crowned national time trial champ Taylor Phinney sees his season come to an unexpected end as he breaks his lower left leg in two places and damages the same knee after apparently crashing into a roadside barrier on a steep descent. Best wishes for a full and fast recovery from what sounds like a very nasty injury.

………

Local

Santa Clarita will cap bike month with a Kids Walking and Biking Festival this Saturday.

If you missed it over the weekend, what exactly is the LA County Sheriff’s Department trying to hide by releasing news of the Milt Olin investigation — and not much at that — over a holiday weekend?

 

State

An agreement with state parks officials will allow the Santa Ana River trail to pass through Chino Hills State Park, eventually creating a continuous 110-mile pathway from the Pacific Coast Trail to the beach.

After a Visalia cyclist is killed in a hit-from-behind collision, the driver says he just didn’t see him. Oh, well okay, then.

A San Francisco cyclist is critically injured after allegedly running a stop sign. Meanwhile, a formerly anti-bike Bay Area columnist says local riders deserve better.

 

National

A Wall Street website lists the top six American bicycling cities. For a change, Portland isn’t at the top of the list, and as usual, San Francisco is the only California city on it.

When intersections are designed for cars, bike riders break the law; when they’re designed for everyone, most people follow the rules — cyclists included.

 

International

A Canadian bike rider spots his recently stolen bike going the other way on a bus rack, and steals it back at a red light.

Caught on video: A teenage Aussie cyclist clings to the back of a bus traveling at 50 mph.

Cyclists protesting Australia’s mandatory helmet law won’t be ticketed by police after all.

 

Finally…

A UK cyclist goes out for a ride in the country and ends up in a rave. And no bias here, as a Virginia TV station not only claims a cyclist collided with a car, but that authorities found him “passed out” on the median. Or maybe he was just unconscious because he’s just been in a collision.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , ,

Morning Links: Remember what Memorial Day is all about, Calendar update, and 2 new National Champs

May 26, 2014 / / 3 comments

My father fought in World War II, in both Europe and the Pacific.

In fact, he was training for the invasion of Japan when the war ended; his unit had been told to expect a 100% casualty rate. If Japan hadn’t surrendered when it did, I probably wouldn’t be here today.

Or be, period.

My grandfather was a doughboy in World War I; exposure to poison gasses probably contributed to the emphysema that eventually took his life, along with a lifetime of smoking.

My brother served in Vietnam, thankfully without serious incident.

They all made it back home. A lot of the men and women they served with didn’t. Along with countless others who fought in earlier and later wars.

Several of the kids just few years ahead of me in school went to Vietnam and never came back, while a Marine friend of mine — the husband of a co-worker — was one of the few Americans to die in the first Gulf War.

And we’ve lost too damn many good men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.

So please, take just a moment amid the bike rides and barbeques and sales going on today to remember what Memorial Day is really all about. And say a prayer for all those who have given their lives for their country, if you’re so inclined.

And if you’re looking for somewhere to ride today, allow me to make a suggestion.

………

You can find this week’s upcoming events on the updated Calendar page.

………

Cycling scion Davis Phinney takes his second US national time trial title in Chattanooga; Allison Powers wins the women’s championship. Next up for both is Monday’s road race.

Meanwhile, Velo News proclaims 23-year old rider Fabio Aru, winner of Sunday’s stage of the Giro d’Italia, is Italy’s next big thing.

………

Local

Richard Risemberg goes multi-modal meandering.

Downtown Garden Grove will go car-free on October 12th for the city’s first open streets event.

Cycling in the South Bay asks if Stava is killing bike racing. If you ask me, it ain’t helping.

 

State

San Clemente’s bike plan wins an American Planning award.

San Diego gets its first road diets.

San Jose’s Mr. Roadshow tells drivers how to avoid right-hooking cyclists. And offers the heartbreaking tale of a priest who comforted a teenage cyclist as she lay dying following a traffic collision, only to lose his own life in a cycling collision years later.

Palo Alto residents agree changes to a contentious roadway should include measures to alter human behavior.

 

National

Tucson’s new street car tracks have caused over 80 bicycling collisions.

Cyclists take over Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive for a few short hours.

Writing for the New York Times, Eben Weis — aka Bike Snob NYC — argues that if Citibank got a bailout, Citi Bike should, too.

 

International

After a Toronto cyclist is screwed over by the insurance company of the driver who hit him, the local paper rides to his rescue.

A new French 360-degree helmet cam can take immersive video of your ride. Or capture dangerous drivers on video no matter what direction they come from.

You know you want to. Three inexpensive ways to tour Italy by bike.

Aussie roundabouts are responsible for one in every ten bicycling collisions in the state of Victoria.

 

Finally…

Several cyclists riding with the bicycling Australian prime minister are taken out by an oil slick. Somehow, I can’t imagine any American president riding in a peloton.

And the LA Weekly says never pick a fight with a cyclist because you’ll lose, and they — we — get mad; looks like they’re finally learning. Thanks to Serge Issakov for the heads-up.

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , ,
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