Every bicycling death is tragic.
But somehow, it seems even worse when the victim is a kid.
That was the case in Pomona this week, where a boy died two days after he was struck by a driver while riding an ebike.
KTLA-5 reports the victim was riding on the sidewalk on the 1600 block of South San Antonio Ave, near Patterson Street, around 2:30 pm Friday, when he rode out into the street and was struck by a driver.
It’s not clear from the limited description whether he rode out into Patterson at the intersection, or went off the sidewalk and into the street on San Antonio.
A street view shows a bike lane on both sides of the street, so it’s questionable why the victim would have been on the sidewalk.
It’s also not clear whether he was riding was a legal Class 1, 2 or 3 ebike, or an illegal e-moto. Which is exactly the problem when the same word is used to describe anything with batteries and two wheels.
He was taken to a local hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital Orange County, where he died on Sunday.
The victim hasn’t been publicly identified, and there’s no word at this time just how old he is.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, although police remain unsure whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the collision.
Update: Shortly after posting this, KNBC-4 and KABC-7 reported that the victim was a student Simons Middle School, a few blocks away in Pomona.
Thirteen-year old Angel Mendoza was struck as he was riding an e-scooter to a friend’s house, and died of severe head injuries; he was not wearing a helmet.
A crowdfunding campaign has raise more than $12,000 of the $15,000 goal.
Since he was not riding a bicycle, the number of bicycling deaths in Southern California remains at 25, and nine in Los Angeles County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Angel Mendoza and all his family and loved ones.
Ghost tire photo from Streets Are For Everyone website.
