Tag Archive for bicycle fatality

Breaking news — Downtown cyclist killed in apparent road rage incident between two drivers

July 19, 2011 / / 5 comments

A cyclist is dead, collateral damage in a roadway dispute between two motorists in Downtown L.A.

The cyclist, who has not been publicly identified, was riding near the onramp to the 110 Freeway at the intersection of Francisco and 8th Streets when he was struck around 7 or 8 pm. The rider has only been described as an older Hispanic male, whose age has been various reported as 59 or 62.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a 23-year old woman in a Kia and a 37-year old man in a Chevy Avalanche were involved in some sort of dispute while driving north on Figueroa, then the Avalanche tried to pass the Kia on the right after they had turned left onto 8th Street, striking the victim in the process.

The Times reports that the driver of the Avalanche has been taken into custody for questioning, while the other driver remained at the scene but has not been detained.

And an innocent man is dead because one or both drivers couldn’t manage hold their damn temper behind the wheel.

As I said before, we need a policy of One and Done; a single conviction on a road rage charge should result in a loss of driving privileges for life.

No exceptions.

Thanks to Dj Wheels for the heads-up.

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

15-year old Fontana cyclist killed by Metrolink train

July 2, 2011 / / 10 comments

According to the San Bernardino Sun, 15-year old Ricardo Gilberto Lizarraga was killed when he was hit by a Metrolink train around 6:20 pm Thursday.

Lizarraga was reportedly riding northbound on Sierra Avenue when he rode across the tracks into the path of the eastbound train. Google street view shows railroad crossing signals at the site, so if they were working, he should have been aware of the train coming.

This is the 34th confirmed traffic-related cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 1st in San Bernardino County. Lizarraga is also the 3rd SoCal cyclist killed in a collision with a train in 2011.

Update: According to Inland News Today, the gates were lowered and the warning lights were flashing at the time of the collision; the site reports that he was using earbuds and may not have been able to hear the train. And yet, he would have had to have the music exceptionally loud to drown out a train — and that still doesn’t explain how he missed the signals. 

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

CHP reports possible fatality in East L.A. bike vs big rig collision

June 20, 2011 / / 6 comments

No confirmation yet, and only limited details.

However, CHP reports indicate that a cyclist was killed in a collision with a big rig truck at around 9:54 this morning at the intersection of South Atlantic and East Olympic Boulevards in East L.A.

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

San Diego salmon cyclist killed after falling into traffic lane

June 20, 2011 / / 5 comments

A 47-year old San Diego cyclist was killed about 10:40 pm Sunday night after falling in front of an oncoming pickup.

According to San Diego’s KFMB 760, Jaime Ruiz was riding against traffic on the 1200 block of Hollister Blvd when he hit a parked car and fell into the traffic lane, where he was struck by a Toyota Tacoma driven by an unidentified off-duty Border Patrol agent. The driver was not cited; Ruiz was reportedly riding without lights or helmet.

While I often rail against press reports that insist on noting the lack or presence of a helmet in fatal collisions, this is a case where it might actually be worth mentioning — though not without more details.

Depending on the speed of the truck and how the actual impact occurred, this could be exactly the sort of slow-speed impact bike helmets are intended to protect against. Or it could be that the impact occurred at a higher speed or to other parts of the body, making the lack of a helmet irrelevant. Without more information, we’ll never know.

This is also a case in which the rider is clearly at fault.

While riding against traffic may seem logical in order to provide a better view of oncoming traffic, drivers don’t expect to see cyclists riding towards them in the same lane. It also shortens the reaction time required to avoid a collision, as well as increasing the severity of a collision by increasing the speed differential.

This is often a problem among immigrant cyclists, who are sometimes taught to ride facing traffic, rather than with it. While it may seem to make some sense on rural roads where motor vehicle traffic can be rare, it is extremely dangerous on busier streets.

It’s tempting to suspect that Ruiz could have been intoxicated — after all, most riders manage to avoid large stationary objects. However, it’s also possible that, without a light, he may not have seen the parked car until it was too late to avoid it if the street was dark enough, or could have been forced into it by a driver passing too close.

This is the 9th traffic-related cycling fatality in San Diego this year, and the 32nd in the larger Southern California area. Of those, the rider has been at primary fault in 12 of the collisions, the driver at fault in 18; the other two were undetermined.

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

15-year old cyclist killed in Norwalk collision identified

June 14, 2011 / / 21 comments

The teenage cyclist who died tragically — and needlessly — a full week after he was struck by a car has finally been publicly identified.

The Whittier Daily News reports (scroll down) that 15-year old Norwalk resident Jonathan Acosta Fernandez died from injuries he suffered when he was hit by a car driven by Ana Chavez of Whittier on June 3rd. The collision occurred near the intersection of Alondra and Pioneer Blvds in Norwalk around 3:10 pm; Fernandez was reportedly leaving the Norwalk Indoor Swap Meet when he was struck.

Police say Chavez was traveling at 60 mph at the time of the collision. She was initially booked on suspicion of felony drunk driving, with a bond $100,000, and is due to be arraigned on a charge of vehicular manslaughter in Downey Superior Court on Tuesday.

And once again, the authorities and the press seem to think a tiny bit of plastic and foam atop a rider’s head can offer some sort of magical protection against an accused drunk driver in a speeding vehicle.

Yes, it is important to wear a helmet; I haven’t ridden without one in over 25 years.

But Fernandez’ fate was sealed the moment an allegedly intoxicated driver got behind the wheel and put her foot down hard on the gas. Even if he’d been wearing a full body flak jacket, it would have offered little protection against a vehicle driven at that speed.

My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jonathan Fernandez.

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

Rider killed in collision with SUV in Camarillo Saturday (Updated)

June 12, 2011 / / 8 comments

Last night, I saw a brief notice from the Ventura Star that a cyclist had been injured in a collision in Camarillo on Saturday afternoon.

This morning, the worst fears were confirmed when the story changed to report that the rider had died at a local medical center.

No details are available at this time, other than the collision with an SUV occurred around 1:15 pm at the intersection of Pleasant Valley Road and Freedom Park Drive.

This is the third cycling death reported so far this year in Ventura County, and the 31st in Southern California.

Thanks to DC for the tip.

……..

Update: the cyclist has been identified as 76-year old John H. Dillingham Jr. of Camarillo.

According to the Star, Dillingham was attempting to turn onto Freedom Park Drive from Pleasant Valley Road when when he was hit by a car driven by 63-year old Eva Labrador of Oxnard. Yet the paper also says he “accidently” veered into the eastbound lane in front of Labrador’s SUV; she was reportedly driving at 55 mph and unable to avoid him.

Unfortunately, the story does not explain which direction Dillingham was riding, or what the speed limit is on that stretch of roadway. Reading between the lines, it sounds as if he was riding east on the shoulder of the road, and moved into the traffic lane to make his turn; however, that is pure supposition based on the minimal description and the satellite photo of the scene.

It is important to remember is that, unless the police have other witnesses, the only description of how the collision unfolded could be coming from the driver.

Unfortunately, Dillingham isn’t around to defend his actions or explain his version of events. 

My condolences to his family and friends.

Update: TQ reports that Dillingham was riding with a friend, so hopefully the investigators are getting both sides of the story. And Will Campbell does what I didn’t, checking Google’s street view to discover a speed limit sign indicating the limit near the park is 50 mph.

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

15-year old Norwalk cyclist dies after being hit in apparent DUI last week

June 10, 2011 / / Comments Off on 15-year old Norwalk cyclist dies after being hit in apparent DUI last week

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, a 15-year old cyclist died Friday morning, one week after he was hit by an accused drunk driver.

The rider, whose name has not been released, was riding east on Alondra Blvd near Pioneer Blvd in Norwalk on Friday, June 3rd when he was hit by a car driven by 38-year old Anna Chavez of Whittier; no word on what time of day the collision occurred.

Chavez has been held on $100,000 bail on suspicion of felony drunk driving; charges will now be amended to vehicular manslaughter, with arraignment scheduled for Tuesday in Downey.

This is the 30th bike-related traffic fatality in Southern California so far this year, and the 9th in L.A. County. Two of those riders killed in L.A., and seven overall, have been victims of alleged drunk drivers.

Three additional L.A. riders have been killed by gunfire this year, with one additional gunshot victim outside the L.A. area.

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

Update: Teenage driver tries to pass himself off as witness in Fountain Valley hit-and-run

May 16, 2011 / / 6 comments

Late last night, I reported on the death of a cyclist in Fountain Valley, with virtually no information other than the time and location of the collision.

As usual, the morning brings more details.

An anonymous tip reported that the case was a hit-and-run, and that a 19-year old driver had been arrested after calling police investigators claiming to be a witness.

Now the Long Beach Press-Telegram confirms Huntington Beach resident Adam Garrett was arrested yesterday after further investigation revealed he was the driver in the collision, rather than an innocent bystander.

Twenty-five-year old Hung Khac Do, also of Huntington Beach, was riding west on Warner Avenue near the 405 when he was allegedly hit by Garrett’s 1994 Toyota Camry just after 3 am Sunday, and left in the street to die as Garrett fled the scene.

My source reports that Garret had previously been ticketed for failure to stop at a stop sign, as well as failing to wear a helmet while bicycling while still a minor. Now he’s under arrest for suspicion of felony hit-and-run, facing up to four years in prison, plus any additional charges that may be filed.

Police are urging anyone with information to call the Fountain Valley Police traffic bureau at 714/593-4481.

He is the 29th cyclist to be killed in Southern California so far this year — an average of 1.5 each week — and the 5th to be killed in Orange County since January 1st. This is the 6th fatal hit-and-run involving a cyclist this year.

My deepest sympathy to the friends and family of Hung Do.

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

Orange County man hit and killed by car in Fountain Valley

May 15, 2011 / / Comments Off on Orange County man hit and killed by car in Fountain Valley

The Orange County Register reports that 25-year old Hung Do of Huntington Beach was killed early Sunday. Do was hit by a car on Warner Avenue near the 405 in Fountain Valley just after 3 am, and was pronounced dead at UCI Medical Center in Orange at 3:42 am.

No other information is available at this time.

He is the 29th cyclist to be killed in Southern California so far this year — an average of 1.5 each week — and the 5th to be killed in Orange County since January 1st.

Thanks to Allan Alessio for the heads-up.

Update: More information has come in indicating this was a hit-and-run, and a suspect has been arrested after calling police pretending to be a witness.

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

Breaking news — cyclist fatally shot in Silver Lake Sunday Night

April 18, 2011 / / 9 comments

It’s happened again.

According to the Beverly Hills Courier, a man was shot and killed while riding his bike in the Silver Lake area around 9:15 Sunday night; The Eastsider LA puts the time at 9:30 pm.

The shooting occurred near the intersection of Hoover Street and Del Mar Avenue, when the rider was bumped and knocked to the ground by a car, then shot by one or more people in the vehicle.

The rider has not been publicly identified pending notification of next of kin; the only description currently available put him at 25 to 30 years old.

The LAPD is reportedly investigating the killing as a gang-related attack, even though the description makes it sound more like a road rage incident. If the plan was to kill a cyclist, it would seem to have been just as easy, if not easier, to shoot him without knocking him down first.

Then again, if the killers had just thought it out, they would have hit him a little harder with the car, told the police they just didn’t see him, and walked away with a slap on the wrist instead of a pending murder charge.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , ,
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