Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

Driver killed 33-year old woman riding bicycle in Banning Tuesday night, 33-year old man riding bike seriously injured

March 26, 2026 / / One comment

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

We made it a full week without someone getting killed riding a bicycle somewhere on the mean streets of Southern California.

That ended Tuesday night, when a driver somehow managed to run down not one, but two people riding bikes in Banning.

One is expected to survive, anyway.

According to multiple sources, the victims were riding on the 5300 block of W. Ramsey Street near Apex Ave when they were struck by the driver, who stayed at the scene, a little before 9 pm.

A 33-year old woman suffered severe injuries and died at the scene, while the 32-year old man she was riding with was hospitalized with major injuries.

There is no word on how the crash occurred, or why the driver apparently failed to see two adults riding bicycles. However, police don’t suspect the driver of being under the influence.

Police believe the victims may have been homeless, which raises the possibility they may not have had lights on their bikes, though wheel reflectors can be seen in video from the crash scene.

And whether or not they were housed should not, and does not, lesson the tragedy in any way.

There is a painted bike lane with a narrow buffer in both directions on Ramsey, with nothing to slow drivers on the long, straight roadway at that hour.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Traffic Bureau of the Banning Police Department at 951/922-3170.

This the 24th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the third in San Diego County.

Which means someone has been killed riding a bicycle in Southern California an average of every three-and-a-half days since the first of the year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victims and all their family and loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: 78-year old man riding a bicycle killed by driver on Coronado’s Silver Strand Tuesday afternoon; 23rd SoCal bike death this year

March 17, 2026 / / 2 comments

The luck of the Irish failed a man riding a bicycle in Coronado Tuesday afternoon.

And of course, there’s no explanation for how it happened.

Only what.

Multiple sources are reporting that a 78-year old man was killed when he was struck by a driver at Silver Strand Blvd and Tulagi Road around 1:30 pm.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, died at the scene.

And yes, the driver stayed and tried to aid the victim; police don’t suspect drug or alcohol use.

The crash reportedly occurred on the southbound section of the divided roadway, which suggests he may have been trying to turn left to get onto the two-way bike path on the northbound side.

Although there could be other explanations.

Whatever happened, anyone still riding a bicycle at that age deserved better.

This the 23rd bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the fifth in San Diego County.

Which means that someone has been killed riding a bicycle in Southern California every 3.3 days since the first of the year.

Update: The victim has been identified as 78-year old James Joseph Berta. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for James Joseph Berta and his loved ones. 

 

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

43-year old man dies after March 1 Clairemont, San Diego hit-and-run; SoCal bike rider killed every 3.4 days this year

March 14, 2026 / / No comments

As if the news couldn’t get any worse this week, now we’ve learned that yet another bike rider died after a San Diego hit-and-run earlier this month.

The victim’s sister announced the news by asking for help finding the driver.

Estefania Gallardo Bledsoe said her brother, 43-year old Clairemont resident Andrés Gallardo, was riding in the parking lane on Ashford Street around 11:30 pm on Sunday, March 1st, when the driver struck him from behind.

Fox 5 San Diego places the crash near Ashford and Hutton streets, though they apparently mean Ashford and Hatton.

Gallardo was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died, although it’s not clear just when he passed away.

The driver fled the scene.

Witnesses report hearing a loud collision, which suggests that speed may have been a factor. However, there’s no description of the driver or suspect vehicle at this time.

Bledsoe describes her brother as a happy, funny person, who worked in construction and loved soccer, cooking and his 16-year old son.

According to 10 News San Diego, she can’t understand how anyone could just leave him like that.

“If you do that, you have no heart and no soul. I don’t know how someone can go to bed at night and sleep, thinking about this,” Estefania said.

Despite her grief, Estefania said she is not giving up hope that someone will come forward with information.

“I still have hope. I believe good people are out there that know something. I’m not going to stop until I know who it was,” Estefania said.

We can hope.

A crowdfunding campaign to help defray funeral expenses and carry Gallardo’s ashes to his mother in West Virginia and his father in the Magallanes region of Chile has raised 65% of the approximately $4,000 goal.

This the 22nd bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the fourth in San Diego County.

That means a SoCal bike rider has been killed an average of every three-and-a-third days since the first of this awful year.

Seven of those deaths have now involved hit-and-run drivers.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Andrés Gallardo and his family and loved ones. 

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

Update: 73-year old woman dies after apparent right-hook hit-and-run in Koreatown Monday; suspected DUI driver arrested

March 14, 2026 / / No comments

Seriously, this has got to stop.

For the fourth time just this week, someone has died riding a bicycle in Southern California.

Multiple sources are reporting that a 73-year old woman was killed by the driver of a pickup in a Koreatown crosswalk Monday morning.

The driver stopped briefly, then backed up and fled the scene.

The crash occurred around 6:40 am at Olympic Blvd and Vermont Ave, as the pickup was headed east on Olympic. The driver attempted to turn right onto Vermont, and apparently right hooked the victim as she rode east across Vermont.

Although that part isn’t exactly clear, because the reports say she was in the crosswalk on Olympic when she was struck; only My News LA says she was headed east, which would put her in the crosswalk on Vermont.

The driver stopped for a moment, then backed up onto Olympic and fled east.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was taken to a hospital, where she died sometime later.

Police found a white Dodge Ram pickup matching the description of the suspect vehicle nearby and took the driver into custody. Investigators note that drug use “may” have played a role in the crash, though it’s unknown if alcohol may have also been a factor.

The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call detectives with the LAPD’s West Traffic Division at 213/473-0234 or 1-877/527-3247.

This the 21st bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the ninth already in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fourth we know about in the City of Los Angeles.

Six of those SoCal deaths have involved hit-and-run drivers.

Update: The victim has been identified as 73-year old Kum Soon Lee-Kim. 

However, someone should tell My News LA that once a driver flees the scene, it’s not a “suspected” hit-and-run driver, it is a hit-and-run. The driver is only suspected once they’re accused.

However, there also seems to be some question whether the accused driver was taken into custody; KTLA-5 says an arrest was made, but My News LA says police are still looking for the driver, with the usual standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles. 

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

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

25-year old Costa Mesa man dies over a month after being bitten by a rattlesnake while mountain biking in Irvine

March 12, 2026 / / No comments

Heartbreaking news from Irvine, where a man was killed while mountain biking.

From a snakebite.

KABC-7 reports that 25-year old Costa Mesa resident Julian Hernandez was riding on the Quail Hill Trail in Irvine on Sunday, February 1st, when he stopped to wait for a friend near the Quail Hill Community Center.

He lost his balance when he tried to adjust his shoe, fell into some brush and was bitten on the leg by a rattlesnake.

A report by KTLA-5 places the time of the bite at around 11 am.

Hernandez died in the hospital on March 4th, after falling into a coma and spending more than a month in intensive care.

He may have tried riding for help, according to KNBC-4. Even if he didn’t ride after the bite, the exertion of mountain biking could have caused the venom to spread faster.

However, a crowdfunding page put up by his family tells a slightly different story.

They say he was mountain biking with his dad when he stepped aside to let others pass on the trail, and was bitten by the snake.

According to the crowdfunding page,

We are a family that handed our son over to people we trusted and never got him back. Please help spread the word and the love of my brother, who was cherished by so many, and who impacted even more people than we can imagine. Raising these funds will help cover the costs of hospital fees, his memorial service, and any additional financial strain that arises from this ongoing situation.

Julian was a leader in his community. He was a son, a brother, a loving boyfriend, and a friend to everyone. We will pursue the truth about what happened to Julian and we will stand up for him. This is not about anger. This is about accountability. This is about making sure the next family that walks through those doors doesn’t live our nightmare. Julian loved hard, laughed loud, and made everyone around him feel like they mattered. He deserved better. Please help us fight for him.

It sounds like they are blaming the hospital or the physicians who cared for him for Hernandez’ death.

As of this writing, the page has raised more than $28,000 of the $123,000 goal.

The CDC reports that only around five of the 7,000 to 8,000 people bitten by venomous snakes each year end up dying.

Whatever the reason, he was one of us, and his death serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers of mountain biking, and the need to always be on the lookout for unexpected risks on any trail.

Even one close to the city.

This the 20th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year; it also appears to be the first in Orange County.

And yes, it’s the first death by snakebite in the nearly 20 years I’ve been doing this.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Julian Hernandez and all his family and loved ones. 

Thanks to Megan for the heads-up. 

Photo by Pixabay.

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

Update: 67-year old man on bike killed by driver of Santa Clarita bus in Castaic Wednesday morning; 19th SoCal bike death this year

March 11, 2026 / / No comments

Seriously, this has got to stop.

For the 19th time in just 70 days, someone riding a bicycle has been killed on the mean streets of Southern California.

This time in Castaic Wednesday morning.

Multiple sources report that a man was struck and killed by the driver of a Santa Clarita city bus at Green Hill Drive and Pinto Place around 7:30 am.

The victim, identified only as 67-year old man, was dead at the scene by the time emergency personnel arrived.

Of course, the CHP was quick to blame on him for possibly drifting into the path of the bus.

Which also means it’s possible he didn’t.

The driver of the Santa Clarita Transit bus appears to be the only witness to the crash, since the only passenger on the bus left before investigators arrived.

In the absence of any independent witnesses, it will be up to CHP investigators to determine what actually happened. And investigating bicycle crashes is not exactly their strong point.

As noted above, this the 19th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the eighth in Los Angeles County.

That means a bike rider has been killed in SoCal roughly every three-and-a-half days since the first of the year. And less than once every nine days in LA County.

The victim has been identified as 67-year old Castaic resident Hahn Truong.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Hahn Truong and his loved ones.

Thanks to Henry for the heads-up. 

 

 

 

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

Update: Man riding bicycle killed after allegedly running red light in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood early Tuesday

March 10, 2026 / / No comments

For the second time already this year, someone has been killed riding a bicycle in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood.

But at least this time, it wasn’t a little kid.

According to multiple sources, a man was killed after allegedly riding his bike in front of an oncoming car early Tuesday morning.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding south on Fanuel Street at Grand Ave shortly before 1 am, when he attempted to turn right onto Grand and was struck by the westbound driver.

He died at the scene.

There are sharrows on Grand, which could have given him an illusion of safety.

However, there’s no explanation at this time why he turned in front on the oncoming motorist, although it’s possible that he may have gone into the traffic lane to avoid parked cars in the residential neighborhood.

Police said that alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-888/580-8477; it’s not clear why they don’t want people to call the police directly.

This the 18th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the third in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 60-year old Jamison Kimbrough. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jamison Kimbrough and his loved ones.

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

52-year old man dies 19 days after February 10 ebike crash in Oceanside; 17th SoCal bike death already this year

March 3, 2026 / / No comments

Sigh.

A few weeks ago, we mentioned in passing that Oceanside police found a 52-year old man lying in the roadway next to an ebike after midnight, suffering from severe upper body injuries.

Today, we got the sad news that he didn’t make it.

According to The Coast News (scroll down), the victim, identified as Oceanside resident Scott Weiler, died 19 days after he was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.

Apparently, Weiler somehow lost control of his ebike and crashed into a light pole near Coast Highway and Seagaze Drive sometime before 12:11 am on Wednesday, February 11th.

Although The Coast News oddly places the crash shortly after noon the day before.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on what kind of ebike Weiler was riding, so we don’t know if it was a ped-assist bike or an e-moto. But either way, his death is no less tragic.

This the 17th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the second in San Diego County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Scott Weiler and his loved ones.

 

Facebook post from the Oceanside Police Department

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Man riding ebike against traffic killed in head-on Oxnard crash, hit-and-run; the first driver stayed, while second fled

February 23, 2026 / / 3 comments

This year just keeps getting worse.

As of this weekend, 15 people had already lost their lives riding a bicycle in Southern California this year.

Now you can add yet another victim to that grim list. This time in Oxnard, where a 40-year old man was killed riding an ebike.

And this time only one of the two drivers involved bothered to stick around afterwards.

According to a press release from the Oxnard Police Department, the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was apparently riding north on the southbound side of Saviers Road near Guava Street around 6:23 pm Sunday when he was struck head-on by a 67-year old pickup driver traveling in the right lane.

That driver stopped after the crash. Police do not believe he was speeding or under the influence

The victim was knocked off his bike by the impact, landing in the next lane, where he was run over by a driver in an SUV. That person continued without stopping, dragging the ebike under their car.

The second driver stopped about a block away to dislodged the ebike from underneath the SUV, then got back in and continued driving south on Saviers. There’s no description at this time of that driver or the suspect SUV.

The victim died at the scene.

It’s not clear from the limited description whether he was riding in the bike lane when he was struck by the first driver, or if he was in the traffic lane next to it.

It’s also not clear whether he was actually riding a ped-assist or throttle-controlled bicycle, or if he was riding e-motorbike or a non-street legal electric dirt bike.

That’s an ongoing problem when anything with two wheels and an electric motor is called an ebike, regardless of how fast or powerful it is.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Oxnard Police Officer Daniel Diaz Sanchez at 805/385-7750, or email daniel.diaz-sanchez@oxnardpd.org, especially after hours. Or you can call the Oxnard Police Department at 805/385-7600.

This the 16th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the second in Ventura County; both were in Oxnard.

Five of those deaths have now involved hit-and-run drivers.

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

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

Update: Man riding bicycle killed in Hesperia collision, possibly involving two drivers; 15th SoCal bike death already this year

February 21, 2026 / / No comments

At least this time the driver stuck around.

Both of them, apparently.

According to the Victor Valley Daily Press, a man riding a bicycle was killed when he was struck by a driver in Hesperia early Friday.

The paper places the collision at Highway 395 and Joshua Street, a little before 5:30 am. The victim, described only as an adult male, died at the scene.

The Victor Valley News Group reports there were two vehicles at the scene, both with visible front end damage, a 2014 Toyota Camry and a 2021 Subaru Forester.

It’s possible he may have been knocked off his bike by one driver, and struck again by the second.

A photo from the scene shows a mangled blue bicycle resting on the side of the road, with what appears to be a backpack in the middle of the roadway. The bike is facing against traffic, but that could be a result of the impact, or it could have been moved following the crash.

The intersection is controlled by a red light. Lining up a street view with a directional sign in the background of one photo, it appears the crash occurred on northbound 395 just past Joshua. Both drivers look to have been traveling in the same direction.

A statement provided by the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department explained the collision remained under investigation, and “The involved parties remained on scene and are cooperating with investigators.”

With one notable exception.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Hesperia Police Department at  760/947-1500, or call the We-Tip hotline anonymously at 800/782-7463.

This the 15th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the second in San Bernardino County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 48-year old Victorville resident John Hewitt.

The Victor Valley News Group confirms that Hewitt was stuck by two separate drivers.

According to a statement from investigators,

“Preliminary findings indicated that while Hewitt was riding his bicycle he was struck by a driver of a Subaru,” the statement said. “The impact knocked the cyclist off his bicycle and onto the ground. While the man was on the ground, he was subsequently struck by a driver of a Toyota Camry.”

Both drivers remained at the scene.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for John Hewitt and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,
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