Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

27-year old bike rider killed early Friday in Colton hit-and-run; 13th SoCal bike death in last 30 days

February 9, 2026 / / No comments

It’s happened yet again.

For the 13th time in 30 days, someone riding a bicycle has been killed in Southern California. And once again, the victim was murdered by a hit-and-run driver.

This time in Colton.

According to KTLA-5, which has the most detailed report, the victim was struck while riding at Riverside Ave and Key Street around 4 am Friday.

The victim, identified as 27-year old Colton resident Sinahi Moises Garcia, was pronounced dead at the scene. It’s not clear if Garcia was a man or a woman, though Sinahi is usually a feminine name.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or whether Garcia had lights on their bike in the predawn hour. Then again, we have no way of knowing if the driver was using their lights, either.

There’s also no information on where Garcia and the driver were positioned on the three-way intersection, which is controlled only by a stop sign on Key. There appears to be a bike lane on Riverside, which has the kind of wide, straight traffic lanes that encourage speeding, particularly at that hour.

Police do not appear to have a description of the suspect or their vehicle, or which way they fled.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Colton Police Officer A. Jacobson at 909/370-5000, or ajacobson@coltonca.gov. Anonymous tips can be submitted to We-Tip at 1-800/782-7463, or via wetip.com.

This the 13th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and it appears to be the first in San Bernardino County,

Four of the SoCal deaths involved hit-and-run drivers..

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Sinahi Moises Garcia and their loved ones.

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

Man dies mountain biking near La Tuna Foot Trail in remote section of Shadow Hills; 12th SoCal bike death in 30 days

February 8, 2026 / / No comments

Make that 12.

Just hours after learning about the 11th bicycling death in Southern California in just the last 30 days, we learned that yet another person has lost his life riding a bicycle.

This time in Los Angeles County. Although it’s not exactly clear how or why.

Multiple sources are reporting that a man was found next to his mountain bike in severe medical distress, in a remote section of Shadow Hills above Burbank Sunday morning.

Aeromedics were dispatched at 10:44 am, and lowered by helicopter after locating the man near the La Tuna Foot Trail, and immediately began lifesaving efforts. Additional personnel from the Los Angeles and Burbank Fire Departments hiked in and travelled by Jeep to reach the scene.

However, despite their efforts, the victim was declared dead at 11:38.

There’s no word at this time whether victim’s medical condition was caused by a fall or natural causes, or due to some other factor. It’s also possible his death could have been due to natural causes brought on by mountain biking.

He was publicly identified only as a man around 50.

The scene was turned over to law enforcement for further investigation.

This the 12th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and remarkably, already the seventh in Los Angeles County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Woman riding bicycle killhttps://bikinginla.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=60990&action=edit&nginx_helper_action=purge&nginx_helper_urls=all&_wpnonce=205fa33244ed by speeding hit-and-run driver in Long Beach; 11th SoCal bike rider killed in last 4 weeks

February 8, 2026 / / No comments

This is getting really old.

For the 11th time in the past 30 days — okay, 28 — someone has been killed riding a bicycle on the mean streets of Southern California.

And once again, the victim was murdered by a hit-and-run driver.

According to the Long Beach Police Department, a woman riding a bicycle was mowed down by a motorist who ran a stop sign in broad daylight, then just kept running.

The crash occurred at 4:48 pm Saturday — about 45 minutes before sunset — at Redondo Avenue and East 2nd Street.

Police report the victim was riding south on Redondo when the driver blew through the stop sign on westbound 2nd at a high rate of speed, striking her, then continuing west on 2nd without stopping.

When police arrived, they found the woman, who has not been publicly identified, being tended to by a bystander who had stopped to help. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died.

Authorities are looking for the driver of a 2025 gray Hyundai Sonata; there’s no description of the driver at this time.

Long Beach Watchdog reports she was the fifth person killed as a result of traffic violence in the city already this year, two of the dead were on bikes.

According to the Long Beach Post,

Fatal traffic collisions have been a growing problem in Long Beach despite the city promising it would try to eliminate them completely by 2026. Last year, there were 53 deadly crashes in the city. Most people killed were outside a car: walking, biking or riding an e-scooter.

Long Beach’s strategy is to force drivers to slow down, but the city has faced criticism for moving too slowly on some tactics, such as installing automated speed cameras.

Anyone with information is urged to call LBPD Collision Investigation Detail Detective Edwin Paredes at 562/570-7110, or anonymously through LA Crime Stoppers at 1-800/222-TIPS (8477).

This the 11th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the sixth in Los Angeles County; three of those SoCal deaths were caused by hit-and-run drivers.

Update: The victim has been identified as 54-year old Long Beach resident Lori Ann Carreon, a beloved local occupational therapist who worked with school-age children.

She was just one block from her home when she was killed. 

Forty-year old Christopher Bryant of Los Angeles turned himself in on Wednesday, admitting that he was the driver who fled after killing Carreon.

He was booked on $50,000 bond on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run involving death and reckless driving.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Lori Ann Carreon and her loved ones. 

Thanks to Chris and Danny for the heads-up. 

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

40-year old man killed by truck driver while crossing Hemet street on his bicycle Sunday evening

February 3, 2026 / / 3 comments

This week just keeps getting worse.

As if the death of a ebike-riding woman and her unborn baby in Playa del Rey wasn’t bad enough, now we’re learning that a man was killed by a delivery truck driver while riding his bike in Hemet on Sunday.

According to Valley News, the victim was hit with the truck while attempting to cross Florida Ave and Hamilton Ave at 6:49 pm.

He was reportedly attempting to cross Florida on Hamilton when he allegedly rode out in front of the westbound truck.

A Hemet cop on patrol witnessed the immediate aftermath of the crash, and attempted to perform life-saving measures on the victim, who was identified later as 40-year old Hemet resident Ricardo Olvera Hernandez.

He died at the scene.

The driver remained after the crash and cooperated with investigators, who do not believe he was under the influence.

A street view shows the intersection is controlled only by a two-way stop sign on Hamilton, with no bike infrastructure on either street.

The story doesn’t say which direction Hernandez was riding, but it’s possible he just didn’t make it across the five lane street before the truck caught up with him.

Anyone with information is urged to call Hemet Police Corporal Coley at 951/765-2400, file #2026-00837.

This the tenth bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the second in Riverside County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Ricardo Olvera Hernandez and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: 36-year old woman and unborn baby killed riding ebike on Pershing Drive in Playa del Rey, where bike lanes removed in 2017

February 2, 2026 / / 10 comments

Apparently, last month isn’t done with us yet. And it ends with perhaps the worst news of all.

After a month that had already seen seven people lose their lives riding a bicycle in Southern California, you can add two more to the tragic toll.

And one wasn’t even born yet.

According to a crowdfunding campaign, 36-year old Regan Cole-Graham died after being struck by a driver while riding a bicycle with her husband and two kids this past Saturday.

She was seven months pregnant.

Her unborn daughter survived another day before dying in the NICU at UCLA Children’s Hospital on Sunday.

What appears to be an AI generated site offers information that appears to come from the police report, placing the crash around 6 pm on Pershing Drive in Playa del Rey. A mobile app places it around the corner at 451 E. Manchester Ave at 6:02 pm.

Meanwhile a witness on Reddit says the crash occurred directly in front of the Hacienda Playa restaurant on Pershing.

According to the AI site above, Cole-Graham was pronounced dead on arrival after being taken to a hospital.

There’s no details on how the crash occurred, though the same site says she was riding an ebike. The driver remained at the scene.

Sadly, that’s exactly where bike lanes were installed in 2017 after a years-long community process, only to be removed following complaints from drivers used to zooming along the street.

It’s impossible to know whether this tragedy could have been prevented if the bike lanes were still there. But their removal will almost certainly mean Los Angeles will be liable for her death.

The GoFundMe describes Cole-Graham as “…a loving & devoted wife, a fierce & joyful mother, a hilarious & loyal sister, and a beautiful, fiery daughter.”

As of this writing, the site has raised more than $134,000 to pay for funeral expenses and help her husband and kids with their future, while the goal has been raised to $210,000.

These are the eighth and ninth bicycling fatalities that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, the fourth and fifth in Los Angeles County, and the second and third reported in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: At least now we know what happened.

According to Fox-11, Regan Cole-Graham and her husband were both riding ebikes, with their two sons strapped into the child seats on their bikes. And yes, they were all wearing helmets.

Not that it would have helped under the circumstances.

An 87-year old driver ran down Cole-Graham from behind, knocking her into the street, where he ran over her with his sedan. Her three-year old son remained strapped into his seat as the car pushed her bike down the street, suffering minor injuries.

The driver remained at the scene; police do not think he was under the influence.

According to CBS News,

Yuda Zweda witnessed the incident and says that she briefly spoke with the man afterwards.

“The only thing he really said, ‘Please pray that she survives,'” Zweda said.

People who live in the area say that the intersection is dimly lit and dangerous for pedestrians.

“They put in some speed bumps down there and flashing lights, but I still just don’t think people seem to notice,” said one resident.

Ashley Saglie, described as a friend of the victim, expounded on that.

“I think a lot needs to change. I think there needs to be better lighting, I think there needs to be an expanded bike path,” Saglie said.

Never mind that there was a briefly bike lane on Pershing Drive, right where the crash happened, less than nine years earlier.

According to the California Post, the new West Coast edition of Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, Cole-Graham was an executive with Google’s LA office.

Cole-Graham had worked for Google in Los Angeles since 2019, where she served as Consumer Marketing Lead and later Brand Partnerships Lead and orchestrated a multi-million dollar partnership with Live Nation among other deals, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Before that, she worked as a Senior Product Marketing Manager for AT&T and marketing manager at DirecTV, where her father also worked as an executive and helped her get her first job after she graduated from San Diego State University, her family’s lawyer said.

According to the Post, her husband described her as an “amazing wife” and “the world’s best mother.”

Brian Breiter, the attorney for the family, commented on the tragedy, as well as questioning why the man who hit her was still driving.

This is the hardest time anyone could imagine, and I just want them to be together. Imagine a three year old little boy and an 18 month old child witnessing that?” Breiter continued.

“And then, of course, their unborn sister, who survived in the NICU but unfortunately didn’t make it.”

Breiter said he’s reviewed horrific footage showing the crash, which remains under investigation by authorities.

He noted the driver’s age at that “at some point it times to take the keys away” from some people.

Which is exactly why I keep bringing it up.

Meanwhile, the crowdfunding page for her husband and sons has raised nearly $200,000 of the $210,000 goal.

Update 2: Cole-Graham’s husband has been identified as Matthew Graham, a writer for Sports Illustrated, who was also one of the founders of USA Today’s For The Win. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Regan Cole-Graham, her unborn baby, and all their family and loves ones. 

Thanks to Joe, Richard, Oren and Madeline for their help in piecing this together. 

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

Bike rider in his 40s killed by hit-and-run driver in Boyle Heights Thursday morning; 7th SoCal bike death this month

January 29, 2026 / / No comments

Once again, someone riding a bicycle has been murdered by a hit-and-run driver.

And as usual, we know almost nothing about the crash.

Sources are reporting that the victim was struck while crossing the street at 7th Street and Boyle Ave in Boyle Heights around 5:20 this morning.

The victim, publicly identified only as a man in his 40s, died at the scene, after the driver left him to die alone in the street.

There’s no other information on how the crash occurred, including which street the victim was crossing. Given the circumstances, unless police find a witness or security cam video, that may be all we ever know.

There’s also no information about the driver or suspect vehicle at this time.

A street view shows the intersection is controlled by a traffic signal with crosswalks in each direction, though there doesn’t appear to be any bike infrastructure on either street.

There’s a posted 25 mph speed limit on 7th, while Google AI reports a 35 mph speed limit on Boyle. Although at that hour, it’s likely the driver was exceeding whatever the posted limit is.

Anyone with information is urged to contact LAPD’s Central Traffic Division.

This is the seventh bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California already this year, and the third in Los Angeles County; it’s also the first reported in the City of Los Angeles.

Hit-and-run drivers have been responsible for two of those SoCal deaths this year. Nineteen of the of the 55 reported bicycling deaths last year involved hit-and-run drivers.

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

Thanks to Danny for the heads-up. 

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

UPDATE: 23-year old man riding bicycle killed by 79-year old driver last night, on “notorious” Oxnard roadway

January 22, 2026 / / 7 comments

Once again, we have to ask ourselves how old is too old to drive.

Because a 79-year old Oxnard driver somehow killed a man riding a bicycle directly ahead of her, on a dark roadway “notorious” for crashes involving bike riders and pedestrians.

According to the Ventura County Star, the victim, identified only as a 23-year old man, was riding on Wooley Road near Industrial Ave when he was run down from behind around 6:30 pm Wednesday.

Police found the victim lying in the eastbound lanes of Wooley, suffering from major injuries. RMG News reports he was taken to a local hospital, but died in transport.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The grill of her massive older SUV showed damage to the center of the grill, suggesting the victim was right in front of her in center of the lane.

Video showed the victim’s red road bike crumpled on the side of the roadway. There are no lights visible on his bicycle in the video. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean he didn’t have any, either on him or on his bike.

RMG News describes that stretch of Wooley Road as known for “being poorly lit and the site of multiple past collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists.”

So the question remains why she couldn’t avoid someone who, at the very least, should been clearly lit up by her headlights.

We have no way of knowing whether her age was a factor in the crash. It’s possible it could have affected her ability to see the victim on the dark street, or reduced her ability to react in time.

Which is exactly the problem.

Due to limited testing of elderly drivers, we have no way of knowing who can operate their vehicles safely, day or night — and who can’t.

Or who shouldn’t be driving at all.

There’s also a question of why a street known to be hazardous for people walking and biking hasn’t been improved, or at least lighted well enough to prevent crashes.

We’re not likely to get the answers. But those are questions any lawyer will undoubtedly ask.

This is the fifth bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California this year, and the first in Ventura County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 23-year old Port Hueneme resident Jacob Dildine.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jacob Dildine and his loved ones. 

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

Update: 6-year old boy riding bike with parents killed by hit-and-run driver in San Diego’s Pacific Beach; 32-year old woman arrested

January 18, 2026 / / One comment

Dear God, no.

For the third time in three days, someone has been killed riding a bicycle here in Southern California.

This time, it was just a little kid, murdered by a hit-and-run driver.

Multiple sources are reporting that a six-year old boy was killed when he was first hit, then run over by a woman while riding his bike in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood Saturday afternoon.

The victim, identified as Hudson Stephen O’Loughlin, was riding his bicycle with his parents on the sidewalk on the south side of Pacific Beach Drive around 3:44 pm, when he was right hooked by a driver as he crossed the alley at Ingraham Street.

The driver was turning right off Pacific Beach into the alley when she struck the boy, knocking him off his bike. She paused briefly without exiting her car, then accelerated south down the alley, running over Hudson as he lay on the ground in front of her car.

He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver, identified only as a 32-year old woman, was taken into custody after police located her car in National City.

Investigators said alcohol was not a factor in the crash, which does not make it better.

Especially considering that the boy might still be alive if she had just gotten out of her car and seen him there. Or even backed up instead of speeding forward.

Even worse, it’s likely that both his parents witnessed the crash that killed their son, according to 10 News San Diego.

Hudson’s mother, Juliana Kapovich, described her son over the phone as everything she could imagine – a fearless, confident child who was full of life. She said he loved his brother and science.

Kapovich said she and Hudson’s father were with him when he was riding his bike Saturday. Police say Hudson was hit and then run over by a car turning into a nearby alley.

A crowdfunding campaign describes the boy as a bright light taken too soon.

Hudson was a bright, curious child who loved all things science, and his energy was contagious. He filled every room with his spirit and had a passion for BMX, cycling, swimming, skating, and building with Legos. Whether he was racing on his bike, splashing in the pool, or creating new Lego masterpieces, Hudson’s adventurous and creative nature inspired everyone around him. Hudson attended school in North Park where he made many friends and touched countless lives. Hudson dreamed of becoming a military scientist one day, and his love for learning was matched only by his love for his family. In his short life, he brought so much joy, kindness, and wonder to everyone he met. One of the sweetest memories his mom holds close is how, as soon as the sun came up, Hudson would come into her room to ask for cuddles. Those quiet, loving moments were a daily reminder of the deep bond they shared.

As of this time, the page has raised more than $35,000 of the $100,000 goal.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the San Diego Police Department Traffic Division or Crime Stoppers at 888/580-8477.

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

There’s just no excuse.

Update: The driver has been identified as 32-year-old Tiffany Sanchez. She was booked on charges of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run.

However, San Diego’s NBC7 reports Sanchez did not appear to be in police custody Monday, and it wasn’t clear if she had posted bail was posted or been released.

Fox 5 San Diego quotes Hudson’s father, Matthew O’Loughlin, describing how the crash happened. 

“My son is behind me, my other son and wife are about 10 feet behind us,” Matthew described. “No cars, I cross over, I’m fine…I look back to check on him and the lady just runs him over.”

He said his instinct was to capture the driver’s license plate…

“She ran him over taking off with no disregard for anybody, you wouldn’t even do that to an animal, she just left him die on the street,” Matthew said. “She just left.”

The UK’s Daily Mail offers a few more details about the crash. 

David Morrow, who was driving behind the woman at the time, recalled seeing her ‘cut right into the alley’ before running Hudson over ‘twice,’ he told the outlet.

‘Like, both wheels ran over the kid. She stopped right in front for about ten seconds. That’s when I pulled behind her and got her license number, and then she took off,’ Morrow added.

He noted that a bystander, who was possibly a paramedic, jumped in to help Hudson.

‘He got up at first and was standing there all in pain, and then they laid him down, and he stopped breathing right in front of me,’ Morrow said of Hudson. ‘It was sad, and then I left.’

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Hudson Stephen O’Loughlin and his loved ones. 

Photos from Go Fund Me page

 

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

Update: Man riding an ebike killed, apparently by hitting a median in solo Long Beach crash

January 17, 2026 / / No comments

A man was apparently killed riding an ebike in Long Beach Friday night.

Apparently, because the victim was found lying unresponsive on the center median of Artesia Blvd.

And because it’s not clear what kind of electric bike he was riding, or how it happened.

According to My News LA, police responded to reports of an unconscious man in the median on Artesia Blvd near Indiana Ave around 9:40 pm.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, the victim, who was not publicly identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators speculated that he somehow lost control of his ebike while riding in the left lane and hit the median, and was thrown from his bike.

The belief that he was riding in the left lane and hit the curb with enough force to cause his death suggests he may have been riding an electric motorbike or dirt bike, rather than a bicycle.

However, it’s also possible that he was on a ped-assist bike, and may have been forced into the median by a motorist or hit a pothole.

With the limited information available, all we can do is speculate. Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

This is the third bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California this year, and the third in Los Angeles County.

Update: The victim was identified as Robert Neal, but no age or city of residence was given. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Robert Neal and his loved ones. 

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

Watts bike rider killed in collision with Metro bus driver Friday afternoon; Metro immediately blames the victim

January 17, 2026 / / One comment

Someone riding a bicycle was killed by the driver of a Metro bus in Watts Friday afternoon.

Yet all we know about the victim is that Metro didn’t waste time blaming them for the crash.

According to KTLA-5, the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was stuck by the bus at Compton Ave and East Imperial Highway around 4:30 pm.

According to Metro, the bus was traveling south on Compton, when the bike rider allegedly ran the red light while apparently riding on Imperial Highway.

The victim was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. Metro expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the victim.

A photo from the scene shows the victim’s bike wedged underneath the bus. There doesn’t appear to be bicycle infrastructure in any direction.

As usual with collisions in unincorporated Los Angeles County, the crash will be investigated by the CHP. There should be video from the bus to determine what actually happened, and whether the victim actually ran the red light, or if something else may have caused or contributed to the crash.

Which is not to say that the victim didn’t run the red light. But Metro has an inherent interest in saying their driver wasn’t at fault.

This is just the second bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California this year, as well as the second in Los Angeles County.

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

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