Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

Update: 37-year old man killed in head-on crash, riding bicycle on wrong side of Stunt Road in Calabasas Saturday morning

June 14, 2025 / / 6 comments

My News LA is reporting that a man was killed riding a bicycle in Calabasas Saturday morning.

The victim, identified as 37-year old Marvin Cortez, was struck by a 25-year old Calabasas man while riding on the wrong side of Stunt Road, south of Mulholland Highway, around 9:25 am.

Cortez was reportedly riding north in the southbound lane when the driver rounded a blind curve, and crashed into him head-on.

He was taken to a hospital, but died in the ambulance before he arrived.

Stunt Road is a popular route for road cyclists in the hills between Malibu and Calabasas; it’s possible Cortez cut the corner while descending, and was in the wrong spot at the wrong time.

There appears to be some confusion about he is from. The story leads off by calling Cortez a Los Angeles man, but concludes by saying the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner did not disclose his city of residence.

This is at least the 18th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Update: BikeLanesLA casts doubt on the initial reports, pointing out that it’s unlikely Cortez would have crossed the rumble strips at the center of the roadway. 

Update 2: A crowdfunding campaign has been established to raise funds to help pay memorial expenses for Cortez. As of this writing, it has raised over $27,000 of the $35,000 goal.

Here is how Melanie Gideon, who established the campaign, describes him.

Marv found his greatest joy in the simple, beautiful things—riding his bike like the world depended on it, sharing quiet moments with those he loved, and making everyone around him feel seen, heard, and cherished. Whether it was through his endless jokes, his goofy grin, or the calm comfort of his silent presence, he had a rare gift: he made life feel lighter, even on the heaviest days.

He was the small, funny guy in the room—the one whose energy made everyone feel at home. He didn’t need the spotlight to shine; he was the reason the room was warm in the first place. Marv was the kind of friend who’d sit with you for hours, say nothing, and still make you feel more whole just by being there. He always showed up—reliably, gently, and fully himself.

And he found his greatest love in Johanna. Their time together was filled with deep connection, laughter, and shared joy. It was a love that grounded him and made his vibrant spirit even brighter.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Marvin Cortez and all his loved ones. 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , ,

Man killed riding bicycle across Escondido roadway, fifth bicycling death in San Diego County this year

June 8, 2025 / / One comment

A man was killed riding a bicycle in Escondido Saturday night.

Which is almost all we know right now.

According to the Escondido Police Department, the victim was crossing East Valley Parkway, approximately 100 feet west of Ash Street, around 9:10 pm last night, when he was struck by the driver of a Honda Accord traveling west on Valley Parkway.

The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, who don’t suspect the driver was under the influence.

Unfortunately, that’s all the information we have at this time. Nothing on how or why the crash happened, or anything else about the victim.

There’s also no word on why the victim was crossing the road. However, there are a number of fast food restaurants located on either side of the block that he could have crossing to or from.

Hopefully we’ll learn more soon.

Anyone with information is urged to call Escondido Police Officer Adam Ayres at 760/839-4714.

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

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Update: 30-something man on bicycle killed by hit-and-run driver in South LA; nearly 1/3 of SoCal bike deaths this year hit-and-runs

June 2, 2025 / / No comments

Once again, someone on a bicycle in Los Angeles has been left to die alone in the street by a heartless coward.

But for a change, we actually learned about it the next day.

According to multiple sources, the victim was run down from behind while riding west on East Century Boulevard near San Pedro Street, in the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood of South LA, around 11 pm Sunday.

The victim, identified only as a man in his mid-30s, died at the scene, his mangled yellow road bike lying nearby in the crosswalk.

Unfortunately, security video was too blurry to provide a description of the suspect vehicle or driver, and there doesn’t appear to be any immediate witnesses.

Google Maps shows a bike lane on the west side of San Pedro, but none on the east, where the crash appears to have occurred.

Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD South Traffic Division at 323/421-2500, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 800/222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.

As always, there is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of LA.

This is at least the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, the fourth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County, and just the second we’ve learned about in the City of Los Angeles — which is likely a dramatic undercount.

This is also at least the fifth bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver in Southern California this year.

Update: The victim has been identified as 34-year old Jose Villalobos.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Villalobos and his loved ones.

Thanks to Jeffrey for the heads-up. 

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

50-year old man killed in apparent mountain biking fall in San Diego’s Mission Trails Regional Park

May 20, 2025 / / No comments

Tragic news from San Diego, where a 50-year old man died after apparently falling on a mountain bike trail in Mission Trails Regional Park.

According to San Diego’s 10 News, the victim, who hasn’t been publicly named, was discovered by a married couple lying badly injured near the Mission Trails Rim Trailhead around 6:32 pm Monday.

He was bleeding from the nose and mouth when the woman, identified as Claire Viriyavong, moved his hand to perform CPR.

But despite their efforts, and the efforts of first responders, he was declared dead before being moved from the trail.

He was found near a rock, and an SDFD battalion chief said he appeared to have landed face down, suffered traumatic injuries despite wearing a helmet and other protective gear.

Which is yet another sad reminder that nothing offers complete protection.

This is at least the 15th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

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

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

Update: Man riding bicycle killed in collision Friday in Baldwin Park industrial area; just the 3rd bike death reported in LA County this year

May 17, 2025 / / No comments

A man riding a bicycle was killed in Baldwin Park Friday morning.

Something we might not know about if it wasn’t for a single report from a local news source.

Which is one more than we usually get these days, unfortunately.

According to Baldwin Park News, the victim, identified only as a man in his 50s, was struck by a driver at Live Oak and Stewart avenues in Baldwin Park around 4:56 pm.

Despite the efforts of police and paramedics, he died at the scene.

The driver stayed at the scene, and police don’t suspect they were under the influence. Which isn’t surprising given the hour and industrial area surrounding the crash site.

There’s no word yet on how the crash occurred, or whether the victim had lights on his bike more than an hour before sunrise.

This was at least the 14th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and just the third that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Which either means this is the county’s best year on record, or there are a lot of crashes we’re just not hearing about.

I’d put my money on the latter.

Update: Baldwin Park News — which is still the only source to report on the crash — reports the victim has been identified as 55-year-old David Conteras, after notification of next of kin.

The paper also reports the driver left the scene, and police spotted the damaged pickup about a mile from the crash site.

There’s no explanation for why that wasn’t considered a hit-and-run.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for David Conteras and his loved ones. 

Thanks to dangheck.bsky.social for the heads-up. And thanks to Baldwin Park News for reporting and staying on top of this story.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

14-year old boy killed in apparent solo ebike crash in Chino Hills, another teen sharing bike suffered minor injuries

April 10, 2025 / / Comments Off on 14-year old boy killed in apparent solo ebike crash in Chino Hills, another teen sharing bike suffered minor injuries

A teenaged boy was killed in what appears to be a solo ebike crash in Chino Hills Saturday evening, while another suffered minor injuries.

According to a Nixle alert from the San Bernardino Sheriff-Coroner, the kids, who have not been publicly identified, apparently crashed the electric bicycle they were sharing around 5:25 pm at Rock Springs Drive and Oakland Way.

The crash scene appears to be just past a curve at the base of a hill, on a residential street with bike lanes on either side.

A 14-year old boy died after being taken to Pomona Valley Medical Center. The other person, identified only as a juvenile, was treated at the scene and released.

The brief report says neither kid was wearing a bike helmet, even though that’s required for anyone under 18 riding a bicycle in California, electric or otherwise. However, there’s no suggestion that either teen suffered a head injury.

And yes, the report clearly states they were on a bicycle, rather than some other type of ebike.

This was at least the 12th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

At least four of those victims were riding ebikes.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Ebike rider killed by heartless hit-and-run driver in San Diego’s Claremont Mesa East neighborhood early Saturday

March 29, 2025 / / 2 comments

Once again, someone on a bicycle has been killed by a heartless hit-and-run driver.

This time in San Diego.

According to multiple, nearly identical stories, a 36-year old man was riding an ebike on the 6900 block of Balboa Ave, in the city’s Claremont Mesa East neighborhood, when he was struck by a driver around 1:30 am.

Police report the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding in the westbound bike lane when he veered left for some unknown reason and was hit by the westbound motorist, who continued without stopping.

He died shortly after being taken to a local hospital.

Video from the scene shows damaged car parts and a Lectric ped-assist bicycle lying in the center of the three through traffic lanes.

The suspect vehicle is described as light-colored 2016-2022 Mercedes Benz E-Class sedan, possibly gray, with likely front-end damage including missing grill and other front-end body parts.

It’s not clear if there was a witness to the crash, or if investigators pieced events together from evidence found following the crash.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Traffic Division of the San Diego Police Department at 858/495-7800, or Crime Stoppers at 888/580-8477. 

This was at least the 11th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

This is also the fourth SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

34-year old Las Vegas man riding ebike dies days after Oceanside hit-and-run; driver left him for passerby to find

March 24, 2025 / / 3 comments

A Las Vegas man has died, three days after a hit-and-run driver left him alone and bleeding on the side of the road.

According to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office, a passerby found 34-year old Jonathan Joseph Akahito Lupola lying near his ebike on the 3100 block of Oceanside Blvd in Oceanside, on Saturday, March 15th, suffering from multiple major injuries.

Despite the efforts of first responders and medical personnel, Lupola’s condition continued to decline, and he was disconnected from life support on Tuesday, March 18th, with his wife at his side, and his organs donated.

There’s no description of the suspect vehicle at this time; a crowdfunding page put up by Lupola’s aunt says the driver was doing an estimated 65 mph in a 35 mph zone.

Although you’d think a crash at that speed would have left debris that could identify the vehicle, unless the driver stopped to pick it up.

The crowdfunding campaign has raised a little over $1,400 of the modest $2,000 goal to transport his body and pay funeral expenses. Lupito’s aunt is also donating proceeds from her food truck in Hawaii.

Note: A comment below from a man identifying himself as Lupito’s uncle says the crowdfunding campaign was not authorized by his family. So maybe hold off donating until I learn more. 

This was at least the tenth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Lupito was also the third SoCal bike rider killed by a hit-and-run driver since the first of the year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jonathan Joseph Akahito Lupola and his loved ones.

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

Man riding bicycle killed by minivan driver in Victorville crash Tuesday night

March 12, 2025 / / Comments Off on Man riding bicycle killed by minivan driver in Victorville crash Tuesday night

It’s been a rough week for bike riders in the Inland Empire.

Just days after a man was killed riding a bicycle in Cabazon, another man was killed by a driver in Victorville Tuesday night.

According to the Victorville News Group, the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was crossing Highway 395 near Luna Road when he was struck by the driver of a minivan around 8:56 pm.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, next to his mangled bike.

A photo of the minivan suggests the victim was struck at a high rate of speed, with significant damage to the front end and windshield. A street view suggests the driver was probably traveling at highway speed.

And yes, the driver remained at the scene.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Victorville Police Department at 760/241-2911.

This was at least the ninth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Update: Road cyclist killed on PCH near Thornhill Broome Beach in Ventura County, another victim of SoCal’s killer highway

February 22, 2025 / / 5 comments

Southern California’s deadliest roadway has claimed another life.

This time in Ventura County. And once again, the victim appears to be a road cyclist.

According to the Ventura County Star, the victim was struck by a motorist while riding in the northbound lanes of Pacific Coast Highway shortly before 11:15 this morning.

They place the crash in Ventura County near the sand dunes south of Thornhill Broome Beach, about 2.4 miles south of Mugu Rock.

Meanwhile, KVTA 1590 places the collision on PCH north of Sycamore Canyon Road at 11:13 am.

The station reports the victim was leading a group of eight other bicyclists on the shoulder of the highway when the rider allegedly made an abrupt turn into the northbound traffic lane, and was hit by a driver traveling at 55 mph.

Ventura County firefighters said someone was performing CPR on the victim when they arrived. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and additional units were called off.

There’s no information yet on the identity of the victim or the driver. And no word on why the victim may have swerved into the traffic lane, or what group the riders may have been associated with, if any.

Despite recent efforts to improve safety, too many people have died, and continue to die, on PCH as a result of traffic violence. And too many of those have been riding bicycles.

This was at least the seventh bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Ventura County.

Update: The victim has been identified only as a 66-year old Los Angeles man, though he has still not been publicly named, while the driver was a 37-year old woman from Malibu, also unnamed.

Update 2: The victim has been identified as 66-year old Los Angeles resident John C. McLaughlin. A comment from Damian Kevitt below says McLaughlin was on a training ride with LA Tri Club when he was killed.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for John C. McLaughlin and all his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries  
Wordpress Theme by ThemeZee