Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

Woman walking bicycle killed in double Fullerton collision; 1st driver stayed afterwards, 2nd driver fled

These days, there’s a one-in-three chance a Southern California driver will flee the scene after a fatal crash involving someone on a bicycle.

Yesterday, a pair of Fullerton drivers changed those odds to 50/50.

According to the Fullerton Observer, a woman was killed while walking a bicycling in the eastbound lanes of W. Orangethorpe Ave at Jefferson Ave around 8 pm Monday.

The victim was walking in the left lane of the six lane roadway when she was truck, first by a 32-year old driver in a black Lexus, then by the driver of light-colored pickup truck. Only the first driver bothered to stick around afterwards.

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

There’s no word on why she was walking in the left lane, although it’s possible she was just trying to cross the busy street.

This crash occurred just 2.3 miles from where another man was killed riding his bike on West Orangethorpe Ave and Campus Drive in April.

Anyone with information is urged to call Fullerton Police Traffic Accident Investigator Feaster at 714/738-6812, or via email jfeaster@fullertonpd.org. Anonymous tips can be sent to the Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855/TIP-OCCS.

This is at least the 54th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th that I’m aware of in Orange County.

Nineteen of those 54 deaths have involved hit-and-run drivers.

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

 

Update: Man riding bicycle killed by driver in San Diego’s Black Mountain Ranch; eighth SoCal bike death this month

This month just continues to go from bad to worse.

Multiple sources are reporting that a man was killed when he was apparently struck from behind by a driver as he was riding his bike in San Diego’s Black Mountain Ranch.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding in the bike lane on Camino Del Sur at Casey Glen around 6:50 pm Saturday, when a 50-year old woman headed west on Camino Del Sur drove into the bike lane shortly after crossing Casey Glen.

He died at the scene.

Police say alcohol was not a factor in the crash. However, there’s no word on why the driver went into the bike lane, whether she was distracted, or how fast she was going at the time of the crash.

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

This is at least the 53rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 12th that I’m aware of in San Diego County; it’s also the eighth in just the last 18 days.

The victim has been identified as 60-year old San Diego resident James Osmus.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for James Osmus and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to Phillip Young for the heads-up. 

Update — 16-year old bike rider allegedly murdered by road-raging driver in BMO Stadium parking lot; police seize 2 vehicles

Once again, a bike rider has allegedly been murdered by an apparent road raging driver.

This time, right here in Los Angeles.

According to KCBS-2, a 16-year old boy was killed when he was deliberately run down by a driver who chased a large group of bike-riding teens into the parking lot at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park a little before 4:30 pm Friday.

The incident began when a group of around 40 kids were riding their bikes south on Figueroa Street, north of Martin Luther King Blvd, and an “altercation” began with the driver of an unidentified sedan.

The teens attempted to escape by going through a gap in the fencing around the BMO Stadium parking lot. They were followed by the driver in the sedan, who accelerated into the group and struck the victim, who has not been publicly identified.

The driver then fled the scene.

A report on KABC-7 differs on several key details, stating the victim was 17 years old, and riding a skateboard, rather than a bicycle. (Update: KABC has revised their story to indicate the victim was 16, and riding a bicycle.)

Police report several witnesses left before investigators could speak with them. Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s Southern Division Major Crimes Unit at 323/644-9550 or the Los Angeles Communication Center at 323/259-3200.

If the details are born out, it should result in a murder charge when the driver is ultimately identified and arrested. Anything less would be a travesty.

Assuming the victim was riding a bike, this is at least the 52nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the seventh that we know about in the City of Los Angeles, which is likely an undercount.

(Correction: According to Crosstown LA, the actual number of bicyclists killed in Los Angeles so far this year is 21, not the seven I’ve counted; nine of those have been victims of hit-and-run drivers.)

Eighteen of those SoCal deaths we know about have been hit-and-runs. And it’s the second time a bike rider has allegedly been murdered by a driver in just the past eight days.

Update: Fox 11 is reporting that one of the teenagers broke the car’s mirror during the altercation on the street, prior to the driver pursuing the group into the parking lot. 

He then intentionally drove his car into the victim, who reportedly wasn’t even involved in the initial confrontation. 

Read that last part again. The kid he killed had absolutely nothing to do with it. 

According to KABC-7, the victim was identified as John by some of the riders, who gathered at the site on Saturday to remember him. 

“It’s really hard to be honest, we’re just trying to ride and it’s really hard for the family too,” said Manuel Ramirez. “He didn’t deserve to die in the streets like that.”

Meanwhile, Fox spoke with a local pastor. and parent.

Pastor Mariela Madriz, whose own teenage son frequently bikes with friends in the area, described the tragedy as “heartbreaking and horrific.” She spoke to FOX 11 at her nearby church, Iglesia Jesucristo Fuente De Vida.

“As a mom, all I could think is — it could have been my son,” Madriz said…

“If you can get so angry over a broken mirror to your car to kill a child, you don’t deserve to be out and free,” Madriz said. “You deserve to be locked up for the rest of your life.”

The station also talked to a former detective, who said the car should be easy to identify. 

Retired LAPD Detective Moses Castillo echoed Madriz’s sentiments, calling the incident a “horrible tragedy” just days before Thanksgiving.

“This is the type of case that can be solved quickly with the public’s help,” Castillo said. “If you see a vehicle with a damaged side-view mirror and front-end collision damage, report it to authorities immediately. More than likely, that’s going to be our suspect.” 

Let’s hope someone spots it fast, before the driver can hide or repair it.

Because the pastor is right. This person shouldn’t be out on the streets, ever again. 

Update 2: We have a lot to catch up on in this case, starting with the identification of the victim as 16-year old Jonathan Flores

Not surprisingly, the LA County Medical Examiner ruled his death was a homicide caused by multiple blunt force injuries

Police have also identified, but not named, a person of interest in his killing, after serving a search warrant at a Los Angeles home Saturday night, and seizing two cars. 

The incident reportedly began with an altercation with the driver of a blue BMW, who argued with some of the teens on the street. 

They were then followed into the parking lot by the driver of second car, a Honda sedan, who slammed into the victim, killing him. 

It’s not clear at this time what the relationship was between the two motorists. However, the vehicles seized by the police were a blue BMW and the Honda Accord they believe was involved in the crash, suggesting that both cars were found at the same home. 

CHP investigators urged the driver of the Honda, identified only as a 28-year old Hispanic man, to turn himself in. However, no one has been arrested at this time. 

Update 3: CHP investigators have identified the suspect as 28-year old Jonathan Antonio Rodriguez, and issued a warrant for his arrest. 

Rodriguez is charged with murder, felony hit-and-run and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, and a $2 million bail has been set pending his arrest.

He remains a fugitive at this time.

However, no photo has been provided to help identify him.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jonathan Flores and his loved ones.

41-year old man struck by two drivers, killed while riding bicycle on Lincoln Blvd in Santa Monica early Sunday morning

Our terrible, horrible, no good, very bad November is showing no sign of letting up.

Now another bicyclist has been killed on the mean streets of Southern California, the sixth so far this month — an average of just over one every three days.

According to multiple sources, the victim was riding south on the 1800 block of Lincoln Blvd in Santa Monica around 12:30 am Sunday, when he was struck by a driver, knocked off his bike, and hit by another driver.

The victim, identified as 41-year old Los Angeles resident Bradley Allen Proudfoot, died at the scene. The Santa Monica Daily Press reports he was believed to be homeless.

Both drivers remained at the scene, and neither showed signs of impairment, according to police investigators. There’s no word at this time on the cause of the collision, or who may have been at fault.

Anyone who with information is urged to call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310/458-8427.

However, this is more evidence that Lincoln remains one of Santa Monica’s deadliest corridors, despite a decades-long effort to fix it.

This is at least the 51st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Bradley Allen Proudfoot and his loved ones. 

World-class endurance cyclist and psychoanalyst Donna Orange dies days after hit by driver on Upland training ride

Once again, someone has been killed riding a bicycle in Southern California. And once again, it never made the news.

This time, in Upland.

And this time, the victim was a beloved member of the endurance cycling community.

According to world endurance cycling team BarrUltra, Donna Orange passed away after being struck by a driver while on a training ride.

She is described as a distinguished and groundbreaking psychoanalyst, a world-class cyclist, and an active member of the endurance cycling community, despite being well into her 80s. In fact, she competed in the 6-12-24 Hour World Time Trial Championships (WTTC) in Borrego Springs, California at the beginning of this month.

I’m told Orange was struck when she was traveling east on 16th Street at San Antonio Ave this Tuesday, after a driver headed west on 16th entered the intersection at the same time and left-hooked her while turning onto southbound San Antonio.

Which means there should be no question who was at fault. And it’s not her.

She reportedly died after being taken off life-support at the Pomona Valley Medical Center this weekend.

You can learn more about Orange in the post below.

This is at least the 50th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

How many more there are that we haven’t learned about remains an open question.

Correction: I originally misidentified the victim as Barbara Orange rather than Donna. I apologize for the mistake. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Donna Orange and her loved ones.

Bicyclist apparently killed in Sunday Pico Rivera crash; few details, and no official confirmation at this time

There’s no official confirmation yet, but I’ve received word of a bicycling death in Pico Rivera.

A local resident reports driving past the aftermath of a collision involving a bicyclist on Whittier Blvd at Acacia Ave on Sunday afternoon.

They forwarded a couple photos, which I’ve included below. While they don’t show the victim, that damage to the vehicle is graphic, so be forward if that’s not something you want to see.

In one, you can clearly see a mangled bicycle in the street, 30 to 40 feet in front of a car with a shattered windshield, suggesting the victim was struck at some speed.

According to a Facebook post, the victim didn’t survive.

He’s identified in the post only as a young man; a commentator describes him as her nephew. But as with anything else on Facebook, that may or may not be accurate.

Unfortunately, that’s all the information we have at this time. So if anyone knows anything, please let me know.

But at least the driver stuck around this time.

Assuming this is confirmed, it is at least the 49th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 15th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

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

Thanks to JQ for the heads-up. 

Bicyclist allegedly murdered by Hemet driver yesterday in intentional collision; no known motive at this time

Go ahead and call it murder.

The cops are.

The Redlands Daily Facts is reporting that Jimarvin Marquise Lackey-Berg was arrested following what Hemet police are terming an intentional collision with a man riding a bicycle yesterday.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was found unresponsive on 3800 block of West Devonshire Ave, west of Sanderson Avenue, in Hemet around 5:30 Tuesday evening.

He was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.

At last report, Lackey-Berg was being held on $1 million bail at the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center in French Valley for suspicion of murder.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know right now. There’s no word on how or why the crash occurred, any possible motive, or whether the driver was arrested at the scene.

Anyone with information its urged to call Detective Pedro Aguila of the Hemet Police Department at 951/765-2423.

This is at least the 48th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

Note: There is also a story about this incident on the websites of the Riverside Press-Enterprise, the San Bernardino Sun and Ontario’s Daily Bulletin, but it is hidden behind their draconian paywalls. If you have a subscription to any of those papers, let me know if there’s any additional information we haven’t included here. 

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

50-year old man killed in DUI collateral damage crash while walking bicycle in Rialto; 2-year old boy suffers minor injuries

Another day, another bicyclist killed in the Inland Empire.

According to KTLA-5, a man walking his bicycle in Rialto was collateral damage in a crash between two drivers — including one who was under the influence.

“Preliminary information indicates the female driver of the Dodge Caravan was driving southbound on Riverside Avenue and was turning left to go east on Etiwanda and failed to yield, [leading] the black Audi to collide with the Caravan,” Sgt. Smith confirmed to KTLA. “[The collision] caused the Caravan to go onto the northeast corner of the sidewalk, striking the pedestrian.”

The collision occurred around 6:26 pm Sunday at the intersection of Etiwanda Ave and Riverside Ave in Rialto.

The victim, identified only as a 50-year old man, died after being taken to a hospital.

A two-year old boy who was riding in the Audi with his father was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, as was the 32-year old driver of the other vehicle; police planned to arrest her for DUI upon her release.

The station oddly notes that the victim’s bicycle did not appear to have suffered significant damage.

Just the person who had been walking it.

This is at least the 45th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in San Bernardino County.

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

Bike rider killed by hit-and-run driver in Riverside Saturday; 16th SoCal bicyclist killed in hit-and-run this year

Once again, someone riding a bicycle in Southern California has run down by a heartless coward, and left to die in the street.

This time in Riverside.

According to My News LA, the victim was struck while riding on Streeter Ave just north of Lantana Street around 7:55 pm Saturday.

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

Unfortunately, that’s all we know right now. There’s no word on how the crash happened, or any description of the suspect vehicle or the person responsible.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Riverside Police Department at 951/826-8720, or email RMcHugh@RiversideCA.gov.

This is at least the 44th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Riverside County; however, it appears the first one in the county since early May.

Sixteen of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs.

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

Update: 60-year old man dies after apparent solo bike crash in Del Mar

A man is dead after a bicycling crash. And this time, there doesn’t appear to be a driver involved.

According to multiple sources, a 60-year old man was found lying in the street after apparently falling off his bicycle in Del Mar Saturday morning.

Sheriff’s deputies found the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, on the 1900 block of Jimmy Durante Blvd, just after 10 am.

He was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

There’s no word on how long he may have been there before he was discovered.

Investigators say he appears to have lost control of his bicycle, and wasn’t involved in a collision.

However, there’s no word on why he may have lost control. It’s possible he could have struck a pothole or some sort of obstacle while riding at speed, lost a tire, or been the victim of a too-close pass — which would make it hit-and-run.

There’s also no word on whether he had a cycling computer or Strava account that could shed some light on what happened. So unless investigators find a witness or video of the crash, we may never know the cause.

Anyone with information is urged to call the North Coastal Sheriff’s Station Traffic Division at 760/966-3555.

This is at least the 43rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: Longtime San Diego bike advocate Serge Issakov has forwarded a video with a possible explanation for the crash. 

Issakov reports the site is at the bottom of a descent with a typical 4% grade,  where road bicyclists typically reach speeds of 26 to 30 mph, while a KOM could be somewhere in the 40 mph range.

The typical car-ticker plastic bollards show clear signs of being run over more than once, and would likely have been virtually invisible under the typical Del Mar morning marine layer. Let alone if there was any fog or haze in the morning hour.

But even without hitting the post, cracks visible in the pavement could have easily destabilized the victim. Which could have been enough to send him into the curb or the grate in the gutter, and onto the sidewalk.

And at those speeds, it might not have mattered whether he was wearing a helmet.

All I can say, after watching that video, is I hope the victim’s family has a good lawyer.

If not, I can sure as hell recommend one.

Meanwhile, a comment from a woman calling herself the victim’s sister identifies him as Marcus Yepiz, though that has not yet been confirmed.