Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

48-year old man found dead near his bicycle on Coast Highway in Encinitas, no sign of collision

Sometimes, there are no easy explanations.

That appears to be the case in Encinitas, where a man was found dead near his bicycle early Sunday morning.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the victim was discovered lying in the northbound bike lane on South Coast Highway south of Chesterfield Drive, near the Chart House restaurant, around 12:07 am.

He died at the scene, despite the efforts of paramedics. He was identified only as a 48-year old man, although the U-T says he was believed to be an Encinitas resident.

Sheriff’s investigators report there was no sign of a collision, and suspect the victim may have had a solo crash.

However, it’s also possible that he could have lost control of his bike after being sideswiped, or been the victim of an overly close pass. Or just as likely that his death could have been caused by a medical condition or a problem with the road surface.

There’s also no indication whether drug or alcohol use may have played a role.

Anyone with information about the crash is urged to call the Traffic Division at the North Coastal Sheriff’s Station at 760/966-3500.

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

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

62-year old man dies after he’s struck by a driver while bicycling in Palm Desert Tuesday night

Sadly, he didn’t make it.

Wednesday’s post included a brief mention of a bike rider who suffered major injuries when he was struck by a driver in Palm Desert Tuesday night.

Later yesterday, a notice from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department indicate the victim, later identified as 62-year old Indio resident Jay Groth, died from his injuries.

He was pronounced dead at 8:37 pm after being taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

According to the sheriff’s department, the crash occurred around 7:30 pm Tuesday at Cook Street and Country Club Drive in Palm Desert.

The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

There’s no word on which direction the driver was traveling, where Groth was in the intersection, or any other details on how it happened. However, a street view shows combination bike and golf cart lanes on both Cook Street and Country Club.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more later.

Anyone with information is urged to call Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Sanchez at the Palm Desert Sheriff Station at 760/836–1600, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 800/782-7463.

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

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jay Groth and all his family and loved ones. 

Bicyclist struck and killed by two drivers in Vista collision, one driver fled the scene

Two drivers combined to strike and kill someone riding a bicycle in Vista Thursday night.

But only one had the basic human decency to stick around afterwards.

Multiple sources are reporting that the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was “bumped” by a driver on South Melrose Drive at Buena Vista Drive around 10:28 pm Thursday.

He was then struck by a second driver.

The first one stuck around and cooperated investigators. The second didn’t, reportedly fleeing north on Melrose; investigators are looking for a white SUV or crossover, which may have front-end damage.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

There’s no information on how the crash occurred. However, it sounds like the initial impact may have been minor, and could have been survivable if the second driver had stopped in time.

There’s also no word on whether either driver may have been speeding, driving distracted or under the influence.

There appears to be a buffered bike lane on Melrose, which has a 45 mph speed limit. That speed could have contributed to both the force of the impact, as well as the inability of the second driver to avoid the victim.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 888/580-8477. There’s a $1,000 reward for any details that lead to an arrest.

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

Three of those fatal crashes have been hit-and-runs.

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

18-year old boy killed by driver while riding in Huntington Beach bike lane

A thin stripe of white paint apparently wasn’t enough to protect an Orange County teenager Thursday morning.

According to the Daily Pilot, 18-year old Huntington Beach resident David Mario Garcia Olmos was riding his bike in the westbound bike lane on Talbert Ave, just west of Bell Circle, around 6:15 am when he was struck by a driver traveling in the same direction

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died later Thursday morning.

The driver, identified only as a 25-year old Fullerton man, remained at the scene. Investigators say he did not appear to be under the influence.

There’s no word at this time whether Olmos was struck from behind, or right hooked as the driver turned into the nearby parking lot. Either way, the limited protection offered by the painted bike lane failed to keep him safe.

Anyone with information is urged to call Huntington Beach Police Traffic Investigator C. Houlston at 714/536-5670.

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

It’s also the second fatal bike crash in Orange County in less than a week.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for David Mario Garcia Olmos and all his loved ones. 

Woman killed riding ebike in Westminster collision, no details on the cause

You knew it wouldn’t last.

We made it nearly two weeks since we’ve had had a bicycling death in Southern California.

Key word being “nearly.”

That ended on Thursday evening in Westminster, when a woman riding an ebike was killed in a collision.

According to the Orange County Tribune, the victim, identified only as an Asian woman in her 60s, was riding on Bolsa Ave just west of Brookhurst Street when she was struck by a driver around 5:59 pm.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver remained after the crash, and reportedly cooperated with investigators.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know at this time.

Anyone with information is urged to call the watch commander of the Westminster Police Department at 714/548-3767.

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

Although there have probably been others we haven’t learned about.

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

Person riding bicycle killed Saturday in early morning Santa Ana collision; few details available

Once again, someone has been killed riding a bicycle, this time in Santa Ana.

And once again, that’s all we know about them.

According to the Santa Ana Police Department, the victim, who has not been identified in any way, was riding north on Bristol Street at Alton Ave at 3:55 am Saturday when they were struck by a driver traveling east on Alton.

The victim was declared dead at the scene.

That’s all we know at this time. There’s no word on who may have had the right-of-way at the signalized intersection, which has bike lanes north of Alton, but nothing below.

There’s also no word on whether drugs, alcohol, distraction or speed may have been a factor in the crash.

Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

Anyone with information is urged to call Santa Ana Police Sergeant R. Shin at 714/245-8294, or the Traffic Division of the Santa Ana Police Department at 714/245-8200.

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

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

58-year old man struck and killed by two drivers on Crenshaw Blvd in South LA; one driver fled the scene

Now they’re ganging up on us.

A man was killed trying to cross Crenshaw Blvd on his bicycle Wednesday night when he was struck by two drivers in rapid succession — one of whom fled the scene.

According to KTLA-5, the victim was attempting to cross Crenshaw from west to east, just south of Stocker Street, when he was struck by a driver traveling north on Crenshaw around 7:30 pm.

He was flung into the air, and was struck by a speeding driver, also heading north on Crenshaw, after hitting the pavement.

The first driver had the basic human decency to remain at the scene and attempt to aid the victim.

The second one didn’t.

The victim, identified only as a 59-year old man, died at the scene.

The story notes that he was crossing outside of a marked crosswalk, even though there is no requirement, or even an expectation, for people on bicycles to use one.

Police are looking for the driver of what witnesses described only as a sedan, which would likely have some front end damage. That doesn’t exactly give them a lot to go on.

As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD South Traffic Detective Ryan Moreno at 323/421-2500, or the South Traffic Watch Commander at 323/421-2577 or 1-877/527-3247.

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

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

40-year old bike rider Alex Zavala died two months after October hit-and-run; 20th fatal SoCal bike hit-and-run last year

This may be one of the saddest stories I’ve seen.

Late last month a crowdfunding campaign was posted online to help pay the funeral expenses for 40-year old Vladimir Zavala, who went by the name of Alex.

The page said Alex Zavala had died weeks after he was the victim of a hit-and-run while riding his bicycle.

But there were no details. No date for the crash, no location, no word on whether there was an arrest in the case.

It turns out that was because his family has no idea what happened or where.

According to a story from La Opinion, Zavala worked at a bicycle warehouse — likely meaning a bike co-op — and rode his bike everywhere, even spurning the car his mom bought for him.

But when Zavala didn’t come home one October night, his family searched for him everywhere, before eventually finding him lying in a coma in the intensive care unit of Los Angeles General Medical Center, suffering from head injuries, a broken his hip and missing his left eye.

His brother had to identify him, because he had come to the hospital with no identification.

It took a month for Alex Zavala to regain consciousness after the crash — then was somehow discharged despite bizarre ranting and speaking incoherently.

Then his mother came home from work one day in late December to find Zavala convulsing and bleeding from the ear; he died from a brain hemorrhage on December 20th.

If that was the end of it, that would be bad enough.

But the tragedy has been compounded because his family can’t conduct a funeral or bury Alex Zavala because they haven’t been able to get a death certificate, because the Medical Examiner’s office says they’re too backed up.

But I’m sure they’ll get around to it eventually.

To make matters even worse, the crowdfunding account was hacked, leaving Alex Zavala’s mother $25,000 in debt for his funeral expenses and burial plot.

A new crowdfunding campaign currently stands at a little more than $7,000 of the modest $8,500 goal. If you have a few extra bucks lying around, I can’t think of a better cause.

This was at least the 74th bicycling fatality in Southern California last year, and the 34th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it may or may not have occurred in the City of Los Angeles.

At least 20 of those SoCal deaths have been at the hands of hit-and-run drivers.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Alex Zavala and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Dr. Nina Harawa for the heads-up.

Man killed riding bike in Hemet collision Saturday; driver arrested for DUI

That didn’t take long.

Just days after the year’s first fatal bicycling hit-and-run, we’ve now seen the first fatal DUI involving someone on a bicycle in Southern California.

According to the Hemet Police Department, the victim was struck by a driver traveling north on San Jacinto Street near El Nita Lane in Hemet around 6:30 pm Saturday.

The victim, described only as an adult man, was trapped under the vehicle when paramedics arrived; he died after being taken to a local hospital.

The driver was arrested for driving under the influence. There’s no word on their identity, or whether they are suspected of being drunk or on some other intoxicant.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Hemet Police Department at 951/765-2400, and ask for Traffic Officer N. Reineke or Corporal C. Nicot, reference report #2024-00245, or email nreineke@hemetca.gov or cnicot@hemetca.gov.

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

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

Update: Man killed riding bicycle in Lennox hit-and-run last week; 1st confirmed SoCal bike death this year

So it begins.

A man riding a bicycle was killed in a hit-and-run in the unincorporated Lennox community of Los Angeles County last week.

Yet the only mention of the crash comes from a pair of legal websites, based on a CHP alert that’s not online anymore.

According to the sites, the victim was struck by a driver around 11:41 pm last Wednesday, January 10th, at the intersection of Hawthorne and Lennox boulevards.

The victim, described only as a man who appeared to around 40 years old, died at the scene.

The driver fled following the crash. The suspect vehicle was described as red Dodge Ram pickup truck; there’s no description of the driver at this time.

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

It’s also the first fatal hit-and-run of the year.

Let’s hope the local media reports the next one, since they didn’t this time.

Update: The victim has been identified as 51-year old Cesar Hernandez

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Cesar Hernandez and his loved ones.