Tagged with bicycling fatality

37-year old man killed riding bike in Chino collision

More bad news, in what has been a rough start to the new year.

According to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, a man was killed in a collision while riding his bike in Chino.

The victim, identified only as a 37-year old Pomona resident, was struck by a driver while riding in the 5100 block of Philadelphia Street near Bridger Ave around 7:24 pm Saturday.

He was transported to Chino Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver remained at the scene following the crash.

The crash remains under investigation, and there’s no word on how the crash may have occurred.

A street view shows a two lane road on the 5100 block of Philadelphia, with a center turn lane and bike lanes on either side, expanding to four lanes on the next block east.

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

Update: The victim has been identified as 37-year old Pomona resident Arthur Joe Gutierrez III.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Arthur Joe Gutierrez III and all his loved ones.

30-year old Minnesota man dies days after Huntington Beach bike crash; first OC bicycling death of 2020

Once again, a bike rider has been killed on deadly Beach Blvd in Huntington Beach.

According to the Orange County Register, the victim was riding a bike on Beach Boulevard, near Indianapolis Ave in Huntington Beach, when he was struck by a driver just before midnight on Sunday, January 19th.

The man, identified as 30-year old Adam Nickelson from St. Paul, Minnesota, was taken to UCI Medical Center with extreme injuries, where he died four days later, on Thursday the 23rd.

No word on how the crash occurred, or whether Nickelson was living in Huntington Beach or just visiting the city.

The driver, a 64-year old Huntington Beach resident, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

A street view shows a six lane boulevard with the sort of wide, straight lanes that encourage drivers to exceed the speed limit; another bike rider was killed half a mile away at Beach Blvd and Adams just one year earlier.

Nickelson’s obituary describes him as an old soul, known for “his kindness, funny quick wit, free spirit, his mischievous smile and compassion for humankind.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Accident investigator D. Kim of the Huntington Beach Police Department at 714/536-5666.

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 Adam Nickelson and all his loved ones.

65-year old man killed by apparent self-driving truck while riding bike in Azusa collision; few other details available

Once again, a bike rider has been killed on the streets of Southern California.

And once again, there is almost no information available on the Azusa collision.

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, a man was struck by the driver of a box truck while riding his bicycle on the 600 block of North Azusa Ave near Sixth Street around 1:30 pm yesterday.

Actually, they seem to blame the truck itself, since there’s no mention anywhere in the story that it had a driver. Or whether the seemingly self-driving truck remained at the scene.

The victim, identified only as a 65-year old man, was taken to an unidentified hospital, where he died of his injuries.

No word on how the crash may have occurred.

A street view shows North Azusa is a narrow one-way street in a commercial district, with on-street parking and two lanes going north. There are stop signs on Sixth, but no traffic controls on Azusa at the intersection; Sixth is a narrow un-laned street with parking on either side.

Azusa is paired with the much larger and wider Foothill Blvd, a one-way southbound street two blocks away.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Azusa Police Department Traffic Division at 626/812-3200.

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

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

Death of San Diego lacrosse executive Dylan Herrick finally confirmed, over 2 months after he was injured riding bike

Too often, the press never follows-up after reporting about a crash.

Which means it may take weeks to know whether the victim lived or died. If ever.

Sadly, this time, he didn’t.

As we mentioned on Friday, we’ve finally found confirmation that San Diego resident Dylan Herrick passed away in the hospital, shortly after suffering a life-threatening head injury when he was struck by a driver last November.

The 27-year old Herrick was riding north on the 2000 block of Morena Boulevard in San Diego’s Bay Park neighborhood a little after 10 pm on Thursday, November 14th, when he was rear-ended by a 67-year old pickup driver traveling in the same direction.

A front office staffer for the San Diego Seals professional lacrosse team, Herrick’s death was announced on the Seals Twitter account, and confirmed by the league later the same day.

Dylan Herrick; photo from San Diego Seals Twitter account

I’m told his death was also recently confirmed by a family member.

Herrick was reportedly riding a black beach cruiser while ghost riding another bike, holding the second bike with his right hand as he rode. According to the police, neither had lights or reflectors, despite the late hour.

Neither drugs nor alcohol were suspected of being a factor in the crash.

Morena Blvd is a two lane divided roadway lined with apartment buildings on the northbound side, which means the parking lane would likely have been full at that hour, forcing Herrick to ride in the number two lane.

Unfortunately, the painted bike lane on the southbound side offers no benefit to bicyclists traveling in the opposite direction, while the straight, wide lanes make it likely drivers would exceed the posted 40 mph speed limit during nighttime hours.

This is at least the 79th bicycling fatality in Southern California last year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in San Diego County, all of which occurred in the City of San Diego.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Dylan Herrick and all of his loved ones. 

Thanks to Phillip Young for his efforts to confirm this story.

53-year old man killed in El Cajon hit-and-run; Kevin Wilson 2nd San Diego County bicyclist killed this year

Last year, there were just four confirmed bicycling fatalities in San Diego County for the entire year.

Or maybe five, if we include a man who reportedly died in the hospital after he was struck by the driver of a pickup while ghost riding another bike in San Diego’s Bay Park neighborhood last November, but which I have been unable to confirm.

After yesterday, there’s already been two bike riders killed this month alone.

According to multiple sources, 56-year old La Mesa resident Kevin Wilson of La Mesa was riding east in the bike lane on Dehesa Road east of Willow Glen Drive in El Cajon Monday morning, when he was run down from behind by 56-year old Craig Wendell Nelson around 10:45 am.

Wilson was taken to San Diego’s Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Nelson reportedly veered his car into the bike lane, slamming into Wilson’s bicycle before fleeing the scene; there are no word on whether he stopped or slowed down before speeding away.

He abandoned the damaged car on Sloane Canyon Road, and was arrested after a police helicopter crew spotted him hiding in the bushes.

He’s being held at the San Diego Central Jail on $50,000 bond on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run, and expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon.

Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s El Cajon area office at 619/401-2000.

This is at least the third bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in San Diego County; two of those three deaths have been hit-and-runs.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Kevin Wilson and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Jeff Kucharski for the heads-up.