Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

58-year old bike rider killed in Camarillo hit-and-run during police chase Saturday; medical examiner says it’s an “oopsie”

July 31, 2024 / / 7 comments

You’ve got to be kidding.

A man riding a bicycle was killed by an armed robber fleeing from police in Camarillo on Saturday — something which could reasonably be expected to result in a murder charge.

Except the Ventura County medical examiner said it was just an “oopsie.”

You know, big harm, no foul.

While this site was down for the last few days, news broke that the victim was killed, and several other people injured in a separate collision, when they were struck by the robber as he tried to escape the cops in an SUV shortly after 4 pm.

Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies began chasing the alleged robber, identified as 21-year-old Makare Toliver of Lancaster, and his partner after they reportedly stole a gun from a man at the Good Nite Inn on Ventura Boulevard.

Toliver initially yielded to the cops after pausing at a gas station, before taking off again and running down the victim as he rode on Central Ave between Beardsley Road and Santa Clara Ave.

The victim, later identified as 58-year old Ventura resident Robert Pierret, died after being taken to a local hospital.

There’s no word at this time on just how the crash occurred.

Toliver continued without stopping until he crashed into another car, injuring a number of people in that car, and was arrested at gunpoint along with another man.

Fortunately, none of those victims were seriously injured.

Toliver was booked on suspicion of armed robbery, as well as evasion of law enforcement and second-degree murder.

However, the murder charge was dropped after the medical examiner inexplicably ruled Pierret’s death an accident, explaining that traffic deaths are usually considered accidents “unless there is some unusual circumstance.”

Apparently, killing someone while evading police after robbing someone is perfectly normal in Ventura County.

Instead, Toliver was charged with two counts of second degree robbery, evading an officer causing death, fleeing the scene of an accident aausing death, grand theft of a firearm, and assault with a semi-automatic firearm, along with a whopping 21 special allegations.

He pled not guilty Tuesday to all charges.

The other man, also from Lancaster, was released on bail without formal charges.

This is at least the 31st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware this year in Ventura County.

Eleven of those deaths have been hit-and-runs.

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

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

Five-year old Jacob Ramirez dead following Garden Grove DUI hit-and-run; his father and sister remain in comas

July 16, 2024 / / 2 comments

I really didn’t want to write this one.

For over a week now, we’ve followed the story of the Garden Grove family who  were run down by an allegedly drunken hit-and-run driver as the parents rode their bikes, towing their children behind in child trailers.

The crash left the father and two of the kids critically injured, while the mother and their eight-month old baby were hospitalized in stable condition, and released a few days later.

However, the news about their five-year old son, Jacob Ramirez, continued to get worse; by Friday, we learned he had been declared brain dead.

Now KABC-7 is reporting that Jacob has been discontinued from life support.

The crash occurred shortly after 7:30 pm on Sunday, July 7th, on the 12300 block of Haster Street near Twin Tree Lane, when they were apparently run down from behind by Santa Ana resident Ceferino Ascencion Ramos.

Ramos fled the scene, but was arrested shortly later after he was followed by a witness to the crash.

He reportedly had a .22 blood alcohol level at the time of his arrest — nearly three times the .08 legal limit. The station reports he was on his way to buy more beer at an Anaheim liquor store when he slammed into the family.

He has been charged with felony counts of hit-and-run with permanent and serious injury, failing to stop at a hit-and-run accident with injury, and driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, with sentencing enhancements for leaving a victim comatose or paralyzed and inflicting great bodily injury.

More charges will be pending now, including a likely murder charge if Ramos has a previous DUI on his record.

It’s also possible that the news could get worse.

The story reports that Jacob’s father, 27-year old Angel Hernandez Mejia and his seven-year old sister remain in comas over a week after the crash.

A crowdfunding campaign for the family has raised over $64,000 of the $100,000 goal, though it’s likely they’ll need a lot more than that before this is over.

This is at least the 29th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Orange County.

It’s also worth noting that reports have indicated none of the family members were wearing bike helmets, which are legally required for children under 18.

However, there’s no way to know whether that would have been enough to prevent their injuries in this collision.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jacob Ramirez and all his family and loved ones. 

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

Man riding bicycle killed by suspected car thief in Irwindale crash, collateral damage in police chase

July 10, 2024 / / Comments Off on Man riding bicycle killed by suspected car thief in Irwindale crash, collateral damage in police chase

Collateral damage.

A man is dead because a suspected car thief fled from police in Iwindale, slamming into the victim as he rode his bike, even after the cops wisely gave up the chase.

You know, just another “oopsie.”

The victim was riding near Arrow Highway and Rivergrade Road shortly after 8:30 pm yesterday when he was struck by the fleeing driver.

He died at the scene.

He was identified as 50-year old San Gabriel resident Raul Castaneda.

Police arrested 29-year old Hanford, California resident Jonathon Del Carmen Calixto on suspicion of murder, among other charges.

The indent began when police in El Monte received a report of someone stealing a vehicle from Longo Toyota on Peck Road. They began to chase the suspect, but called it off after about a minute.

Calixto continued to flee, apparently at high speed, before crashing into the victim less than six miles away.

He was arrested while attempting to escape on foot after abandoning the vehicle some distance away.

There’s no way to know if the victim would be alive today if police had simply attempted to track the vehicle from the start, rather than initiating a dangerous chase.

But it might be worth trying next time.

This is at least the 28th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth that I’m aware of already this year in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Raul Castaneda and all his loved ones.

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

52-year old man killed riding bicycle in Lakeside collision; 8th San Diego County bike death already this year

July 6, 2024 / / Comments Off on 52-year old man killed riding bicycle in Lakeside collision; 8th San Diego County bike death already this year

It’s been a bad first half of year for bicyclists in San Diego County.

And the second half isn’t starting any better.

Multiple sources are reporting that a man was killed riding a bicycle across a Lakeside highway Friday afternoon, just the latest in a toll that’s taken more than one life a month since the first of the year.

The victim, identified only as a 52-year old man, was crossing SR-67 on his bike, traveling west across the southbound lanes when he was struck by a 31-year old Lakeside man driving a small Chevrolet SUV.

The crash occurred around 3:45 pm Friday, at SR-67 north of Mapleview Street.

The victim died at the scene.

The driver remained following the crash, and police do not believe he was under the influence. However, there’s no explanation offered for why he was unable to avoid the victim as he crossed the road.

Hopefully, that will be explained going forward.

Anyone with information is urged to call Lakeside Police Officer Jared Grieshaber at 619/401-2000

This is at least the 27th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth that I’m aware of already this year in San Diego County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

54-year old man from Alaska killed riding bicycle in early morning Westminster crash

June 22, 2024 / / Comments Off on 54-year old man from Alaska killed riding bicycle in early morning Westminster crash

Too often these days, the news leaves us with more questions than answers.

The was the case on Friday, when news broke that a man from Alaska was killed riding a bicycle in an early morning collision in Westminster.

According to KCAL News, the victim was riding in the traffic lanes near 20th Street and Beach Boulevard around 5 am Friday, when he was struck by the driver of a Lincoln Town Car.

The driver stopped and called 911 after the crash, and police did not suspect he was under the influence.

The victim, identified only as a 54-year old Alaska resident, died at the scene.

However, there’s no explanation of whether he was visiting Orange County, or was living here now.

There’s also no word on what was meant by “riding in the traffic lanes.” He would have been in the traffic lanes if he was crossing Beach Blvd. Or if he was riding on Beach, there’s no other place he could have been, since there are no bike or parking lanes.

And there’s no word on how fast the driver was going, or whether the victim had lights on his bike in the pre-dawn darkness.

Hopefully, we’ll get more answers soon. But I wouldn’t count on it.

Anyone with information is urged to call Westminster Police Department Traffic Division Investigator Stewart DeJong at 714/548-3787.

This is at least the 25th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Orange County.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Update: 17-year old boy killed by San Diego Amtrak train after riding around crossing gates; 2nd SoCal bike death Friday

June 15, 2024 / / Comments Off on Update: 17-year old boy killed by San Diego Amtrak train after riding around crossing gates; 2nd SoCal bike death Friday

Sadly, there was more bad news for the Southern California bicycling community on Friday.

According to multiple reports, a 17-year old boy was killed when he was struck by an Amtrak train in San Diego’s University City neighborhood early Friday afternoon.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was crossing the railroad tracks on Sorrento Valley Blvd, between Sorrento Valley Road and Roselle Street, when he was hit by the southbound Amtrak Pacific Surfliner at 12:34 pm.

He died at the scene.

The victim was one of three boys who stopped their bikes at the railroad crossing gates to wait for a northbound train to pass. But as so often happens, he rode around the gates after that train had passed, not realizing another train was coming in the opposite direction.

Tragically, Fox5 reports that the victim’s parents arrived shortly after the crash, while officials were still removing his mangled bike from the tracks.

The other two boys were not injured. It’s not clear if they were riding with the victim, or just happened to stop together at the gates.

This is yet another tragic reminder to always wait until the gates go up to cross any rail tracks, regardless of whether it seems safe at the time.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Sheriff’s Department’s non-emergency line at 858/565-5200.

This is at least the 24th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified 17-year old Alex Segal. He was a student at Torrey Pines High School in the Del Mar Heights neighborhood, and a member of the junior varsity soccer team.

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

Thanks to Phillip Young for the heads-up. 

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

Update: Man riding bicycle killed in early morning rear-end collision near CSU Long Beach; 6th LA County bike death this year

June 14, 2024 / / 4 comments

Friday was a bad day for Southern California bike riders — starting with a deadly pre-dawn wreck in Long Beach.

According to My News LA, the victim was riding east on 7th Street at Bellflower Blvd around 5:05 am, when he was run down from behind by a driver traveling in the same direction.

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

The driver stopped after the crash. Police don’t believe that speeding, distracted driving, or driving under the influence were factors in the crash.

There’s no word on whether the victim had lights on his bike in the pre-dawn hour, or why the driver was apparently unable to see him riding directly in front of their vehicle.

It’s unclear exactly where the crash occurred, however, as Patch Long Beach places the location four-tenths of a mile away, at 7th Street and Campus Drive across from CSU Long Beach.

According to reports, the victim was riding in the right traffic lane when he struck by the driver, who also has not been publicly identified.

However, there is a bike lane on 7th, which the victim would likely have been riding in unless it was blocked, or he was moving across the roadway to make a turn.

Since his body was found on the sidewalk, it seems more likely that the driver drifted into the bike lane, knocking him to the right, than the other way around.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Police Detective Joseph Johnson at 562/570-7355, or Crime Stoppers at 800/222-TIPS.

This is at least the 23rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 42-year old Keith Moore, no city of residence given.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Keith Moore and all his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Man dies 4 days after he was rear-ended on his bicycle in Apple Valley; victim identified as 54-year old Victor Cunanan

June 8, 2024 / / One comment

Earlier in the week, we mentioned that a man had suffered major injuries when he was struck by a driver in Apple Valley on Monday.

Sadly, he didn’t make it.

The Victor Valley Daily Press is reporting that 54-year old Apple Valley resident Victor Cunanan died from his injuries at Loma Linda University Medical Center on Friday.

Cunanan was riding east on Thunderbird Road at Wichita Road around 9:10 pm Monday, when he was rear-ended by an SUV driver traveling in the same direction at a high rate of speed.

The 36-year old driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

A message from his church the next day had asked for “fervent prayers” for Cunanan, as well as his wife and children.

The earlier story had said Cunanan was riding in the traffic lane when he was struck. However, that was not repeated in the second story reporting his death; there is a westbound bike lane on Thunderbird, but not headed east.

The crash remains under investigation. Any with information is urged to call the Apple Valley Station of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department at 760/240-7400, or Sheriff’s Dispatch number at 760/956-5001.

This is at least the 22nd 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 Victor Cunanan and all his family and loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Man killed riding bicycle on I-805 in Chula Vista last week; victim identified as 66-year old Victor Keith Fields

June 7, 2024 / / 3 comments

Once again, someone has been killed riding a bicycle on a Southern California freeway.

This time on the 805 in Chula Vista last week.

According to San Diego’s Fox 5, 66-year old Victor Keith Fields was riding on the shoulder of southbound I-805 around 7:40 pm on Wednesday, May 29th.

As he was approaching or exiting onto the Palm Ave offramp, the driver of a Toyota sedan swerved to the right without explanation and slammed into him — most likely striking Fields at freeway speeds.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

There’s no word on whether the driver was ticketed or charged. And as with other similar cases, there’s no information on why Fields was riding on the freeway.

This is at least the 21st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in San Diego County.

Update: A comment below from Ron Hidinger explains why Fields was riding on the freeway. He also points out that a bike path was supposed to be built parallel to the 805, but no work has started on it. 

I have the answer why the deceased was riding on the freeway shoulder. The section of I805 from Main St to Palm Ave is marked with signage allowing bicycles. Or at least it was, I haven’t been that way in a while. The reason is that there is no way to bike from Chula Vista to South San Diego without using the 805 without going way around. The toll road 125 is similarly marked.
I preferred the north bound side as it was relatively safer. The south bound exit at Palm is a typically chaotic, car centric CALTRANS design seemingly designed to imperil cyclists and pedestrians regardless of whether they’re on the ramp or not.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Victor Keith Fields and all his loved ones. 

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

National City teen dies 2 days after he was struck by a driver while biking to school — and just days before his graduation

June 2, 2024 / / 2 comments

Heartbreaking news from National City, where a teenaged boy died two days after he was struck by a driver while riding his bike.

And just one day after his 18th birthday.

Edgar Burciaga was riding his bike to school Tuesday morning when he was severely injured in a collision at J Ave and East 18th Street in National City.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on how or when the crash occurred. His mother was informed by police around 10 am on the morning of the crash.

His family gathered around Edgar’s bed on Wednesday to celebrate his birthday — a day after he was rushed into surgery, and one day before he was declared brain dead.

They gathered again yesterday to celebrate Edgar’s high school graduation, before his body was wheeled into an operating room to donate his organs.

This is how San Diego’s NBC-7 describes it.

His family said Edgar was bigger than life and he always had a heart for others.

“That’s why his father and I decided he was the perfect candidate to donate his organs to those who are in a critical health condition,” she said.

Edgar was a son, brother, and a senior at Sweetwater High School in National City. He was expected to graduate next week.

“I feel very proud of him, his life, and everything that he was,” said Rutilio de Haro, Edgar’s father.

There will be an empty seat at his high school graduation, but others will go home to their families thanks to his family’s generosity.

The driver remained at the scene; there’s no word on whether they were charged or ticketed.

This is at least the 20th 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 Edgar Burciaga and all his loved ones. 

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