Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

62-year old man killed riding a bike on PCH in Huntington Beach Friday night

March 8, 2020 / / 9 comments

As if the news hasn’t been bad enough this weekend, yet another person was killed riding a bicycle, this time in Huntington Beach Friday night.

According to the Daily Pilot, the victim, identified only as a 62-year old homeless man, was struck by a 72-year old driver on deadly PCH near Seapoint Street around 10:20 pm.

The Orange County Register reports he was riding south on PCH when he swerved across the five lane highway, and was hit by the northbound driver.

He died at the scene as a result of serious head injuries.

And no, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. Although we have no way of knowing if his injuries would have been survivable with one.

Or whether it could have made any difference on a road where the 55 mph speed limit is little more than a suggestion, and virtually any crash is a death sentence to anyone not surrounded by a couple tons of glass and steel.

We also don’t know if the victim was without a helmet by choice, or because he didn’t have access to one.

The driver remained at the scene, and police don’t suspect intoxication played a factor.

Anyone with information is urged to call Huntington Beach Police Department traffic investigator Adam Turner at 714/536-5670.

Sadly, too many people will write the victim off as just another homeless person, as if that makes his death any less tragic. Or any less of a loss to his family and friends.

People forced to live on the streets have little enough value in our society when they’re alive. They shouldn’t be forgotten in death, as well.

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

It’s also the fourth bicycling death we’ve learned about in the last two days.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Update: 21-year old Escondido bike rider killed in crash after allegedly running a stop sign

March 7, 2020 / / 2 comments

An Escondido man has paid the ultimate price for allegedly failing to observe a stop sign.

According to a notice from the Escondido police department, the crash occurred at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Cedar Street around 8:04 Friday morning.

The victim, identified only as a 21-year old Escondido resident, was riding north on Cedar Street when he reportedly rode through the stop sign, and into the path of a minivan driver headed east on Grand.

He died there in the roadway, despite efforts to revive him.

The driver remained at the scene, and did not appear to be under the influence.

As always, though, the question is whether any independent witnesses actually saw him blow the stop, and whether it might have been possible for the driver to avoid him.

Anyone with information is urged to call Officer Mike Nelson of the Escondido Police Department’s Traffic Division at 760/839-4407.

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

That compares with just five deaths in the county for the entire year in 2019.

Update: The victim has been identified as 21-year old Escondido resident Joseph Palacios.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Joseph Palacios and all his loved ones.

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

Man killed riding bike on deadly Alicia Parkway in Laguna Niguel

March 6, 2020 / / 7 comments

Sometimes, bad news never makes the news.

Like the death of a bike rider in Laguna Niguel on Thursday.

Thursday evening, OC bike lawyer Edward Rubinstein forwarded a post from Nextdoor, which said Alicia Parkway was closed after a bike rider had been struck by a driver.

That was followed by an unconfirmed response stating the victim didn’t make it.

Sadly, that was followed by the tweet below, confirming a man in his late 60s was killed.

The tweet places the site of the crash at Alicia Parkway and Awma Road, at the entrance to Alisa Woods Canyon Park.

A response from Jim Martin suggests the crash may have been in the northbound lane.

Looks like Northbound, Lane 3/Left turn pocket. Lots of bikes cross there. No light, though a ped crossing light ~100 yards South that cars often blow at 60+ mph.

Unfortunately, no time is given. However, the email from Rubinstein came around 8 pm Thursday night, while the first Nextdoor post came nine hours earlier, placing the crash sometime before 11 am Thursday.

There’s no description of how the collision occurred.

A street view shows a six lane speedway, with just a stop sign on Awma. According to Rubinstein, the painted bike lane on Alicia was removed in a recent repaving and hasn’t been restriped yet, leaving riders at the mercy of drivers who frequently exceed the 50 mph speed limit.

The placement of the victim’s bike next to the center divider suggests he may have been trying cross the roadway and didn’t make it. But it’s also possible it was knocked there by the force of the impact.

Meanwhile, the SUV next to the bike doesn’t show any visible signs of an impact, high speed or otherwise.

Hopefully, we’ll get more information soon.

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

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

Thanks to Edward Rubinstein, David Becker and Jim Martin for the heads-up.

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Bike rider killed in Laguna Niguel, more coronavirus cancellations, and LA Marathon Crash Ride rolls Sunday

March 6, 2020 / / One comment

Before we get started, it looks like the foster corgi we’ve been looking after will get his well-deserved 15 minutes of fame in tomorrow’s LA Times. 

He and his owner will be featured in the City Beat column written Nita Lelyveld, with my wife and me in a supporting role. 

There probably won’t be any bikes involved this time, even though the foster corgi’s owner is one of us, too. 

It’s a beautiful story.

And if I know Nita, she’ll tell it beautifully. 

………

OC bike lawyer Edward Rubinstein has forwarded a Nextdoor post saying a bike rider was seriously injured in a collision on Alicia Parkway in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, along with an unconfirmed report that the victim didn’t make it.

Rubinstein relates the crash appears to have occurred in the southbound lane of Alicia Parkway between Aliso Creek and Highlands Ave.

There normally is a painted bike lane on Alicia, but it was removed in a recent repaving and hasn’t been restriped yet, leaving riders at the mercy of drivers who frequently exceed the 50 mph speed limit.

Update: Sadly, we have confirmation a man in his 60s was killed.

Hopefully, we’ll get more details today. I’ll get a story online later in the day.

Thanks to Edward Rubinstein and David Becker for the heads-up.

………

More fallout from the COVID-19 coronavirus, as the annual Sea Otter Classic pulls the plug on this spring’s event, with hopes of rescheduling later in the year when the virus will hopefully be less active.

And Italy’s Strade Bianche and Strade Bianche Women Elite races were cancelled as cycling teams continued to withdraw from tomorrow’s races due to fears of the coronavirus.

………

The LA Marathon takes place on Sunday.

Which means the annual semi-official Marathon Crash Ride will as well, with a 3 am meet time at the former Tang’s Donuts on Sunset, and 4 am start.

But as canadianangeleno points out, this year 3 am comes a little earlier due to the time change.

https://twitter.com/iliveinpalms/status/1235707611284029442

Meanwhile, Redditors offer a number of tips and feeder rides.

Thanks to everyone who helped confirm this year’s ride. There are far too many to thank here individually, but I really do appreciate the help from all.

………

CicLAvia has posted photos from their recent South LA open streets event.

Meanwhile, the Militant Angeleno provides the CicLAvia schedule for the rest of the year, including a return to South LA before the year is over.

………

Having failing to learn their lesson from the highly criticized Peloton Wife ad this past Christmas, Peloton now thinks you should give one to your mom for Mother’s Day.

No, really.

………

Congratulations to BikinginLA sponsor, bike lawyer and all-around nice guy Josh Cohen on joining the board of the LACBC.

………

Local

Santa Monica-based Bird is officially unveiling their new fat-tired Scoot e-mopeds, offering a seated ride with top speeds of 20 mph.

 

State

Newport Beach-based Electric Bike Company proves that you can build a quality ebike in the US.

Great idea. The San Diego Bicycle Coalition is hosting a monthly series of public bike rides celebrating new bus and bike lanes on El Cajon Blvd, featuring “weird and wonderful” entertainers along the way.

Pismo Beach’s formerly “swervey curvey” road is now straighter but “lumpy bumpy.”

 

National

Streetsblog looks at how the media helped build, and continues to reinforce, America’s car culture.

The foldable, carbon frame Companion Bike allows anyone to take a handicapped friend or family member out for a bike ride.

A writer for Grist says yes, ebikes really are good for the environment.

A Denver writer questions why it takes so long for bike lanes to get approval in the city. If he thinks that’s bad, he should try living in Los Angeles, where we’re still waiting for the 1977 bike plan, let alone the 2010 plan.

Speaking of Denver bike lanes, a new survey shows 80% of Denver residents support bike lanes, even at the expense of parking or travel lanes. It’s long past time someone did a survey of Los Angeles voters, which might surprise some of LA’s less than bike-friendly councilmembers.

Unbelievable. A Michigan appellate court rules a bike rider was at fault for a crash after he got high the night before and might have been looking at his speedometer, even though he was left-crossed while he had the right-of-way by a driver who wasn’t looking. And the driver allegedly admitted fault.

A stoned Connecticut driver got a well-deserved four years behind bars for a head-on wrong way crash that killed a bike rider, after using heroin prior to driving.

New York police are still looking for a gang of violent bike thieves targeting ebike riders on the Queensboro Bridge.

 

International

C/net loves GM’s new ebike foldie, which is designed to solve the first mile/last mile problem. And says it’s a shame it’s only available in three European countries right now.

Heartbreaking story from Ireland, where a man lived with locked-in syndrome for 16 years after falling off the handlebars of a friend’s bicycle, fully alert, yet trapped in his own body and unable to move.

PeopleForBikes considers how Paris raised bicycling rates 54% in just one year.

Speaking of Paris, the former French Health Minister and wannabe mayor insists that riding a bike isn’t good for you, and that plans for more bike lanes in the City of Lights were “violent.” No, really.

A 49-year old Indian soldier rode his bike nearly 2,200 miles from Tripura to Delhi in just 20 days to demonstrate the importance of fitness.

British bike scribe Carlton Reid previews a four-hour guided ebike tour of the religion, politics and Banksys of modern Bethlehem.

A writer for New York Magazine hops on her bike and rides deep into Sichuan province to escape the coronavirus and surveillance state in Chengdu, China.

That was fast. It took less than 24 hours for someone to toss Melbourne, Australia’s first Jump dockless bike into a pond.

This is who we share the roads with. A Chilean worker faces charges after somehow running down one of the famed Easter Island statues, or moai, with his pickup, causing incalculable physical, archeological and cultural damage.

 

Competitive Cycling

Sad news from Colorado, where German pro mountain biker Benjamin Sonntag was killed when he was struck by the driver of a pickup Wednesday afternoon.

A writer for Singletracks recounts the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo mountain bike endurance race through Sonoran Desert north of Tucson.

Bicycling sings the praises of the European Spring Classics, which may or may not even happen this year.

 

Finally

You may want to wipe down that bikeshare seat first. When you care enough to get the most expensive bike accessories, if not the very best.

And when you’re riding bikes with an outstanding warrant, don’t run the stop sign — and don’t toss your drugs when there’s a helicopter overhead.

………

Thanks to Margaret W for her annual donation to support this site, and keep bringing you SoCal’s best bike news every morning. 

 

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

37-year old man killed riding bike in Chino collision

February 2, 2020 / / One comment

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.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

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

January 29, 2020 / / 7 comments

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.

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

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

January 28, 2020 / / One comment

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.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

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

January 26, 2020 / / 3 comments

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.

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

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

January 21, 2020 / / One comment

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.

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

Update: Bike rider murdered in Arleta hit-and-run; first LA bicycling death of 2020

January 20, 2020 / / One comment

They call it hit-and-run.

I call it murder.

According to the LA Daily News, a man was killed riding his bike in the Arleta neighborhood of Northwest Los Angeles, in what appears to be the first fatal bicycling collision this year.

And almost needless to say, driver fled the scene, leaving his victim bleeding in the street.

The crash occurred on Branford Street west of Arleta Avenue around 7 pm last night.

The victim, identified only as a 30-year old man pending notification of relatives, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Police are looking for the driver of a light-colored Mercedes sedan. No further information was given for the car or the heartless coward who stepped on the gas instead of stopping and rendering aid, as required by law.

And no explanation was given for why the police asked for the public’s help in finding the driver, yet once again failed to use the hit-and-run alert systems established by both the City of Los Angeles and the State of California.

As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run within the city — not $25,000, as this story, or the other two virtually identical stories containing the same error, suggests.

Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD Valley Traffic Division at 818-644-8022.

When they find this driver — or any other killer hit-and-run driver — they should be subject to a second-degree murder charge. Because the crash may have been unintentional, but the decision to leave their victim dying in the street wasn’t.

This is at least the second bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the first in the City of Los Angeles. That compares to at least 17 in the city last year, and 34 for the county.

And leaves us with a 100% hit-and-run rate for fatal bike crashes this year.

Update: KCBS-2 has identified the victim as 36-year old Los Angeles resident Jesus “Gallo” Urbina; he was married with two sons, nine and six. 

Urbina, who had recently been homeless, was taking water to his friends on the street when he was killed. 

As a friend of his described the hit-and-run, “That’s heartless. That’s demonic. That’s evil.”

That sounds about right.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD detectives at 818/644-8022.

A ghost bike will be installed at the location this Thursday. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jesus “Gallo” Urbina and all his family and loved ones.

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