Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

Update: Bike rider dies following Santee collision after allegedly veering into traffic

March 4, 2016 / / 5 comments

A woman has died after a collision in Santee in San Diego County.

According to the Union-Tribune, the victim, who has not been identified, was riding along the northbound curb on Cuyamaca Street near River Park Drive when she allegedly veered across two lanes of traffic. She was hit by a car, whose driver unsuccessfully swerved to avoid her.

The woman was conscious following the collision, but died after being taken to Sharps Memorial Hospital.

The time of the collision is in doubt, however; the U-T says it was just before noon, while San Diego’s KNSD-7 places it at 4:30 pm.

Police say the driver does not appear to be at fault.

This is the 23rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in San Diego County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 67-year old Margo Symmonds-Lavanway, who appears to have been homeless.

Update 2: The generous and well-loved woman was reportedly riding her bike to collect recyclables to raise money for people in need. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Margo Symmonds-Lavanway and her loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , ,

Update: Bike rider killed in early morning Victorville collision; SB County deaths already exceed total for all of last year

February 29, 2016 / / 12 comments

Yet another bicyclist has lost his life in Southern California, in what has been the worst start to the year in recent memory.

According to the Victor Valley News, a man with a bike was hit by an SUV around 2:30 this morning on the 13400 block of Mariposa Road, near the Southwest Gas Building.

First responders found a mangled bike next to the SUV, with the victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, still on the hood of the car; he was pronounced dead at the scene. The story says he was a pedestrian; however, while he may have been walking his bike, it’s not uncommon for police dispatches to refer to bicyclists as pedestrians.

A street view shows what appears to be a three lane road with two lanes eastbound and one headed west, with a center left turn lane. The photo included with the story appears to place the wreck in the westbound lane, next to the freeway.

No other details are available at this time.

This is the 22nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in San Bernardino County; that compares with just three in the county for all of last year.

This has been the deadliest first two months of the year for at least the last six years. In fact, last year it took until  until May 27th to reach that level in the seven county SoCal region.

Update: The victim has been identified as 16-year old Victorville resident Cesar Machuca Jr. Anyone with information urged to call San Bernardino Sheriff’s Deputies Sahagun or Haynes at 760/552-6800.

Update 2: The Victor Valley News reports the high school junior, who they identify as a Hesperia resident, was on his way home from his girlfriend’s house when he was rear-ended by the SUV’s driver. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Cesar Machuca Jr. and his loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , ,

Update: 66-year old bicyclist killed in Montclair hit-and-run

February 27, 2016 / / One comment

A bike rider has been killed in Montclair Friday night.

InlandNews reports Montclair police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run involving a bike, and shows a photo of a damaged bicycle lying in the street.

They add that the suspect vehicle is a dark blue truck.

No other details are available at this time. However, KNBC-4 has confirmed the death in a story that is not yet online.

This is the 21st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in San Bernardino County. That compares with eight in SoCal this time last year, and none in the county.

Update: The Daily Bulletin has identified the victim as 66-year old Montclair resident Dieu Van Nguyen. 

According to the paper, Nguyen was struck by a pickup shortly before 6:30 pm on the 4600 block of Kingsley Street. Police responding to the scene found him laying on the sidewalk; he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Authorities are looking for a full-sized, dark colored four-door pick-up with lights on the roof over the windshield. Anyone with information is urged to call the Montclair Police Department at 909/621-4771.

Update 2: Nguyen was on his way to visit a friend when he found fatally injured less than one mile from his home. The Vietnamese immigrant, who recently retired, leaves behind a wife, three children and two step-children.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Dieu Van Nguyen and his loved ones.

Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , , ,

Breaking news: Covina bike rider killed in collision with Metrolink train

February 23, 2016 / / One comment

A Covina cyclist has been killed in train collision.

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was struck by a Metrolink train at 1:38 this afternoon on Azusa Avenue near Northview High School.

Baldwin Park Patch places the collision Azusa and Front Street. Tracks are visible on a satellite view just north of Front, while crossing arms can be seen on the street.

No word on why the victim was on the tracks at the time of the collision.

Train collisions are the easiest type of wreck to avoid, since their route is predictable and both audible and visual warnings are given before they pass.

This is the 20th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth in LA County; this is also the second time a SoCal cyclist has been killed in a collision with a train this year.

My deepest sympathy for the victim and his or her loved ones.

Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up.

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

Update: Ventura bike rider killed in midnight hit-and-run

February 19, 2016 / / 11 comments

A Ventura bike rider has been left to die by a heartless and cowardly driver.

According to KABC-7, a male bike rider was hit by vehicle at Telegraph Road and Saticoy Avenue shortly after midnight today.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene; his identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The driver fled the scene, leaving his victim lying in the road, where he was found by police responding to the call.

No word yet on how the collision may have occurred.

A satellite view shows the area is a mixture of farmland and housing developments. There appears to be a substandard bike lane headed east on Telegraph, with only a fragmentary bike lane westbound at the intersection with Saticoy, giving way to a narrow shoulder to the west with a 50 mph speed limit. Meanwhile, Saticoy is marked as a bike route, with no improvements to the street.

Police are looking for a white, four door Nissan sedan with substantial front end damage. Anyone with information is urged to call the Ventura Police Department’s Traffic Unit at 805/339-4323.

This is the 19th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in Ventura County. That exceeds the total for all of last year in the county.

Update: The victim has been identified as 14-year old Jonathon Hernandez of Ventura; KABC-7 reports he was a football player at Buena High School in Ventura.

He was apparently riding at that hour because he was upset after an emotional family meeting to mark his sister’s birthday, who died of leukemia a few months earlier; family members did not know he had gone out. He had called friends to say was coming over because he needed to talk. 

Surveillance video shows he was struck by a white flatbed tow truck driving east on Telegraph, which should have major front end damage based on evidence at the scene.

He was then struck by a silver or light-colored SUV as he lay in the road, which also continued east on Telegraph without stopping.

Based on the description, the tow truck driver should face a murder charge once he’s apprehended, since Hernandez wouldn’t have been struck by the second vehicle if the driver had stopped as the law and basic human decency requires. Which does not absolve the second driver of his or her own responsibility. 

A fund has been established to pay for funeral expenses. As of this writing, it had raised nearly $6,000 of the $10,000 goal in just seven hours.

Update 2: Police have identified the driver of the tow truck as Martin Henderson, the owner/operator of a towing company that contracts with Ventura.

They say he had the right-of-way as Hernandez allegedly ran the red light; presumably they base that on the same surveillance video that showed the two collisions.

Regardless of who may have been at fault, it does not excuse leaving a young man to die on the street.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jonathon Hernandez and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to John Damman for the heads-up. 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , , ,

Formerly homeless man dies five weeks after Yorba Linda collision

February 17, 2016 / / One comment

When someone is injured while riding a bicycle, we often never find out what happened after they are rushed to the hospital.

Today we did. And the answer was not the one we wanted.

The Orange County Coroner announced that 52-year old Yorba Linda resident Angel Preciado passed away late Monday, five weeks after he was hit by a motor vehicle in Yorba Linda.

The Coroner’s release places the collision around 7:13 am on January 12th, at Imperial Highway east of Eureka Avenue.

According to the Orange County Register, he was riding in a crosswalk on Imperial when he was left crossed by a truck turning from southbound Eureka onto Imperial. He was taken UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he remained in a coma until he was pronounced dead at 10:30 pm Monday.

A satellite view shows crosswalks on both sides of Imperial. The description of the wreck would place Preciado in the east crosswalk; no word on which direction he was riding.

The Register reports the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.

Much will depend on how the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office interprets the law allowing cyclists to ride in a crosswalk. While state law permits crosswalk riding where bicyclists are allowed to ride on the sidewalk — which appears to be the case in Yorba Linda — it is often misinterpreted to say cyclists must walk in crosswalks or may only ride in the direction of traffic.

Preciado, who grew up in Venice Beach, was described as “an awesome, generous, loving guy,” who friends loved and could count on.

His roommate and best friend said they had both lived on the streets for some time before they were taken in by friends in Yorba Linda.

He said Preciado had borrowed a friends bike to run an errand; the next thing he knew, he was awakened by sheriff’s deputies dropping off the bike, which was unscathed.

This is the 17th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in Orange County. And it’s the first reported bicycling fatality in Yorba Linda in the past five years.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Angel Preciado and his loved ones.

 

 

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

Update: Teenage bike rider killed Monday afternoon in San Diego solo fall

February 15, 2016 / / 2 comments

A teenage San Diego boy has died as a result of a fall onto train tracks in the Encanto neighborhood this afternoon

According to KFMB CBS-8, the 14-year old, who has not been publicly identified, was riding down a steep hill at a high rate of speed when he hit a fence at 2:30 pm and was launched into the air, landing on the trolley tracks that run parallel to Imperial Avenue at 60th Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering massive head trauma.

He was not wearing a helmet. And yes, in this case, it matters.

The only hill visible in a street view is to the north on 60th, suggesting he was descending southbound and jumped the curb, striking the fence blocking access to the tracks.

Under California law, anyone under the age of 18 is required to wear a helmet while riding a bike. And solo falls like this are exactly what bike helmets are designed to protect against, though it’s possible that his speed may have exceeded the design limitations for a helmet.

KSWB Fox-5 suggests he landed in a way that a helmet may not have been much benefit.

This is the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in San Diego County; it’s also the second in the City of San Diego.

Update: The victim has been identified as Jose Guadalupe Hernandez Dominguez of San Diego.

However, the location has been changed to Imperial Ave and 61st Street, suggesting that he was riding down the hill from the north side of Imperial, not the south.

Multiple news reports indicate he was riding with a friend when he struck the curb and crashed through the guard rail, going airborne and landing hard on the tracks.

In a report unconfirmed by any other source, KGTV ABC10 says he and his companion were fleeing from a robbery attempt as they sped down the hill. 

The poorly written story alternately gives his age as 13 and 14, though, and says the two boys were riding along the trolly right-of-way, which is impossible since it runs along Imperial, rather than on 61st, and there is no significant hill in either direction on Imperial.

Update 2: CBS8 is confirming that Dominguez and his friend may have been fleeing from a group of men who robbed them.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Guadalupe Hernandez Dominguez and all his family and loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , , , ,

San Diego woman killed by alleged road raging, DUI hit-and-run driver

February 13, 2016 / / 2 comments

Sadly, a well-loved San Diego woman has died a day after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Mission Beach.

Sixty-nine-year old Maruta Gardner had reportedly gotten off her three-wheeled bike to remove some graffiti at the entrance to the jetty at 800 San Diego Place around 5:45 pm Friday, when an alleged road raging driver sped around to the right of another car, driving on the shoulder and slamming into Gardner.

She was hospitalized with a skull fracture and life threatening injuries, and passed away before 11 am Saturday.

The 23-year old driver, who has not been publicly identified, reportedly got out of his car to check the damage, and paused to look at Gardner before getting back into his car and speeding away. He was stopped by police a short distance later and was arrested suspicion of driving under the influence.

A retired educator, Gardner was well-loved within the local community, and recognized forgoing out of her way to help make it a better place. She had been honored by the city council last November for her years of service to the city.

She made a habit of riding her tricycle along the beach looking for graffiti with cleaning materials in tow.

Friday, it cost Gardner her life.

This is the 15th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second in San Diego County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Maruta Gardner and all her loved ones.

Thanks to Phillip Young for the heads-up.

 

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

Mountain biker dies of apparent heart attack in Crystal Cove State Beach

February 8, 2016 / / One comment

The Orange County Register is reporting that a mountain bike rider has died of natural causes in Crystal Cove State Beach.

The victim was riding in the park with a group of cyclists when he collapsed around 9 am Sunday.

His companions began CPR, and both paramedics, and a fire department flight medic lowered onto the trail attempted to resuscitate him from full cardiac arrest. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene after a prolonged effort to save his life.

This is the 13th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in Orange County; two of those have been the result of natural causes.

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

And condolences to his companions who tried to save his life.

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

Woman killed by drunk driver while walking bike across Sepulveda Blvd in Manhattan Beach

February 6, 2016 / / 12 comments

There’s something seriously wrong when a woman can’t even walk her bike across a street without getting killed by an underage drunk driver.

That’s exactly what happened in Manhattan Beach last night, according to the Daily Breeze.

Thirty-one year old Manhattan Beach resident Amory Borgens was crossing on the 400 block of S. Sepulveda Blvd about 12:20 this morning when she was hit by a speeding car. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died.

The 20-year old driver remained at the scene, and was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter.

However, it’s unclear exactly where the collision occurred, since the story places it near Tennyson Street, which would be the 600 block of South Sepulveda.

A satellite view shows no crosswalks in a four block stretch of the busy six-lane street between Artesia Blvd and Longfellow Drive. Regardless, a crosswalk is presumed to exist at every intersection not marked by a No Crossing sign, whether or not one has been painted on the street.

Intentionally or not, the article, which was written by the City News Service, indulges in a remarkable degree of victim blaming, stating it was a “crash between Borgens and a speeding 2003 Toyota Corolla,” and “Borgens was in the roadway when she was struck.”

It’s hard to cross any street without being in it. And she didn’t crash into anything, she was run down by a speeding car.

It should also be noted that the legal alcohol allowed for anyone under the age of 21 is zero.

This is the 12th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in Los Angeles County already this year. And it’s the first bicycling fatality in Manhattan Beach in at least the last five years.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Amory Borgens and all her loved ones.

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