Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

Breaking news: Bike rider killed on 5 Freeway in Santa Ana

May 31, 2014 / / 20 comments

This one doesn’t make a lot of sense.

According to the Orange County Coroner’s office, a male bike rider was killed while riding on the 5 Freeway in Santa Ana last night.

The collision took place on the southbound I-5 north of 4th Street just before 11 pm, when the rider was struck by multiple vehicles. The victim has not been publicly identified; no word on whether authorities know who he was, or if it is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

No information is given for how the collision occurred, or whether he was riding on the shoulder or in the traffic lanes. However, there is an exit ramp at 4th; if he was attempting to continue on the freeway it would have put him in the path of exiting vehicles.

And no explanation is given for what he was doing on the freeway at that hour. Or at all.

Hopefully more information will become available later that will shed light on this troubling case.

This is the 43rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth in Orange County; that compares to just two in the county this time last year. And he is the fifth cyclist to be killed in Santa Ana in the last 36 months.

Update: It gets even stranger.

According to the Orange County Register, 21-year old Tustin resident Jordan Ames was riding south in the center carpool lane — not the right shoulder — when he veered in front of traffic and was hit by a Honda CRV. He was then thrown into the main traffic lanes, where he was hit multiple times.

How he even got to the car pool lane on a busy freeway — let alone what he was doing there — is still to be determined. A lot of questions will have to be answered before this one makes any sense.

Meanwhile, a commenter describes coming on the scene in the immediate aftermath of the crash. But be warned, the description is very graphic; you may not want to read it.

 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jordan Ames and his loved ones.

Thanks to James Johnson of Johnson Attorneys Group for the heads-up.

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

Whittier rider dies of injuries suffered in Downey collision last month

May 29, 2014 / / 4 comments
Ghost bike in memory of Sal Sahagun; photo by Danny Gamboa

Ghost bike in memory of Sal Sahagun; photo by Danny Gamboa

Most bicycling collisions never make the news.

Even when they do, there’s seldom any follow-up. So we may never know if an injured rider made a full recovery or succumbed to his or her injuries days or weeks after the collision.

And no one other than a handful of people close to the victim will ever know.

That’s exactly what happened when a bike rider was critically injured in a collision with a big rig truck in Downey last month.

According to the Los Cerritos News, a 46-year old Whittier resident was hit while he was riding his bike at the intersection of Florence and Fairford Avenues around 8 am on Friday, April 25th. A satellite view shows a busy intersection leading to a freeway onramp, with heavy truck traffic visible in the photo.

No word on how the collision occurred; however, at that hour, he was most likely riding to work. The paper reports the driver was not charged, though the investigation was ongoing at the time.

Then no further word until someone reached out to the LACBC last week, asking for help in honoring a co-worker who had passed away recently after being injured in a collision on April 25th. However, they couldn’t find any information confirming the death, and reached out to me to see if I’d heard anything.

Sadly, that news came today, when a family member confirmed that Sal Sahagun has died of the injuries he suffered in that April 25th collision.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to get more details later.

This is the 42nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Sal Sahagun and all his family and loved ones.

Thanks to Colin Bogart for the heads-up.

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

80-year old Long Beach bike rider killed in collision with medical van

May 27, 2014 / / 10 comments

Would an 80-year old bike rider really run a red light?

That’s what we’re being asked to believe, after a cyclist lost his life on a Long Beach intersection Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, 80-year old Long Beach resident Mariano Carasaquit Libron was riding in the crosswalk on eastbound 16th Street, attempting to cross Long Beach Boulevard, when he was hit by a medical van.

The collision occurred at 1:27 pm as Libron reportedly ran the red light in front of the southbound transport vehicle driven by a 24-year old Long Beach resident. The Orange County Register reports responding officers found him lying unconscious in the roadway; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The satellite view shows a very wide six lane intersection, divided by two railroad tracks and a center median.

While anyone can make a mistake, it seems to strain credibility that an 80-year old man conservative enough to ride in a crosswalk — and presumably, on the sidewalk leading up to it — would blow through a light directly in front of oncoming traffic.

What seems far more likely is that the light may have changed while a slow-riding Libron was already in the intersection, and the transport driver somehow failed to see the rider directly in front of him after the light turned green as he approached the corner.

It’s also possible that the driver of the van may have been the only surviving witness; unless there were independent witnesses, investigators only have his word that the light was green.

Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Collision Investigation Detail Detective Steve Fox at 562/570-7355.

This is the 40th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th in Los Angeles County. This is also the eighth bike rider to die in Long Beach in the last four years.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Mariano Libron and all his loved ones.

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

Bike rider killed in Riverside collision; eighth bicycling fatality in Riverside County this year

May 15, 2014 / / 8 comments

More bad news for Bike Week.

According to the Press-Enterprise, a forty-year old bike rider was attempting to cross Van Buren Ave Blvd at Doolittle Ave in Riverside around 10:15 pm Wednesday when he was hit by a late-model Ford traveling north in the center lane.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified pending notification of next of kin, was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:30 pm.

The Riverside County coroner lists the victim’s age as 32, and places the location as 1600 feet north of Arlington Ave.

While the article makes no mention of which way the victim was riding, Doolittle does not cross Van Buren, so he could only have been riding east. No explanation is given for why he was attempting to cross the road; however, he may have been trying to reach the bike lane on the northbound side and wasn’t able to get across the the six-lane boulevard in time.

A street view shows a 55 mph speed limit north of Arlington. Whether the driver may have been speeding or the victim simply misjudged his ability to cross before oncoming traffic caught up to is yet to be determined.

This is the 39th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth already this year in Riverside County, compared to just two this time last year.

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

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

62-year old bike rider killed in Oxnard collision Monday morning

May 14, 2014 / / 3 comments

This is not the news anyone wanted for a week celebrating bicycles.

According to the Ventura County Star, 62-year old Oxnard resident Jose Ricardo Marin was hit by an SUV driven by a 75-year old woman around 10:30 Monday morning, at the intersection of A Street and Deodar Ave in Oxnard. He was declared dead at the scene.

The SUV was headed west on Deodar when it struck Marin’s bike; no word on where he was positioned on the roadway or what direction he was riding. The driver, identified only as a Newbury Park resident, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

Sad that something like that must be noted in this age when so many drivers flee following a wreck.

A satellite view shows a quiet residential street which serves as a westbound exit route for a PCH offramp, suggesting the driver may have been exiting the freeway.

The paper also notes that Marin was not wearing a helmet, even though the cause of death has not yet been established, and there is no suggestion that he suffered a head injury.

For anyone unclear on the subject, a helmet can provide valuable protection against head injuries, but does absolutely nothing to prevent injury to any other part of the body, and is not designed to offer protection against impacts over 12.5 mph. If it could not have prevented the fatal injuries, whether or not a cyclist is wearing one is no more relevant that if he was wearing boxers or briefs.

This is the 38th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, compared to 25 this time last year, and the second in Ventura County. Marin is also at least the 6th person to lose his life while riding in Oxnard in just the past five years.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Ricardo Marin and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the heads-up.

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

Bike rider reportedly dies weeks after South Bay dooring

May 1, 2014 / / 8 comments

Sadly, word is just filtering in that a bicyclist died earlier this month, weeks after he was doored while riding in the South Bay.

Terrance Owen Brooks died while riding on April 12th, reportedly the result of a blood clot that may have resulted from the dooring a couple weeks earlier. I’m told Brooks was examined at a hospital following the collision, and released after doctors found only contusions.

However, his broken helmet suggests he may have needed a more extensive neurological examination than he received. It’s difficult to say conclusively that the clot resulted from the dooring, but it seems likely.

Brooks reportedly was a bike racer; however, I have been unable to find information about him online. Michael Eisenberg quotes his memorial card as saying:

His most recent accomplishment was placing number 2 out of 42,000 contestants worldwide and number 1 in the USA in the Anchor (cycling) Challenge in December 2013 sponsored by Strava.

He was 49 years old.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any other information at this time. If anyone has more details, please leave a comment below or email the address on the About page.

This is the 37th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and 15th in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Terrance Owen Brooks and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Michael Eisenberg for the information. 

Update: In a comment below, Serge Issakov points us to Brooks’ Strava page. Very sad to see that low total for April, knowing the reason why.

I’m told Brooks may also have been known as Terrance Jackson; Issakov suggests this may be his Facebook page. If so, the last entry from him is dated April 4th.

Update 2: A comment from Brook’s fiancé places the date of the original dooring as April 5th, and confirms that her died of a seizure while riding one week later. And that the hospital failed to perform a neurological exam, despite his broken helmet.

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

Update: Dana Point bike rider killed in suspected DUI collision

April 30, 2014 / / 3 comments

Yet another bike rider has lost his life to a suspected drunk driver.

According to the Orange County Register, the 30-something victim, whose name has been withheld pending notification of next of kin, was riding south on PCH in Dana Point around 11:14 last night when he was hit from behind. The car, a 2001 Acura, then overturned, injuring both of the people inside.

The victim was pronounced death at the scene, while the driver and his passenger were both taken to a local hospital with head trauma. And yes, alcohol use is suspected of playing a role in the collision.

The collision occurred on PCH near Green Lantern; a satellite view shows a clearly marked, if intermittent, bike lane, with a posted 35 mph speed limit. The story does not say which side of Green Lantern it happened on.

This is the 36th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth in Orange County; that compares with just two in the county this time last year.

At least three of the Orange County deaths have involved drugs or alcohol, compared to a quarter of the deaths throughout Southern California.

Update: The victim has been identified as 38-year old Dana Point resident Haitham Gamal. The driver has been identified only as a 19-year old Dana Point man; his passenger was 18.

As an underage driver, any alcohol in the blood would be a violation of the law.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Haitham Gamal and his loved ones.

Thanks to James Johnson of the Johnson Attorneys Group for the heads-up.

 

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

Update: Bike rider killed in Riverside County; 2nd IE death today

April 25, 2014 / / One comment

Word is just coming in that a second Inland Empire bike rider has lost his life today, this time in Canyon Lake.

According to the Press-Enterprise, the victim was struck by a vehicle shortly before 10 am in the eastbound lanes of Railroad Canyon Road near Blackhorse Drive, a street described as a virtual freeway. A satellite view shows what appears to be a bike lane in both directions.

He died sometime later at a nearby hospital.

No other information is available at this time, including the name or any description of the victim.

This is the 35th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh already this year in Riverside County, compared to just two this time last year.

Update: The victim has been identified only as a man in his 60s. 

Update 2: The Valley News identifies the still unnamed victim as a 61-year old Menifee resident, and places the location in Perris, on the 3100 block of Railroad Canyon Road. According to the paper, he was attempting to cross the eastbound lanes from the center median when he was struck by a car driven by a 21-year old Yucaipa resident. 

A Riverside County Sheriff’s sergeant reports that the victim suffered major head trauma and internal injuries, despite wearing a helmet.

It’s important to note that while bike helmets can provide protection in solo falls and low speed impacts, they are not designed to protect against high speed collisions, and offer no protection against injuries to any other part of the body. 

While I am a firm believer in helmet use, they should be considered a last line of defense. It’s far better to avoid collisions than to count on your helmet to protect you.

Update 3: The coroner’s office has identified the victim as 61-year old Conrad Pasco of Menifee.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Conrad Pasco and his family. 

Thanks to Zak for the heads-up.

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

Bike rider killed in San Bernardino County hit-and-run

April 25, 2014 / / 2 comments

Another bike rider has lost his life to a hit-and-run driver, this time in Eastvale in San Bernardino County.

According to the San Bernardino Sun, the victim was riding south on Hamner Ave at Limonite Ave when he was struck by a car at 12:12 am. For a change, the paper notes that the rider, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, had the right-of-way.

He was taken to the Kaiser Ontario Medical Center, where he died at 1:50 am.

A brief notice from the San Bernardino County Coroner’s office adds a little more information.

The victim, identified only as an adult white male, was crossing Limonite in the crosswalk when he was struck by a dark colored four door sedan headed west on Limonite. A satellite view shows a major intersection controlled by a traffic signal, with a crosswalk in each direction.

The description of the vehicle, combined with the statement that the victim had the right-of-way, makes it clear there was at least one witness to the collision. The wreck is under investigation by the Eastvale Police Department.

This is the 34th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, compared to just 19 this time last year, and the fourth in San Bernardino County. Eight of those SoCal deaths have been the result of hit-and-run.

Update: The Press-Enterprise reports the driver fled west on Limonite before turning south on Scholar Way. Anyone with information is urged to call the Jurupa Valley sheriff’s station at 951-955-2600.

Update 2: The victim has been identified as 21-year old Troy Davids, who was riding home from work when he was killed. Police are still looking for the suspect, who reportedly ran the red light before striking Davids.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Troy Davids and his loved ones.

Thanks to James Johnson of Johnson Attorneys Group for the heads-up. 

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

Breaking News: 16-year old bike rider killed in Florence hit-and-run

April 19, 2014 / / 6 comments
Ghost bike being prepared for Adrian Chavez Jr; photo by Danny Gamboa.

Ghost bike being prepared for Adrian Chavez Jr; photo by Danny Gamboa.

Word is just coming in that a bike rider was killed in a hit-and-run in the Florence neighborhood in South LA yesterday.

According to the Daily News, the 16-year old victim, whose name has not been released, was riding south on the 6700 block of Converse Ave when he was hit by an unidentified vehicle around 3:35 pm. The driver was reportedly speeding, and apparently hit the victim with the side of his car before fleeing.

The victim suffered major injuries, and died at a nearby hospital.

No other information is available at this time.

This is the 33rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 14th in the County of Los Angeles; that compares to nine in the county this time last year. He is also the 4th bike rider to die in the City of LA this year — two of which have been hit-and-runs.

Update: The victim has been identified as Adrian Chavez Jr.

Correction: Due to a database error, there was an error in the fatality totals in the initial version of this story. The last paragraph has been corrected to reflect the actual totals.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Adrian Chavez Jr and his family.

Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the heads-up.

……..

Note: As tragic as this case is, and as frightening as it is to read about things like this, let’s not forget that bicycling is a relatively safe activity. Your risk of suffering any kind of injury requiring medical attention on any given ride is just one in 77,000; the risk of death is only one in 6.3 million. And you are twice as likely to be killed in a motor vehicle as you are on a bike on an hourly basis.

So don’t let stories like this scare you off your bike. Let’s all focus on riding safely and defensively, and encouraging motorists to do the same so every bike rider can return home safely, every time.

And lets do whatever we can to get dangerous drivers off the streets and bring heartless cowards like this who leave their victims bleeding in the street to justice, and ensure they never drive again.

 

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