Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

Update: Baldwin Park cyclist killed in apparent solo fall

May 7, 2012 / / One comment

According to reports from the CHP, a cyclist has died in Baldwin Park after an apparent solo fall.

Reading between the lines in the rather cryptic dispatch feed, a 45 to 50-year old Hispanic man fell and hit his head on sidewalk at 14049 Don Julian Road, apparently suffering a fatal head injury.

Why he fell off his bike is unknown.

While the dispatch feed suggests he may have hit the curb, it simply mean that he landed on the sidewalk. It’s entirely possible that he fell on his own, or was forced into the curb by a passing car; there’s simply not enough information to make an informed guess.

It also doesn’t say whether he was wearing a helmet. However, a relatively slow speed fall like this appears to have been exactly the sort of impact bike helmets were design to protect against.

This is the 19th cyclist killed in Southern California this year, and the fifth in Los Angeles County; this is also the third fatality this year resulting from an apparent solo fall.

My prayers to the victim and his loved ones.

Update: The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that the victim has been identified as 47-year old Louis H. Esparza of La Puente, and identifies the location as unincorporated Bassett in L.A. County. According to the paper, he was riding east on the sidewalk when he somehow hit a raised metal mailbox and fell into the street, sliding forward and striking his head on the curb.

And no, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. In this case, it may have cost Esparza his life. 

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

Driver arraigned in death of cyclist Carol Schreder; a light charge is better than no charge at all. Right?

April 30, 2012 / / 10 comments

Ghost bike installed on Mulholland Highway for cyclist and Hollywood producer Carol Schreder; photo courtesy of Chris Willig.

Maybe we’ll see justice for Carol Schreder after all.

Or some justice, anyway.

After months of being told the cycling death of Hollywood producer and cyclist Carol Schreder was nothing more than an unfortunate accident, I’ve been informed that a charge of misdemeanor vehicular homicide will be filed.

Correction — has already been filed, in apparent secrecy and without the knowledge of her family and friends.

Last week, I received an email telling me that the driver, Stafford Drake Taylor, was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday. Then over the weekend, I got another email from the same source letting me know that the arraignment actually took place last Thursday, with no one close to the case informed of it — even after it was over.

Then again, I’m told they were never officially invited to the planned Monday arraignment, either.

So much for keeping the victim’s family in the loop.

Then there’s the question of why authorities suddenly decided to file charges. And why they settled for a misdemeanor charge when there were numerous reports that Taylor was speeding and driving recklessly in the moments leading up to the collision.

Sources who have seen the CHP collision report tell me the vehicle that killed Schreder was a jacked-up 1989 Ford Econoline van pulling a brakeless, owner modified trailer; one person describes the rig as looking like something out of a Mad Max movie.

The report indicates that Schreder was riding on the right shoulder of Mulholland Highway west of Kanan Road, wearing a helmet and bright colored clothing.

According to the report, Taylor initially told police at the scene he was following about four car lengths behind a green Toyota at about 20 to 30 miles per hour when he saw the car ahead slow for a cyclist riding about three feet to the left of the solid white line. Taylor reported that he jammed on his brakes and cut to the right in an attempt to avoid the car and Schreder’s bike, causing his rig to jackknife and strike Schreder.

The next day, Taylor came into the CHP station to clarify his statement to police. Now, he said, he was traveling at approximately 45 mph, following the car ahead by four car lengths or less, while the cyclist was now riding six feet to the left of the white line.

When the Toyota slowed, he said he had to react quickly so he jammed on his brakes and cut to the right, somehow thinking he could slide past the truck and cyclist on their right. Instead, he claimed Schreder moved back to the right when the Toyota apparently startled her, placing her directly in his path.

According to Taylor, he had slowed to about 30 mph when the trailer jackknifed and he hit Schreder with the left front of his jacked-up van, come to rest on the right curb on top of her bicycle.

The CHP notes that Taylor’s truck left a number of skid marks as long as 106 feet, which would indicate a high rate of speed, despite being just a few hundred feet from a controlled interesection. And despite previous speculation that the collision could have been caused by the windy conditions that day, the report indicates that wind was not a factor.

The traffic collision report indicates that a number of cyclists were stopped at the scene when the officers arrived, including a physician who performed CPR until the paramedics arrived — confirming a comment on the original story.

Yet the CHP didn’t interview any of the riders at the scene, or even take their names for possible follow-up later. And I’ve heard from people who attempted to contact the CHP to tell them they’d seen the van driving dangerously prior to the collision — including a cyclist who was nearly hit by the same van just moments earlier — only to be turned away without being allowed to talk to anyone.

In fact, according to the collision report, the only witness the police spoke to was the driver of the Toyota, who described seeing Taylor’s van approaching from behind at a high rate of speed before watching it hit Schreder’s bike.

Maybe I’m confused.

I understand that police can’t file a misdemeanor charge unless they either witness it themselves or can deduce from the physical evidence just what happened. But doesn’t it make sense to talk to all the witnesses and gather as much information as possible before deciding what charges to file?

If Taylor was driving as recklessly as the witnesses have claimed, shouldn’t that suggest a felony charge, with a possible sentence of two to 10 years in state prison, rather than the relative slap on the wrist of up to one year in county jail for the misdemeanor count?

And why all the apparent secrecy and attempts to keep Schreder’s family and close friends out of the loop? Especially when the families of other victims have complemented the DA’s office for going out of their way to keep them informed and a part of the process.

It makes me wonder if there’s already a plea deal in the works and they don’t want objections from the family to get in the way.

Trust me, I’m pleasantly surprised that charges are finally in the works. Although stunned might be a better word.

But mad as hell that it looks like yet another driver may get off with a minimal sentence, while his innocent victim gets the death penalty.

Yes, a slap on the wrist is better than nothing at all.

But cyclists are going to keep on dying if authorities don’t start taking dangerous killer drivers seriously.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Injuries and Fatalities, Legal Cases / Tags: , , , , , ,

Cyclist killed walking bike across San Gabriel River railroad bridge in City of Industry

April 28, 2012 / / 6 comments

A cyclist was killed by a train in the City of Industry Saturday afternoon.

According to the Pasadena Star-News, a Hispanic man in his mid-40s was walking his bike east on a railroad bridge over the San Gabriel River west of Temple Avenue around 4:55 pm when the conductor of a Union Pacific freight train saw him and sounded the train’s horn.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, tried to outrun the train, but was hit and killed.

It’s never a good idea to ride or walk along train tracks — especially not on railroad bridges, where there’s no escape route if a train comes along. Too often, the results are needlessly tragic, as it was in this case.

This is the 18th cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in Los Angeles County.

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

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

Update: Cyclist killed in Hersperia as a deadly month continues

April 25, 2012 / / 8 comments

A surprisingly safe March has given way to a bloody April.

After suffering just one cycling fatality last month, we’ve already seen six cyclists die on Southern California streets and trails this month, with five fatalities in just the last 10 days.

The latest is 34-year old Ryan D. Foster of Hesperia, who was killed last night while trying to cross Escondido Ave just north of Hollister Street. According to multiple reports, he was hit by a southbound 2002 Honda Accord around 10:19 pm.

That’s it.

None of the articles I’ve found — all of which appear to be based on a press release from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s department, which does not seem to be available on the department’s virtually useless website — contain any more information, except that sheriff’s deputies are investigating the crash.

In fact, they seemed to be competing to see who could tell the story in the least amount of words, ranging from a measly 52 to a whopping 79.

Looking at a satellite photo, the bike lane on Escondido ends at Hollister Street. Foster could have been riding north and trying to cross over to the wide sidewalk on the west side. Or, based on the limited description, he could just have easily been riding south on the sidewalk and trying to make a left onto Hollister.

Or just plain crossing the street.

We may never know.

We also may never know if the driver was speeding, drunk and/or distracted, or a cautious, law-abiding motorist who did everything in his or her power to avoid the collision.

Hopefully, the papers will follow up with information about who the victim was, beyond a mere name and age, as well as how the collision occurred.

Because Ryan Foster and his family deserve more than 79 words.

This is the 17th cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second in San Bernardino County.

My prayers and sympathy for Ryan Foster and his family and friends.

Update: This is starting to look like a case where the victim may have been at fault. The High Desert Daily Press reports that Foster was riding without lights or “adequate” reflectors at that late hour, and that witnesses saw him ride directly into the path of the Honda. 

The site also suggests that police officials suspect drugs or alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the crash; since the driver was not arrested at the scene, that implies that Foster may have been under the influence. 

However, given that the crash seems to have been a full-impact collision at speed, the fact that Foster wasn’t wearing a helmet was probably not a factor in his death.

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

Update: Mountain biker dies of apparent dehydration on Palm Springs trail

April 21, 2012 / / 2 comments

Motor vehicles aren’t always the biggest threat cyclists face.

According to the Palm Springs Desert Sun, a pair of cyclists were riding on a mountain trail above Araby Cove south of the city around 1:45 Saturday afternoon when one rider collapsed in the near-record 105 degree temperature.

A CHP helicopter that was already in the area responding to another call dropped off a Palms Springs Fire Department paramedic before going on to rescue an injure hiker. The victim was declared dead at the scene, apparently as a result of dehydration, though the official cause of death is still under investigation.

The helicopter later returned to pick up the body of the victim, who has not been publicly identified, as well as his uninjured companion.

The sad part is, this may have been preventable.

It’s vital to carry sufficient water and keep hydrated when riding, especially in hot weather. And even rides that start out cool can turn dangerously hot as the day progresses. It’s always better to err on the side of carrying too much water than not enough.

This is the 15th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in Riverside County.

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

Update: The victim has been identified as 40-year old Johnny Lee of Placentia. He was riding around the 1,300 foot level; the official temperature was upgraded to 107 degrees, tying the record set in 1958.

Fire officials urge extreme caution in temperatures that high. Lee was the fourth cyclist to die in the Southern California region last week.

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

Palm Springs cyclist dies in collateral damage collision; 2nd fatality today, 3rd this week

April 18, 2012 / / 13 comments

Some drivers will tell you they’ve never seen a cyclist stop for a red light.

Yesterday, proving them wrong cost a 49-year old Palm Springs man his life.

Donald McCluskey was stopped at the red light on southbound Da Vall Drive at Ramon Road in Rancho Mirage around 12:15 pm Wednesday when a 2010 Chrysler Town and County minivan traveling in the opposite direction ran the red light.

The van overturned after it was hit by a 1998 GMC Sierra pickup traveling west on Ramon, plowing into McCluskey, as well as the car stopped next to him. He was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1:40 pm.

Remarkably, Larry Wayne Goodman of Cathedral City, the driver who had the green light — not the one who ran the red light — was arrested at the scene for driving under the influence. No word on the identity of the Chrysler driver, who was hospitalized with moderate injuries, or why he blew through the light.

In other words, the two people who caused the collision were both breaking the law, while the person who died as a result of their actions apparently did everything right.

This is the 14th cycling fatality in Southern California since the first of the year, and the third in Riverside County. It is also the second bike death today, and the third in the last seven days.

My deepest sympathy to Donald McCluskey and his loved ones.

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

Update: Cyclist killed in San Diego; 3rd SoCal bike fatality this month

April 18, 2012 / / 5 comments

Word is just coming in that a bicyclist was killed near San Diego State University this afternoon.

Details are pending; however, the collision is variously reported to have occurred sometime around 3:30 to 3:45 pm on Montezuma Road near Collwood Blvd. The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was reportedly riding east in the bike lane on Montezuma when he was hit from behind by a Chrysler SUV.

The driver stayed at the scene and called authorities to report the collision. Police report no drugs or alcohol were involved.

Photos from the scene show the victim’s bike on the sidewalk, as well as a shrouded body several feet off the road; San Diego 6 reports his body was recovered from a ravine, which would suggest a high speed impact.

This is the 13th cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 3rd this month, after just one in March; it’s also the 3rd bicycling death in San Diego since the first of the year. Yesterday I inadvertently wrote that Larry Schellhase was the 10th cyclist killed this year; his death was actually the 12th.

My prayers and sympathy for the victim and his loved ones. Thanks to Bill Davidson for calling this to my attention.

Update: The San Diego Union-Tribune puts the time of the collision at 3:34 pm, and confirms that the victim was riding in the bike lane. Meanwhile, Sam Ollinger of Bike San Diego forwards word that the area has a long history for speeding drivers.

Update 2: The victim has been identified as 63-year old Charles Raymond Gilbreth; he was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:52 pm. The San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office reports that he was married and lived within the city of San Diego; the report confirms that he was hit by an SUV and thrown onto the side of the road.

A comment on Bike San Diego says that the SUV driver became impatient following behind a bus, and used the bike lane to go around it; the writer says the SUV hit Gilbreth’s bike and threw him in front of the bus, which then ran over him. However, it’s important to note that the description of the rider being run over by a bus doesn’t fit with the ME’s report, or explain why his body was found off the side of the road instead of than within the traffic lanes as would be expected under such circumstances.

Hopefully the SDPD will release more information when their investigation is complete, and the press will follow-up so we can understand what actually happened and why.

………

Meanwhile, Carlos Morales of the Eastside Bike Club forwards word that L.A. police are on the lookout for a hit-and-run driver who left a 60-year old cyclist critically injured.

On April 7, 2012, at 6:25 p.m., a 60-year-old male was riding his bicycle southbound on Duarte Street at 57th Street, when he was struck by a vehicle traveling southbound on Duarte Street. The suspect fled without rending aid to the victim. The victim is hospitlaized at a local hospital in critical condition.

If you have information to report that could help lead to an arrest in this crime/crime activity, please contact the police at (213) 972-1825.

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

Update: Cyclist dies from injuries received in solo Redondo Beach collision

April 17, 2012 / / 5 comments

One of the metal objects that may have caused Larry Schellhase to fall.

I’ve just received word that a long-time member of the Los Angeles Wheelmen died on as a result of a solo collision last week.

According to an email that was forwarded to me, Larry Schellhase was riding with his wife Cathy and some friends in Redondo Beach on Thursday. As they were riding on Catalina just south of Emerald, not far from the pier, Larry apparently hit some metal debris that was laying in the roadway and went over his handlebars.

The writer reports that he landed face first and motionless on the roadway, bleeding from the nose and barely breathing. Paramedics arrived within minutes and began manual CPR before taking Larry to the hospital, along with his wife.

Were these clamps used to secure a nearby termite treatment tent?

Unfortunately, he died on Sunday, reportedly as a result of a broken neck.

What appears to be Larry Shellhase’s Facebook page lists him as a graduate of Lynwood High and Cal State LA in 1961 and 1966, respectively. Meanwhile, the L.A. Wheelmen’s website shows him as the 2008 winner of the Jack Flynn Trophy for “long-time service to the club and to cycling.”

I’ve reached out to the author of the email for permission to use what he wrote, as well as photos of the debris that apparently caused the collision.

This is the 12th cycling fatality in Southern California this year, compared with 20 traffic-related cycling deaths this time last year, and the second in Los Angeles County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Larry Schellhase, and all his family and loved ones.

Update: Redondo Beach Patch confirms that the 68-year old Schellhase died as a result of injuries to his head and neck. Police are seeking witness; anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Bill Turner at 310-379-2477 extension 2721 or email him at bill.turner@redondo.org.

Jim Hannon, president of the South Bay Bicycle Coalition, forwards word that one of their members thinks the metal objects that Schellhase ran into may have been clamps used to secure the tent for a recent termite treatment on Catalina Ave.

Update 2: I mistakenly wrote that this was the 10th cycling fatality in in Southern California this year; it’s actually the 12th.

Update 3: The Daily Breeze reports on Schellhase’s death, placing the time of the collision at 12:40 pm; he was on his way back from a regular Thursday morning ride from the Marina to Rat Beach in Torrance when he fell.

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

Update — salmon San Diego cyclist killed after being hit by multiple vehicles

March 22, 2012 / / 10 comments

You knew it couldn’t last.

After going the first three weeks of March without a single SoCal cycling fatality, San Diego’s KFMB-8 reports that a bicyclist has been killed this morning.

The rider, identified only as a white male, was traveling against traffic on eastbound Balboa Avenue at the I-805 onramp shortly after 7 am when he was hit by a Ford Expedition, followed by two other vehicles.

While facing traffic may seem safer to some people, it dramatically reduces reaction times while increasing the force of impact in any collision. Despite the presence of either a bike lane or painted shoulder on Balboa, drivers would have had no way of anticipating a cyclist riding the wrong way on the roadway, with virtually no time to react before hitting the rider.

This is the 10th cycling fatality in Southern California this year and the 2nd in San Diego, following a disastrous year in which 12 riders were killed in San Diego County in 2011 — nearly twice the county’s six-year average of 6.8 cycling deaths per year.

Update: The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the first driver to hit the victim said she had the sun in her eyes as she entered the roadway, and never saw the rider; she pulled over after feeling the impact. The paper also notes that the victim was killed on impact and wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Note to Union-Tribune — bike helmets are designed to offer protection at impact speeds up to just 12.5 mph; at speeds significantly above that, it doesn’t really matter whether the rider is wearing a helmet or a propeller beanie. Not to mention the rider was hit three separate times, by three separate vehicles; if you can find a helmet that would make a damn bit of difference under those circumstances, let us all know so we can buy one.

Update 2: The Union-Tribune identifies the victim as 29-year old David Ortiz of Pacific Beach; thanks to billsd for the link.

Comments below suggest that the police got it wrong, pointing out that Ortiz would have been riding east from Pacific Beach to his work, rather than the other way around — which means he would have been on the right side of the road riding with traffic. 

And that would make it a completely different matter; instead of the rider being at fault, the first driver who hit him should bear responsibility for breaking the basic speed law by driving too fast for conditions; if she couldn’t see, she should have slowed down until she could.

Update 3: Bike San Diego offers a good follow-up on this case, agreeing with the commenters that Ortiz had been riding with traffic, rather than against it. And suggesting that this may be yet another case of San Diego police jumping to a false conclusion.

My prayers and sympathy for David Ortiz and his family and loved ones.

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

Breaking news — Stephanie Segal sentenced to 9 years for DUI death of cyclist James Laing

March 14, 2012 / / Comments Off on Breaking news — Stephanie Segal sentenced to 9 years for DUI death of cyclist James Laing

I’ve just received word that Stephanie Segal was sentenced today to nine years in state prison for the drunken hit-and-run death of popular cyclist James Laing.

Laing was riding in a designated bike lane on Agoura Hills Road on October 23rd, 2010, when a car driven by Segal drifted into his lane and hit him from behind before speeding off. Witnesses followed her car to a nearby parking lot where she was arrested with a blood alcohol level of .26 — over three times the legal limit.

According to an attorney who was in the Malibu courtroom, Segal was sentenced to four years for vehicular manslaughter, with a five year enhancement for leaving the scene.

From what I’ve been told, Segal never accepted responsibility for her actions; that, along with the heinous nature of her crime, may have contributed to the unusually stiff sentence.

Finally, a judge has treated the death of a cyclist with the seriousness it deserves. Judge Mira deserves our thanks for sending a strong message that fleeing the scene after killing another human being — especially when drunk — cannot and will not be tolerated by a civil society.

Now if only a few other judges would get the message.

If she serves her full term, Segal will be 53 years old when she gets out of prison.

Maybe by then she’ll finally grasp the needless heartache and loss she caused Laing’s widow, his brothers and sisters, and all those who knew him.

She is scheduled to begin her sentence on April 16th.

Update: The Ventura County Star offers a few more details, including word that Laing’s widow received a substantial settlement prior to the sentencing, according to her attorney, Oxnard-based Mark Hiepler.

“It is our hope that today’s nine-year sentence, as well as the civil accountability, will send a message to the community about the real life consequences of drunk driving,” he said. “The death of James Laing continues to produce an ongoing ripple effect in the lives of his wife, their families, the cycling community, and in the lives of each of his students who admired him.

“It also is our hope that this criminal sentence will force people to be more respectful of the rights of law-abiding bicyclists and cyclists,” Hiepler said.

Category: Bikes & the Law, Legal Cases / Tags: , , ,
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