Tag Archive for bicycling fatality

Cyclist killed in early morning North Hills hit-and-run; BOLO for dark blue SUV with front end damage

June 8, 2012 / / 11 comments

This is not the news any of us wanted to wake up to.

Numerous sources are reporting that a cyclist was killed early Friday in a North Hills hit-and-run, when a rider was hit from behind  on Nordhoff Street near Gaviota Avenue.

According to a release from the LAPD, the rider was riding eastbound near the curb when his bike was hit, throwing him onto the street and into a raised planter box in the Auto Zone parking lot; a witness report says he bounced off the SUV’s windshield.

According to both KABC-7 and KCBV-2, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was doing everything right when he was hit.

“This bicyclist did all the right things. Unfortunately, this accident occurred. I mean, he had a helmet on, the reflective vest, the bike headlights. He was an avid bicyclist. He had all the right things on,” said Capt. Ivan Minsal with the Los Angeles Police Department.

The avid bicyclist remark appears to stem from the fact that the victim was wearing bike shorts and appeared to be riding for exercise or recreation, despite the late hour.

Descriptions of the victim vary. The L.A. Times describes him only as a 53-year old male, while KABC-7 says he was a Hispanic man in his 50s or 60s; the LAPD release describes him as a whit male in his late 60s or early 70s.

Police are looking for a dark colored, possibly dark blue, Chevy Blazer or similar mid-size SUV with front end damage, most likely with a broken windshield.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department, Valley Traffic Detectives, Detective II James Deaton #24252 at 818 644-8035 or Detective III William Bustos #25029 at 818 644-8021 during normal business hours.

Police also note that you don’t have to reveal your identity.

After-hours calls may be directed to a 24-hours, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247). Callers may also text “Crimes” with a cell phone or log onto WWW.lapdonline.org and click on Web Tips. When using a cell phone, all messages should begin with “LAPD.” Tipsters may remain anonymous.

At least in this area, Nordhoff is essentially a six lane, high-speed throughway that encourages motorists to drive far above the speed limit, particularly in the late night hours when light traffic essentially allows drivers to go as fast as they want.

The new L.A. bike plan calls for bike lanes on Nordhoff, though I don’t find it on the five-year implementation plan. Hopefully, it will include a road diet to slow traffic speeds; otherwise, a simple line of paint wouldn’t do a damn thing to stop a driver who couldn’t seem to see a cyclist lit up like a Christmas tree.

And keep an eye out for an SUV that matches the description. Anyone who could do something like this and then heartlessly run away like the coward he or she is belongs behind bars.

This is the 23rd cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 7th in Los Angeles County; it’s the first bicycling death in the City of Los Angeles in 2012. This is also the fourth bike-related fatal hit-and-run in the seven county SoCal region this year.

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

Thanks to LAPD Deputy Chief Jorge Villegas for the heads-up.

Update: The LAPD has identified the victim as 76-year old Northridge resident Paul Albert Helfen; a $50,000 reward is being offered for the arrest and conviction of his killer.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Violence & Crime / Tags: , , , , ,

81-year old cyclist killed by semi-truck in Fillmore

June 7, 2012 / / One comment

An older bike rider has died after a collision, this time in Fillmore.

According to the Ventura County Star, 81-year old Gudalupe Cruz was hit by a tractor-trailer as he road through an intersection in Fillmore around 8:30 am on Wednesday. He was taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where he died later.

A dispatch from the Ventura County Sheriff Department states that the driver of the truck had stopped for a red light at the intersection of Ventura and C Streets, headed west on Ventura. When the light turned green, the driver, Victor Lieja, pulled forward just as Cruz entered the intersection on the wrong side of the street, apparently running the red light.

However, as always in such cases, the report should be taken with a grain of salt.

Unless there were independent witnesses to the collision, the only person able to tell police what happened is the driver involved. Cruz may or may not have seen things differently if he’d been able to share his version of events.

It’s hard to imagine that an 81-year old man would run a red light directly in front of a semi-truck — especially when riding on the wrong side of the street would have placed him mere feet from the truck’s massive grill.

However, it is possible. Riding in the wrong direction, Cruz may not have seen the traffic signal, particularly if the truck had been pulled forward in the intersection, blocking his view of the light.

This is the 22nd cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first in Ventura County.

My prayers and condolences for Cruz and his family and loved ones.

Update: Making this case just that much more tragic, at the time he was killed, Cruz was on his way to meet his wife at a mass for their son, who was killed five years ago.

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

12-year old boy dies hours after falling off his bike

June 1, 2012 / / 8 comments

Just heartbreaking.

A 12-year old Valencia boy died after falling from his bike earlier in the day.

According to the L.A. Daily News, Gabriel Tambong was riding with his sister on Wednesday afternoon when he fell off his bike, suffering minor scrapes.

However, he was found unresponsive around 9 pm, after continuing home and engaging with other members of the family. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, he was declared dead shortly after 10 pm.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, which may or may not be a result of his fall.

Based on the limited description, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suspect a brain hemorrhage, which can allow the victim to appear normal until losing consciousness or developing other symptoms. However, that is strictly a guess on my part, as the story does not note if he hit his head or was wearing a helmet; Gabriel’s death could have been caused by any number of things unrelated to bicycling or his fall.

If this turns out to the the result of a bicycle accident, it would be the 20th cycling fatality in Southern California so far this year, and the sixth in Los Angeles County. It’s just the second death in the month of May, compared to five last year; by this time in 2011, there had been 30 traffic-related cycling deaths in the seven county SoCal region.

My heart and prayers go out to Gabriel Tambong and all his family and loved ones.

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

Update: OC cyclist and former LACC engineering professor August Bissiri killed in Sonoma County

May 25, 2012 / / 7 comments

Bad news from the wine country, as a Laguna Woods cyclist was killed in a Thursday afternoon collision on the coast highway.

According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 85-year old August Bissiri was rounding a corner on Highway 1 outside of Bodega Bay around 1:30 pm when he apparently drifted onto the wrong side of the road, and was hit nearly head-on by a Ford Focus traveling at about 50 mph.

Driver David Chaote Tryon of Berkeley swerved to the right, hitting Bissiri’s bike with the right front of the car before striking an embankment on the right side of the road and rolling over. The CHP reports that skid marks indicate Tryon was in the center of the northbound lane when he collided with Bissiri, who was riding south.

Bissiri, who had taken up cycling 13 years ago following his retirement from L.A. City College, was riding ahead of a group of riders from the Bicycle Club of Irvine, who came upon the collision shortly afterwards. The club members had driven up to Sonoma County last weekend for a week of riding the wine country, and were due to return home this Sunday.

The paper reports that a passerby attempted to perform CPR, but Bissiri died at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries; it does not note if the person who tried to help him was a member of the bike club or a passing motorist or pedestrian.

Bissiri is described as a cautious rider; the local fire chief suggests that 30 to 40 mph winds at the time may have been a contributing factor. Winds that strong can easily blow a rider across the roadway.

He leaves behind a wife of 15 years, as well as three children from a previous marriage, and two step children.

My prayers and condolences for August Bissiri and all his family and loved ones. Let’s hope this is the only cycling fatality we have to report this Memorial Day weekend.

Thanks to Jorga Houy for the heads-up. And to the Press Democrat for a well-researched article that not only explains what happened, but who the victim was; every traffic victim deserves as much.

Update: Fellow BCI member Bill Sellin, who was on the tour with August Bissiri, emailed to say that it is his understanding that Bissiri was actually riding north to the hotel the group was staying at, but may have overshot the hotel.

He likely made a fatal U-Turn or crossed the road at a curve from the south bound side turn out when he was hit. He was rear ended or hit from his right side… not head on. It was not a right turn or hairpin, just a curve with limited line of sight. 2 lanes, narrow shoulders. Head wind from NW & downhill toward Bodega Bay; August did not hear well & if the car was coming from his blind spot on his right, he may have never seen it in his mirror.

Other riders may have come upon him, but not BCI or the other riders in the group he was touring with, as we had all stopped at the hotel in Bodega Bay.  Several BCI members were on the fund raising tour, but it was not a BCI event & other riders were from Montana, New Jersey, Utah, Minnesotta, Oregon as well as Northern & Southern California. 

Update 2: Bill Sellin also forwards information on a memorial for August Bissiri this Wednesday in Laguna Woods.

The Celebration of August’s life will be Wednesday, May 30th, at 1:00 p.m. in Club House 7, Laguna Woods, located at 24111 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Woods, CA 92637.  Phone 949.268.2417. The family has requested that you do not bring flowers or gifts, just your love and support.

We hope to see you there and please pass this on to all of August’s friends. 

The note also asks that any questions be directed to Bissiri’s step-daughter Kirsten, rather than his widow.

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

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: , , ,
« Older Entries   Recent Entries »
Wordpress Theme by ThemeZee