The victim was riding on Pacific Avenue (or Pacific Blvd) near 45th Street around 6:30 am Wednesday when he was run down by a driver traveling south on Pacific. He was knocked into the northbound lane, where he was hit by the second driver.
Neither driver remained at the scene and assisted the victim, as required by law. There’s no description of either driver or their vehicles at this time.
There’s no word on how quickly the second crash followed the first, or if it could have been prevented if the first driver had simply stopped after the crash to warn approaching drivers about victim lying in the roadway.
This is at least the 49th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
Eighteen of those SoCal drivers have now fled the scene, or more than one out of every three fatal crashes involving someone on a bicycle since the first of this year.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for William Valle and all his loved ones.
Here’s your chance to get a new bike or bike bag and support a good cause at the same time, as Timbuk2 and Pure Cycles host a special trade-in event this weekend at the Timbuk2 store on Abbott Kinney in Venice.
During store hours, visitors will have the chance to bring in any worn bag or bike in exchange for a 30% off discount on any Timbuk2 product or Pure Cycles Bike. On top of that, all donated items will go to Bikerowave, a Los Angeles-based non-profit that will be on-site to discuss with donators on how their contributions will help the community of Los Angeles.
“Joe Bray-Ali understands the issues facing Los Angeles and demonstrates a sense of urgency in addressing the affordable housing crises, safety in our neighborhoods, and responsiveness to constituent needs,” O’Farrell said in a prepared statement. “His positive grassroots campaign has motivated more people to participate in the democratic process at the local level and become engaged in the pressing issues that affect Angelenos. This city faces daunting challenges and we need someone like Joe to bring a fresh perspective, new ideas, and an open mind to decision making for our city.”
It’s almost unheard of for a sitting councilmember to endorse a challenger, especially one in the adjoining district.
Although, as several people reminded me today, Cedillo endorsed termed-out county Supervisor Gloria Molina over Jose Huizar just two years ago. In other words, LA’s most anti-bike councilmember was opposing one of the city’s best in the district next door.
It will be interesting to see if Huizar returns the favor.
I’m glad they think it was funny, even though it brought an incredible amount of bad publicity to the state, and caused bike riders around the world to rethink their plans to visit there.
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More remembrances of the late great Steve Tilford, who was killed in a Utah car crash early Wednesday morning:
Former Glendale state Assembly Member Mike Gatto is one of us, penning a great Op-Ed in the Times about the carfree lifestyle he’s maintained since 2012.
A Santa Barbara man is recovering from serious injuries after his bike was hit head-on while descending the famed Gibralter climb.
Bakersfield police recommend DUI and hit-and-run charges against a member of a prominent local family in the death of a bike rider earlier this year, even though he could have been charged with second degree murder due to a pervious DUI conviction.
New Orleans delays consideration of an ordinance that would update existing bike laws, some of which haven’t been changed since the 1950s; the delay is so they can add penalties to the prohibition against drivers harassing bicyclists. Most of the changes make sense, except for a requirement that every bike have a bell; apparently there’s a backlog of Angels in need of wings.
It only took a London jury 17 minutes to acquit a driver who killed a 70-year old man on a bicycle in Britain’s first crowdfunded private prosecution. So maybe there was a reason why the police declined to file, after all.
A Malaysian newspaper calls for providing safe places for kids to ride their bikes, and emulating a program from a neighboring state that guided teenagers away from illegally modified bikes and onto regular bicycles, while providing the training to become professional cyclists.
