Tag Archive for Exposition Park

Cars — plural — seized in road rage murder of teen bike rider, and 21 bicyclists dead in LA this year as hit-and-runs rise

November 26, 2024 / / No comments
Just 34 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025. 
But so far, no LA city leader has even mentioned the impending deadline. Let alone done anything about it. 

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Let’s start with an update on yesterday’s lead story.

The CHP has identified, but not publicly named, a 28-year old Hispanic man as a person of interest (scroll down) in the intentional hit-and-run death of 16-year old Jonathan Flores in LA’s Exposition Park Friday night.

Investigators also seized two cars after serving a search warrant at a home in Los Angeles.

According to witnesses, a group of around forty teenage bike riders got into a verbal dispute with the driver of a blue BMW while riding south on Figueroa Street.

They rode into the parking lot at BMO Stadium to get away, but were followed by the driver of a second car, described as a Honda sedan. That driver plowed into Flores, who wasn’t involved in the initial confrontation, before fleeing the parking lot.

Flores died at the scene.

The cars seized by the CHP were a blue BMW, and a Honda Accord, corresponding with the witnesses description.

However, no arrest has been made, as the CHP is urging the person of interest to turn himself in.

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It should come as no surprise to anyone who’s been following this site that hit-and-run deaths in Los Angeles continue at near record levels, accounting for nearly a third of all traffic deaths in the city.

According to Crosstown LA, 345 people were killed as a result of traffic violence in Los Angeles last year, including 108 who died as a result of hit-and-run collisions.

And things aren’t not much better this year, with just five fewer people dying in hit-and-runs through the end of October, compared to last year.

Also not surprising, people in DTLA and South LA bore the brunt of the problem, without a single neighborhood in the wealthy Westside showing up on a list of the 13 worst neighborhoods for hit-and-run this year.

Then there’s this.

Also increasingly at risk are bicyclists. According to LAPD data, nine cyclists have died in hit-and-runs so far this year; the recent annual high for bicycle hit-and-run deaths was nine in 2019 and again in 2023.

Altogether this year, 21 bicyclists have been killed in collisions, according to Traffic Division Compstat data. Another 130 people suffered serious injuries.

Michael Schneider, founder and director of transportation-focused advocacy group Streets For All, said bicyclists are “being pushed to the margins” of the roads. With streets in the city being designed like freeways, with wide lanes and synchronized traffic lights, the result, he said, is more speeding, which endangers cyclists and pedestrians.

That’s a whopping 14 more than the seven bicycling deaths I’ve counted in the City of Fallen Angels so far this year — exactly three times as many bicyclists actually killed as have been mentioned by the local media.

Never mind that a total of 151 people have been killed or seriously injured riding a bicycle in LA this year.

And you wonder why I’ve been warning that my totals were probably an undercount.

I’ve long called for taking the crime more seriously, including revoking, not suspending, the license of any driver who flees the scene of a collision, regardless of severity.

Along with impounding their cars as evidence until their case is settled, then selling them upon conviction, with any proceeds going to the victims.

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Failure continues to stalk the bike industry, with three more bike-related companies going belly up or suspending sales.

British bike distributor The Martlet Group, owner of i-ride and its bike brand Orro, went into receivership — the equivalent of bankruptcy — earlier this year, due to heavy discounting of overstock merchandise.

French sportswear maker Le Coq Sportif also went into receivership; the firm made all the yellow jerseys for the Tour de France for more than four decades, noncontiguous though those decades may have been.

And Swiss bikemaker Stromer is immediately suspending sales of its Stromer and Desiknio bike brands in the US and Canada, after it was unable to find a North American distributor willing to take it over. Thanks to Ellectrek for the heads-up. 

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Black Friday is once again rearing its ugly head. Although now it’s a week, if not a month, instead of a single day, making it much harder to ignore.

Bike Rumor is first out of the gate with a roundup of the best Black Friday bike deals, while Momentum makes their picks for the best Black Friday deals on bikes, cargo bikes and ebikes.

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It’s now 342 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And a full 41 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.   

More than 30 Evanston, Illinois business owners decided to shoot themselves in the foot by urging city officials to drop plans to expand a protected bike lane, apparently not wanting the increase in foot and bike traffic, and higher retail sales and property values, that usually come with such projects.

No surprise here, as Ontario, Canada passed controversial legislation allowing the province to go over the heads of city officials to remove local bike lanes; making matters worse, the legislation also allows construction of a highway through First Nations lands without consulting Indigenous leaders. Schmucks.

Momentum explains just what cities give up by giving in to car culture — starting with an increase in traffic congestion and a decline in business revenue — aptly calling the Ontario bike lane dispute “hogwash.”

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Local  

No news is good news, right?

 

State

Coronado is hosting a family friendly bike ride on Sunday, December 8th.

Hundreds of San Jose residents turned out for a bike-only ride through an annual holiday light display usually reserved for motorists.

Velo examines why San Francisco is ripping out the city’s most controversial bike lane, as the centerline Valencia Street bike lane is being replace with a more conventional curbside lane.

More bad news from Northern California, after someone riding a bicycle was killed by the driver of a massive Yukon SUV in Concord on Sunday. Although a collision with a vehicle that big is unlikely to be survivable, anyway. Which is why drivers of large vehicles should have a greater responsibility to drive safely, but unfortunately don’t. 

 

National

Hawaii celebrated the opening of a new bike lane through Central Oahu that was decades in the making. Which demonstrates the needless and ridiculous delays we face nearly everywhere in the US in getting much needed safety improvements on the streets.

Our former president isn’t the only one skating on criminal charges, after an Oregon judge granted a DEI agent immunity from prosecution on charges of blowing through a stop sign and killing a woman riding a bicycle in Salem last year. Although you’ll have to figure out a way around the Oregonian’s paywall if you want to read about it. 

A New Mexico researcher is looking into why the number of pedestrians and bicyclists killed on American roads has nearly doubled in just the past 12 years. Hint: Tell him to look at the rise in distracted driving, and the massive bloat in motor vehicle size.

The legacy of the Fayetteville, Arkansas “Bicycle Man” lives on despite his passing in 2013, as the program prepares to give away more than 1,000 bikes to kids in need next month — although that’s just a fraction of the actual need, since they receive over 3,000 requests each year.

I want to be like him when I grow up. A friend gave a Knoxville, Tennessee Korean War vet a new bicycle to replace his worn out bike, so the 86-year old man can continue his daily 22-mile bike rides.

New York responded to complaints of double parked drivers and blocked bike and bus lanes by opening more than 500 new loading zones throughout the city. Although if New York drivers are anything like their SoCal counterparts, they’ll continue to block the bike lanes, rather than drive another 30 or so feet to get to an open loading zone.

My hero. A Huntsville, Alabama radio host is staying up on a 40-foot outdoor tower, exposed to the elements, until a local campaign receives enough bicycles to give every foster kid in the city a new bike for the holidays.

 

International

An English driver proves there are still good people in the world, giving stranded bike riders a lift across flood waters in his 4 x 4 pickup.

No bias here. A British man complains that police are “completely unwilling to prosecute drivers” who hit bicyclists, after getting knocked off his bike a couple weeks ago..

A Philadelphia op-ed writer says bicyclists are treated like traffic in Northern Europe, making it safer for everyone, unlike here in the US where bicycles are considered obstructions for drivers to squeeze by.

 

Competitive Cycling

Australia has banned 25-year old track cyclist Matt Richardson for life, after he switched teams and won three Olympic medals at the Paris Olympics competing for Great Britain. But he won’t be banned from international competition for his new team.

 

Finally…

Kick ass on a BMX bike, and maybe one day, you too can get your very own line of “Bike Air” Jordans. And if wanting to ban SUVs makes you a communist, just call me a pinko.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Teen bike rider murdered in deliberate hit-and-run, Canadian bike lane madness, and assess bike/ped safety in your town

November 25, 2024 / / No comments
Just 35 days until Los Angeles fails to meet its Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2025. 
But so far, no LA city leader has even mentioned the impending deadline. Let alone done anything about it. 

………

If you missed it over the weekend — and that was easy to do, given the relatively minimal press coverage — a 16-year old boy was murdered by a driver who deliberately ran down his bike in LA’s Exposition Park on Friday.

The boy was part of a group of around 40 kids who got into some sort of altercation with a road-raging driver while riding south Figueroa Street, just above Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, allegedly breaking the car’s mirror.

The teens rode through a gap in the fence surrounding BMO Stadium in an effort to get away from the driver. But the driver followed them into the parking lot and slammed into the victim, then fled afterwards.

The victim died at the scene.

To make this horrific, needless tragedy even worse — if that is even possible — the boy reportedly had nothing to do with the dispute on the roadway, making him an entirely innocent victim.

So far, teenaged victim has not been publicly named.

There is also no description of the driver or suspect vehicle, other than a four-door sedan, with a broken side mirror and likely front-end damage.

The CHP is investigating the killing, since it took place on state property. Anyone with information is urged to call the their Southern Division Major Crimes Unit at 323/644-9550, or the Los Angeles Communication Center at 323/259-3200.

Let’s hope they find this murderous jerk soon, and get him off the roads.

Permanently.

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No surprise here.

It turns out that ripping out Toronto bike lanes like Ontario Premier Doug Ford — brother of the city’s late crack-smoking mayor — is demanding would actually make the city’s traffic worse, not better.

Meanwhile, a Mastadon user says the hundreds of bicyclists participating in a Toronto protest received a hero’s welcome from both pedestrians and drivers.

And a former Winnipeg city counselor and Canadian cabinet member called for halting new bike lanes, arguing that “Bike lanes have become more symbolic than functional, and symbolism is not enough to justify millions in spending.”

Never mind that bike lanes have repeatedly been shown to boost local businesses and property values while improving safety and livability for everyone.

Which should more than justify the relatively small amount to build new bike lanes, here, there or anywhere.

Thanks to Megan Lynch for the heads-up. 

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Applications are now open for community groups to apply for two programs run by the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) designed to train people how to assess bicycle and pedestrian safety in their communities, and recommend how to improve it.

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Be on the lookout for a stolen trailer full of hot bike gear taken from Culver City’s Walk ‘n Rollers.

Not to mention the lowlife schmuck who made off with it.

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It’s now 341 days since the California ebike incentive program’s latest failure to launch, which was promised no later than fall 2023. And a full 41 months since it was approved by the legislature and signed into law — and counting.

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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.   

Is anyone really surprised that the leader of an Irish political party says he gets more abuse “week in, week out” while riding his bicycle than he does as a politician?

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Local  

Streetsblog talks with sustainability advocate, LA County transportation deputy and newly elected Culver City Councilmember Bubba Fish, who restores the city’s narrow progressive majority; losing that majority two years ago resulted in conservative councilmembers ripping out the successful MOVE Culver City protected bike lanes.

Streets For All is encouraging people to become supporting members for just $12 a month, looking to reach 200 members by their member event next month.

Eastern Ave in El Sereno will get a major makeover this fall to bring better bike paths, safer sidewalks, more trees and traffic calming.

 

State

Streetsblog San Francisco examines Emeryville’s nearly completed sidewalk-level Horton Street bike lane.

Sebastopol is looking into the viability of building a multi-use path bisecting the city.

 

National

Now you, too, can build your own ebike out of PVC pipe.

According to the former head of the Federal Highway Administration, barrier-protected bike lanes are a “proven safety countermeasure” that has been shown to reduce crashes “an average of exactly 49 percent on four-lane, undivided collector and local roads” in an urban area, and they have reams of federally compiled data to back it up.

You can find a lot of things while riding your bike, but no one wants to discover human remains along a Phoenix area bike path.

Bike helmets — they’re not just for surviving Oklahoma tornadoes anymore.

New York Magazine considers the best holiday gifts for bicyclists, chosen by bicyclists.

A lifelong Jersey City, New Jersey resident  says a recent op-ed saying plans for a new bike lane are hated by locals relied on cherry-picking opinions while “ignoring both data and the realities of traffic safety.”

The good news is the Pennsylvania legislature didn’t reject a bill legalizing protected bike lanes, but the bad news is they didn’t pass it, either.

Congratulations to workers at DC’s Washington Area Bicyclist Association, who are now officially unionized.

If you’re riding your bike from Delaware to Key West, it only makes sense to honor the late Jimmy Buffet along the way.

 

International

Cycling Weekly asks why cars, trucks and SUVs keep getting bigger, questioning whether it will ever end. And they say modern bikes are so good, they take the worry out of riding.

Bicycling offers advice on how to safely do an Idaho Stop. But you’ll need a subscription to read the story, because this one doesn’t appear to be available anywhere else. 

Momentum considers the “world’s coolest and most unique” bicycling infrastructure innovations. None of which can be found in Los Angeles. Or the US, even.

A British Columbia judge denied bail to a man accused of trying to use a stolen dump truck to break into an ebike store, after he failed to bust through the security gates despite multiple attempts, just four months after he was arrested for using a forklift to break into a different ebike dealer.

Strange case from Cornwall, England, where a man in his 60s died crashing his bicycle into a parked car, just hours after going missing from a local hospital.

Bike lane opponents in Coventry, England are upset that trees are being cut down to make room for one, but only because they chose saving parking over saving trees.

A writer for the Guardian goes ebiking through Britain’s New Forest National Park.

That’s more like it. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo called for banning SUVs from the city, warning that they could become weapons against other citizens. Even if the conservative London Telegraph takes great pains to point out that she’s a Socialist — capital S — which has nothing to do with banning SUVs 

A French soccer website criticizes Lionel Messi for his “overpriced bicycle scandal,” after the Argentine superstar introduced his own very high-end bicycle selling for more than $15,000.

New Zealand officials found a 78-year old man safe and well after he failed to return home from a mountain bike ride.

An Aussie program is teaching older women the joys of riding a bicycle. Thanks again to Megan Lynch.

 

Competitive Cycling

Costa Rican pro Andrey Amador called it a career at 38 years old, after he’s been unable to compete since a truck driver ran over his foot and bike while training in Spain last May.

Cycling Up To Date considers five “magical” cycling records Tadej Pogačar could set this year.

American cyclist Neilson Powless, the first Native American to compete in the Tour de France, wants to inspire more Indigenous Americans to get on their bikes.

 

Finally…

Why wait for officials to do something about distracted drivers, when you can just post your own traffic signs saying “Get off your damn phone.” When you’re under house arrest, maybe don’t show up to vote riding a bicycle.

And no, you don’t have to send a thank you note to the driver who gave your kid a new bike after crashing into him and destroying his old one.

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Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.

Oh, and fuck Putin

Category: Morning Links / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Update — 16-year old bike rider allegedly murdered by road-raging driver in BMO Stadium parking lot; police seize 2 vehicles

November 22, 2024 / / 2 comments

Once again, a bike rider has allegedly been murdered by an apparent road raging driver.

This time, right here in Los Angeles.

According to KCBS-2, a 16-year old boy was killed when he was deliberately run down by a driver who chased a large group of bike-riding teens into the parking lot at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park a little before 4:30 pm Friday.

The incident began when a group of around 40 kids were riding their bikes south on Figueroa Street, north of Martin Luther King Blvd, and an “altercation” began with the driver of an unidentified sedan.

The teens attempted to escape by going through a gap in the fencing around the BMO Stadium parking lot. They were followed by the driver in the sedan, who accelerated into the group and struck the victim, who has not been publicly identified.

The driver then fled the scene.

A report on KABC-7 differs on several key details, stating the victim was 17 years old, and riding a skateboard, rather than a bicycle. (Update: KABC has revised their story to indicate the victim was 16, and riding a bicycle.)

Police report several witnesses left before investigators could speak with them. Anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s Southern Division Major Crimes Unit at 323/644-9550 or the Los Angeles Communication Center at 323/259-3200.

If the details are born out, it should result in a murder charge when the driver is ultimately identified and arrested. Anything less would be a travesty.

Assuming the victim was riding a bike, this is at least the 52nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the seventh that we know about in the City of Los Angeles, which is likely an undercount.

(Correction: According to Crosstown LA, the actual number of bicyclists killed in Los Angeles so far this year is 21, not the seven I’ve counted; nine of those have been victims of hit-and-run drivers.)

Eighteen of those SoCal deaths we know about have been hit-and-runs. And it’s the second time a bike rider has allegedly been murdered by a driver in just the past eight days.

Update: Fox 11 is reporting that one of the teenagers broke the car’s mirror during the altercation on the street, prior to the driver pursuing the group into the parking lot. 

He then intentionally drove his car into the victim, who reportedly wasn’t even involved in the initial confrontation. 

Read that last part again. The kid he killed had absolutely nothing to do with it. 

According to KABC-7, the victim was identified as John by some of the riders, who gathered at the site on Saturday to remember him. 

“It’s really hard to be honest, we’re just trying to ride and it’s really hard for the family too,” said Manuel Ramirez. “He didn’t deserve to die in the streets like that.”

Meanwhile, Fox spoke with a local pastor. and parent.

Pastor Mariela Madriz, whose own teenage son frequently bikes with friends in the area, described the tragedy as “heartbreaking and horrific.” She spoke to FOX 11 at her nearby church, Iglesia Jesucristo Fuente De Vida.

“As a mom, all I could think is — it could have been my son,” Madriz said…

“If you can get so angry over a broken mirror to your car to kill a child, you don’t deserve to be out and free,” Madriz said. “You deserve to be locked up for the rest of your life.”

The station also talked to a former detective, who said the car should be easy to identify. 

Retired LAPD Detective Moses Castillo echoed Madriz’s sentiments, calling the incident a “horrible tragedy” just days before Thanksgiving.

“This is the type of case that can be solved quickly with the public’s help,” Castillo said. “If you see a vehicle with a damaged side-view mirror and front-end collision damage, report it to authorities immediately. More than likely, that’s going to be our suspect.” 

Let’s hope someone spots it fast, before the driver can hide or repair it.

Because the pastor is right. This person shouldn’t be out on the streets, ever again. 

Update 2: We have a lot to catch up on in this case, starting with the identification of the victim as 16-year old Jonathan Flores. 

Not surprisingly, the LA County Medical Examiner ruled his death was a homicide caused by multiple blunt force injuries. 

Police have also identified, but not named, a person of interest in his killing, after serving a search warrant at a Los Angeles home Saturday night, and seizing two cars. 

The incident reportedly began with an altercation with the driver of a blue BMW, who argued with some of the teens on the street. 

They were then followed into the parking lot by the driver of second car, a Honda sedan, who slammed into the victim, killing him. 

It’s not clear at this time what the relationship was between the two motorists. However, the vehicles seized by the police were a blue BMW and the Honda Accord they believe was involved in the crash, suggesting that both cars were found at the same home. 

CHP investigators urged the driver of the Honda, identified only as a 28-year old Hispanic man, to turn himself in. However, no one has been arrested at this time. 

Update 3: CHP investigators have identified the suspect as 28-year old Jonathan Antonio Rodriguez, and issued a warrant for his arrest. 

Rodriguez is charged with murder, felony hit-and-run and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, and a $2 million bail has been set pending his arrest.

He remains a fugitive at this time.

However, no photo has been provided to help identify him.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jonathan Flores and his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities, Road Rage / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Man on bicycle killed by speeding hit-and-run driver in LA’s Exposition Park; 5th fatal bicycling hit-and-run in the city this year

June 15, 2022 / / 2 comments

Once again, someone on a bicycle has been murdered by a heartless hit-and-run driver.

This time, in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

According to KNBC-4, the victim was apparently crossing Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd on Hoover Street around 11:30 pm Monday when he was struck by a driver heading west on MLK at a high rate of speed.

He was thrown several feet into the middle of the intersection, and died after being taken to a nearby hospital.

The victim has been publicly identified only as a man in his 30s.

The driver speed off, evidently without stopping. Witnesses describe the vehicle only as a gray colored sedan.

Hopefully, we’ll get more information soon.

This is at least the 42nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County. It’s also the ninth in the City of Los Angeles.

Shamefully, 15 of those Southern California victims have been hit-and-run drivers, with six taking place in Los Angeles County, including five in the City of LA.

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

 

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

Update: Man killed while riding with his girlfriend in Expo Park hit-and-run

July 21, 2019 / / 3 comments

Yet another innocent life has been taken by a heartless killer driver.

According to KTLA-5, someone ran down the man as he was riding with his girlfriend in Exposition Park Saturday night.

Then fled the scene without stopping. Or apparently giving a damn.

The couple were riding on Jefferson Boulevard at Denker Avenue in Expo Park around 10:30 pm when the victim was struck by a speeding driver headed west on Jefferson.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died a short time later.

His girlfriend was uninjured, though the trauma of watching someone she cared about get killed right in front of her last a lifetime.

No description is available for the driver, while the car was described only as a dark-colored sedan.

A street view shows a four lane street with left turn bays, and no bike lanes or any other form of infrastructure or protection for people on bicycles.

Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD South Traffic Division Detective Flannery or Officer Pollard at 323/421-2500. As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.

Hopefully that will be enough to bring this coward to justice.

This is at least the 40th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 16th I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the eighth in the City of Los Angeles.

Update: A friend of the victim, who remains unidentified publicly, tells me was almost home when he was killed.

Update 2: The victim has been identified in Spanish language media as 24-year old Cristian Méndez Ramos. (Correction: I originally spelled his name as Christian, rather than Cristian; Univision spelled it both ways. Thanks to Angie Sims for the correction.)

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Cristian Méndez Ramos and his family and loved ones.

 

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

Update: Road raging driver intentionally kills bike rider in Exposition Park hit-and-run

October 15, 2015 / / 6 comments

KABC-7 is reporting that a bike rider was killed in a hit-and-run near LA’s Exposition Park Thursday morning.

The collision occurred around 9 am near South Vermont Ave and West 39th Place, which places it just west of the Coliseum.

No information is available on the victim or how it happened at this time.

The suspect vehicle is a silver or white full-size SUV with a male driver, last seen making a left turn onto 39th. The vehicle may have a broken driver’s side mirror.

That suggests the collision took place on northbound Vermont at or before 39th. A satellite view shows a four-lane street on Vermont with a median and center turn lane, while 39th is an undivided two-lane street.

Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD.

This is the 58th bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 23rd in Los Angeles County; it’s also the ninth in the City of LA.

Three of of those deaths in LA, and seven in the county, have been hit-and-runs.

Update: KTLA-5 identifies the victim as a 35-year old man, and places the location across the street from 3833 S. Vermont Ave, next to a bus stop. 

The report also says the driver was last seen fleeing north on Vermont, rather than turning onto 39th, as the initial report indicated.

Update 2: It gets worse. According to KABC-7, the driver intentionally ran down the victim following an argument over who had the right of way. 

A witness to the crash reports the victim had attempted to cross Vermont against the light while the driver had the right-of-way, leading to an argument between the two. 

The driver, who must have gotten out of his SUV, pushed the rider over before threatening to run over him.

Then he apparently got back in his car, and did exactly that.

That makes this murder, rather than just hit-and-and. As if that isn’t bad enough.

Update 3: The City of Los Angeles offers a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run. 

Update 4: KNBC-4 reports the victim’s bicycle is missing; however, the story is not online yet.

Update 5: I’m told a ghost bike will be placed at the scene at 6:30 pm tonight (Thursday).

Update 6: A report on KTLA-5 indicates that both the victim and the driver were headed north on Vermont before the altercation. They also report that vehicle may be a domestic SUV, and that the driver sped off with the bike still stuck underneath, which explains why it wasn’t found at the scene.

Update 7: Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD’s South Traffic Division at 323/421-2577.

Update 8: According to My News LA, an arrest was made in this case four days after the incident, but apparently no public announcement was made. 

Thirty-one-year old Andrew Williams has been held on $1 million bond in the death of Ruben Wharton Vanegas, who had not been previously identified. 

Williams was scheduled to be arraigned on felony counts of murder and hit-and-run on Wednesday, November 4th; he faces 25 to life upon conviction. 

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

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