Very sad news from San Diego County.
According to an obituary from the San Diego Union-Tribune, 57-year old Santee resident Paul Fleck died earlier this month as a result of injuries suffered in a bicycling accident.
The incident occurred May 10th; his death came almost exactly three months later, on August 9th.
An email forwarded to me from the OFFBAC riding group fills in some of the details.
Apparently, Fleck was riding downhill in the bike lane on Highway 52, though it doesn’t specify where on the highway, traveling at about 30 mph. Another rider was struggling uphill with his head down when he swerved to avoid something and drifted into Fleck’s lane, where they evidently collided head-on.
He had been hospitalized ever since, and appeared to be making progress until he succumbed to cranial bleeding.
No word on the condition of the other cyclist.
This is the 61st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth in San Diego County. It’s also the two SoCal road death resulting from a collision with another rider since the first of the year.
Please, ride carefully out there.
Update: I’m told the area where this collision occurred is actually a two-way separated pathway that was built when 52 was widened a few years back, removing the shoulders where cyclists used to ride.
Correction: I originally wrote that there had three bike on bike fatalities this year. However, this is actually the second death this year; the count was off due to an entry error in database. My apologies for the mistake.
Correction 2: Actually, three cyclists have been killed in collisions with other riders; I was just unaware of the third until now.
My deepest prayers and sympathy for Paul Fleck and all his loved ones.
Thanks to Phillip Young of the San Diego Wheelmen for the heads-up.
