Tag Archive for hit-and-run

27-year old bike rider killed early Friday in Colton hit-and-run; 13th SoCal bike death in last 30 days

February 9, 2026 / / No comments

It’s happened yet again.

For the 13th time in 30 days, someone riding a bicycle has been killed in Southern California. And once again, the victim was murdered by a hit-and-run driver.

This time in Colton.

According to KTLA-5, which has the most detailed report, the victim was struck while riding at Riverside Ave and Key Street around 4 am Friday.

The victim, identified as 27-year old Colton resident Sinahi Moises Garcia, was pronounced dead at the scene. It’s not clear if Garcia was a man or a woman, though Sinahi is usually a feminine name.

There’s no word on how the crash occurred, or whether Garcia had lights on their bike in the predawn hour. Then again, we have no way of knowing if the driver was using their lights, either.

There’s also no information on where Garcia and the driver were positioned on the three-way intersection, which is controlled only by a stop sign on Key. There appears to be a bike lane on Riverside, which has the kind of wide, straight traffic lanes that encourage speeding, particularly at that hour.

Police do not appear to have a description of the suspect or their vehicle, or which way they fled.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Colton Police Officer A. Jacobson at 909/370-5000, or ajacobson@coltonca.gov. Anonymous tips can be submitted to We-Tip at 1-800/782-7463, or via wetip.com.

This the 13th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and it appears to be the first in San Bernardino County,

Four of the SoCal deaths involved hit-and-run drivers..

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Sinahi Moises Garcia and their loved ones.

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

Bike rider in his 40s killed by hit-and-run driver in Boyle Heights Thursday morning; 7th SoCal bike death this month

January 29, 2026 / / No comments

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

And as usual, we know almost nothing about the crash.

Sources are reporting that the victim was struck while crossing the street at 7th Street and Boyle Ave in Boyle Heights around 5:20 this morning.

The victim, publicly identified only as a man in his 40s, died at the scene, after the driver left him to die alone in the street.

There’s no other information on how the crash occurred, including which street the victim was crossing. Given the circumstances, unless police find a witness or security cam video, that may be all we ever know.

There’s also no information about the driver or suspect vehicle at this time.

A street view shows the intersection is controlled by a traffic signal with crosswalks in each direction, though there doesn’t appear to be any bike infrastructure on either street.

There’s a posted 25 mph speed limit on 7th, while Google AI reports a 35 mph speed limit on Boyle. Although at that hour, it’s likely the driver was exceeding whatever the posted limit is.

Anyone with information is urged to contact LAPD’s Central Traffic Division.

This is the seventh bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California already this year, and the third in Los Angeles County; it’s also the first reported in the City of Los Angeles.

Hit-and-run drivers have been responsible for two of those SoCal deaths this year. Nineteen of the of the 55 reported bicycling deaths last year involved hit-and-run drivers.

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

Thanks to Danny for the heads-up. 

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

Bike lanes could be coming to Los Feliz, CicLAvia comes off life-support, and hit-and-run driver murders Holocaust survivor

January 29, 2026 / / No comments

Bike lanes could be coming to Los Feliz Blvd.

But only if they can figure out how to build them without a) removing a traffic lane, and b) adversely affecting Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument Number 67.

Or as most of us know them, the majestic evergreen cedars lining either side of the busy boulevard, which have been designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument since 1970.

CD4 Councilmember Nithya Raman, who somehow represents the area in a bizarrely gerrymandered district, got the city council to approve $400,000 for a feasibility and design study to install a cycle track between Fern Dell Drive and Vermont Ave.

A safe bikeway along the corridor would provide a huge benefit, as there is currently no safe way to get from Hollywood to the LA River or the zoo, without climbing extremely steep hills.

Or to Costco, for that matter.

………

It looks like CicLAvia may be off life support.

According to the San Fernando Valley Sun, Metro voted last year to approve funding for open streets events tied to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, putting traditional open streets events at risk.

However, after outrage from the community, Metro agreed to fund 70% of the cost for nine additional open streets applications, while requiring host cities to provide the other 30% matching funding.

Which is exactly what the Los Angeles City Council did yesterday, voting 12-2 to approve $3.2 million for open streets.

CD3 Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and CD7’s Monica Rodriguez opposed the measure because only one of the events is planned for the San Fernando Valley.

CD9 Councilmember Curren Price, Jr. was absent.

Probably because he’s just the latest in what’s becoming a long list of allegedly corrupt councilmembers, facing trial for embezzlement, perjury, and conflict of interest benefitting his wife and her consulting company.

………

This is who we share the road with.

The LAPD is looking for the hit-and-run driver who killed an 80-year old Holocaust survivor and his dog as they were walking in the bike lane on Woodman Ave in Sherman Oaks on Tuesday night.

Police located the car, a silver Maserati Quattroporte, abandoned nearby at Mammoth Ave and Milbank Street.

There were no license plates on the murder weapon.

………

My bad.

I neglected to consider yesterday that not everyone has Instagram. Which I should have, considering I only have it to share corgi photos and witticisms.

Well, I think they’re funny, even if the dog doesn’t share my sense of humor. Or my wife, for that matter.

Fortunately, Randy corrected my mistake yesterday, posting details of the West LA Unity Ride, while noting rental bikes will we available.

https://bsky.app/profile/randycoppinger.bsky.social/post/3mditgzlzts2u

https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:l3c3zg3aljdbctelkytee3wo/post/3mditnnt4cc2u

Streetsblog’s Damien Newton notes Unity Rides will be taking place throughout California this Friday and Saturday, including additional rides in the LA area:

Los Angeles: Organized by Allez L.A. Bike Shop, 5227 York Blvd. Meet This Friday at 7:30 a.m., 8 a.m. roll-out.

Los Angeles: Organized by Organized by Domestique Cycling Club, Westwood VA Medical Center parking – just off Dowlen Drive, west of Sawtelle Blvd. [Strava route map]

Although it would be more effective if all the rides could meet up somewhere for a rally that would really get attention.

You’ll find information on the Westwood ride below, assuming the Instagram post stays embedded this time.

A ride will also take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Pretti grew up; Bikepacking has mapped rides ranging from the US and Europe to Australia.

Meanwhile, Salsa Cycles explained why they felt compelled to speak out, even as commenters demanded we should keep politics out of bicycling, with the company saying they’re proud to call Minnesota home.

But clearly, not everyone agrees with them.

………

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

You know your new bike lane sucks when riders are reporting broken bones and kidney damage, like this one in Brighton & Hove, England; the city is defending itself by arguing that they’re all turning in the wrong place.

A British man was convicted of assault for punching a bike rider who had stopped to relieve himself in the woods along a bike path, accusing the victim of being a “pervert,” and touching his genitals in front of him. Which is generally what one does when one stops to take a leak; a better question might be why was he looking? 

The capital of Estonia is busy moving bike riders to side streets, because apparently only drivers belong on main thoroughfares, and bike riders don’t really need to get anywhere, anyway.

………

Local 

An op-ed in the Los Angeles Times says the county has set a goal of ripping up 1,600 acres of pavement and replacing them with green space and trees, but questions if it’s too little, too late. Probably. Because we all know how “goals” tend to work out around here. 

Bike lanes on Fairfax Ave now have a new coat of Kermit, in a special shade or green specifically designed not to piss off Hollywood filmmakers. Although that’s still probably not enough to keep drivers from using them as traffic bypass lanes. 

 

State

The Laguna Beach Police Department will hold a free e-bike training course this Saturday, including certification to ride an ebike to local schools.

The attorney representing the family of 6-year old Hudson O’Loughlin is looking for deeper pockets than the woman accused of killing the boy as he rode his bike with his family in Pacific Beach; the suspect has been without a valid driver’s license for nine years, which means she probably doesn’t have insurance.

 

National

Amazon is recruiting ebike delivery riders who own their own bikes without any illegal modifications and with their own liability insurance; the company has also begun investing in their own ebike cargo vans for urban deliveries.

Seriously? A nonprofit bike park in Idaho continues to battle with county officials, who have denied it a permit to even build bathrooms, in a dispute that boils down to whether it should be classified as a ‘park’ or a ‘recreational facility.’

A 62-year old motorcycle rider faces a vehicular homicide charge for killing a 68-year old man riding a bicycle just a few miles from my Colorado hometown following a nine-month investigation; he’s accused of failing to negotiate a lefthand curve after passing another motorcycle, striking the victim on the far right shoulder, apparently head-on. Which makes it sound like the investigation should have taken about ten minutes.

Texas authorities warn parents that their kids could be riding an illegal electric motorcycle in the form of an ebike, while Gulf Shores, Alabama joined the parade of coastal cities cracking down on ebikes.

 

International

How to convert an old, unloved mountain bike to a modern gravel bike for the equivalent of less than $1,400.

A Brazilian gas company recounts the tale of a man who rode from his home in Bahia to New York in the 1920s, taking two years to travel through 11 countries, including sleeping in a tree after getting stalked by a jaguar, only to return home to find that no one really cared about his feat.

Bicyclists in Toronto appeared in Ontario’s highest provincial appeals court yesterday to defend their successful challenge of the province’s plan to rip out three of the city’s bike lanes, which ended with a ruling that bike riders had a constitutional right to have safe places to ride.

A Toronto film school graduate released his own, self-financed 15-minute romantic drama called The Bicycle Boy, which cost him just $23,000, which you can now watch for the low, low price of just $3.49. Which means he’ll break even if just 6,590 people pay to watch it. 

The British Parliament is considering a bill that would ban kits for illegal ebike conversions.

Horrible story from Ireland, where an inquest heard witnesses say they saw a 14-year old boy riding unsteadily after falling off his bicycle, only to disappear for six days before his body was found in a storm drain.

 

Finally…

That feeling when bike thefts are merely “inconveniencing,” or when it’s never too cold to ride. Who needs an ebike when you can build your very own electric jet bike?

And a reminder how it feels to ride a bicycle for the first time.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Nationwide Unity Rides Saturday to honor Alex Pretti, and accused hit-and-run killer of 6-year old Hudson O’Loughlin arraigned

January 28, 2026 / / One comment

Alex Pretti was one of us.

The 37-year old Minneapolis VA nurse, who was fatally shot — okay, murdered — by ICE agents on Saturday was a lover of the outdoors, and an active mountain bike rider.

Which is just one reason the bike community is rallying behind him.

Minneapolis’ Angry Catfish bike shop, which claimed Pretti as a frequent customer, is helping to organize memorial Unity Rides rides across the country for this Saturday, starting with Minneapolis.

The Radavist is calling for the entire bicycling community to come together for healing and to honor Pretti, who he says could have been any of us. Although I’m not sure how many of us would have stepped up to help a stranger at the risk of our own lives.

Meanwhile, Minnesota-based Salsa Cycles is urging bike riders to contact their legislator and join in a Unity Ride to protest the recent fatal shootings by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

According to Cycling Weekly,

“Our neighbors are being unlawfully detained, harassed and murdered at the hands of the federal immigration enforcement agents,” Salsa Cycles wrote in its statement. “Now is the time to speak up and stand up…”

“Community is important in times like this,” Salsa Cycles states. “Alex Pretti was a member of our local cycling community…We encourage you to come ride with us, host a ride in your community, or simply go ride in solidarity on Saturday.”

Bike Portland reports other rides have been announced for Portland, Oregon, Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia; Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, Texas; Bellingham, Washington; San Francisco, California; Wichita, Kansas; and Memphis, Tennessee.

West LA Bicycle will host a Unity Ride here in Los Angeles (click here in case the Instagram link below doesn’t embed properly).

https://www.instagram.com/p/DUCoEbDjDuR

Anyone interested in organizing a ride can contact Community@angrycatfishbicycle.com for more information.

Let me know if there are any other rides planned for Los Angeles or Southern California.

I honestly don’t care what your politics are.

No one should be killed for legally, and peacefully, exercising their 1st and 2nd Amendment rights.

………

Ten years hardly seems like enough.

Thirty-two-year old Tiffany Sanchez was formally indicted Tuesday on felony charges of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run for killing six-year old Hudson O’Loughlin as he rode his bike with his family on a Pacific Beach sidewalk January 18th.

The former carries a maximum of six years, while the latter has a max of just four years, thanks to California’s lax hit-and-run laws.

And that’s only if she is convicted on both charges, and gets the maximum penalties, to run concurrently.

Anyone want to give odds on that?

Sanchez is accused of knocking Hudson off his bike as she turned right into an alley, stopping briefly, then fleeing the scene and driving over the boy as he lay helpless on the ground.

According to 10 News San Diego,

“The defendant did not stop, she did not render aid, she did not assess the situation or try to help out, she didn’t, she did not call 911,” said Cassidy McWilliams, deputy district attorney.

Never mind that she hasn’t had a valid driver’s license for nine years, and shouldn’t have been on the road in the first place.

She was ordered into custody on $150,000 bond, and will be required to wear an ankle monitor and forbidden from driving if she manages to post it.

………

A new map from the San Francisco Chronicle shows the most dangerous streets and neighborhoods for bicyclists and pedestrians, based on traffic deaths from 2020-2024, as reported by law enforcement agencies to the Transportation Injury Mapping System at UC Berkeley.

According to the paper,

This analysis includes people walking, biking, using wheelchairs or riding personal conveyances such as rollerblades or skateboards. In total, nearly 6,500 people were killed while walking or biking across California during this five-year period, a toll that includes about 800 cyclists.

Fatalities climbed steadily for nearly a decade across the state, reaching a peak of 1,429 deaths in 2022, before receding to 1,208 in 2024. In comparison, the Bay Area has remained relatively stable. The number of fatalities has ranged between 150-180 deaths per year.

The map pinpoints the location of both pedestrian and bicycling deaths, while blocking out high-fatality hotspots.

The latter of which makes Los Angeles look like the hot mess it is.

………

Active SGV is hosting a free Learn to Bike class in El Monte on Sunday.

The group is also hosting an easy ride to Whittier Narrows next weekend.

………

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

A New Jersey legislator is “backpedaling” on his own proposal to require a $50 annual bicycle registration fee to make bike riders contribute to the cost of their own infrastructure, with public comments running 61% against. Because apparently, people who ride bikes don’t pay taxes like normal folks, and the proven societal and health effects of bicycling are worth nothing. And no, drivers don’t pay their own way; the overwhelming cost of building and maintaining roadways comes from general tax funds.

The simple act of bicycling without a helmet or hi-viz clothing could soon become a criminal offense in Ireland if a new government proposal is enacted; the president of an Irish bicycling organization calls it “performative policymaking,” arguing “there is no credible evidence” that it would significantly reduce collisions or fatalities. Meanwhile, an English author and columnist writing for the Irish Times says that “Anyone who thinks cyclists ‘come out of nowhere’ should not be in control of a vehicle.”

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

Carpenteria is becoming the latest coastal California city to crack down on ebikes without distinguishing ped-assist bikes from the electric motorbikes and illegal ebikes causing the problems, although they are capping ebike speeds at 28 mph, mirroring state law.

………

Local 

Metro will mark the birthday of civil rights icon Rosa Parks next Wednesday, aka Transit Equity Day, with free rides throughout the system, including Metro Bike; the agency is also conducting a survey to better understand the needs of neurodivergent riders.

UCLA is now requiring that every ebike and e-scooter kept on campus be UL-certified and registered with the school transportation department.

A Canyon Country bike rider was hospitalized with minor injuries as a result of a hit-and-run crash with a truck driver leaving a movie set. Which means the driver shouldn’t be too hard to find. 

He gets it. A personal trainer from Signal Hill says Long Beach residents don’t need another fitness trend, because all they have to do is go outside to enjoy one of the city’s most effective health resources, including the beachfront bike path.

 

State

Once again, a bike thief has been busted in Orange County, after stealing a bait bike worth over $2,000 in Huntington Beach, which makes it a felony. Meanwhile, the LAPD still won’t employ bait bikes because a former city attorney feared it could be construed as entrapment, even though similar charges have held up in other cities that do.

Laguna Beach city leaders are debating potential locations and designs for a pump track, though they haven’t made a commitment to building one yet.

A 71-year old man was critically injured when he was struck by a pickup driver in Indio Tuesday morning and knocked under the truck, suffering “significant” injuries; shockingly, the driver was unharmed. And yes, that’s sarcasm. 

Congratulations to San Jose, where traffic deaths dropped for the second straight year, declining ten percent from 2024 to the lowest level since 2012.

Bike-friendly Davis has released a new citywide bike map. Granted, it’s easier to build a connected bike network in a small city, but at least Davis has one. Los Angeles doesn’t. 

Sad news from Lodi, where a 78-year old retired physician was killed by a driver while riding his bicycle in Amador County, southeast of Sacramento; he was called The Lone Rider by his bike club because he rode so much after his retirement 23 years ago.

 

National

Gadget Review ranks the fifteen best bikes from last year. Some of which actually are. 

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The assets of bankrupt Seattle ebikemaker Rad Power Bikes were auctioned off in a fire sale for $13.2 million, following its recent Orange County warehouse fire — a 99.2% drop from its high valuation of $1.65 billion.

Once again, someone riding a bicycle has been collateral damage in a police chase, when a bike rider was killed by a speeding driver fleeing from the cops in Tucson, Arizona, who also crashed into a pedestrian before being shot by state troopers; the driver was hospitalized, while the pedestrian suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Winter bicycling rates are skyrocketing in Cambridge, Massachusetts, increasing over 400% in the past ten years, thanks in part to the city plowing snow from bike lanes.

South Carolina authorities are searching for a 15-year old boy who disappeared under “unusual” circumstances after leaving his grandfather’s house for a bike ride a week ago, and hasn’t been seen since.

 

International

A writer for Cycling Weekly says like it or not, of course there are barriers to bicycling for female riders, from the cost of an entry level bike to products designed for male riders, and threatening behavior from other road users.

A new Canadian study shows that nearly 3,600 kilometers — roughly 2,200 miles — of high-quality bicycling infrastructure was added across the country, but the increase largely bypassed areas with more children and older adults, which could benefit most from it.

The London Times asks if 2025 was the year London became a bicycling city, as even Timothée Chalamet embraced the city’s ubiquitous Lime bikes.

British Transport Police have reversed their recent announcement that they wouldn’t investigate the theft of bicycles left at train stations for more than two hours.

A British man completed a six-month, 14,000-mile trip from Melbourne to Melbourne, the former in the UK and the latter in Australia.

There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole a man’s wallet when he fell from his bike after leaving a nightclub in Turin, Italy, and was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver while he was on the ground.

 

Competitive Cycling

Two-time Tour de France champ Jonas Vingegaard was lucky to escape serious injury when he crashed on a training ride, after he tried to drop an amateur cyclist who repeatedly tailed him and wouldn’t back off; amateur Pedro García Fernández posted video to Strava showing him riding on Vingegaard’s wheel, saying he couldn’t understand the pro’s anger at being followed by a fan. It used to piss me off when some stranger drafted off me, and I’m not even famous.

Chinese bikes have made it to the WorldTour, with the Quick Pro brand signing a new sponsorship agreement with the Euskaltel-Euskadi cycling team, after more than 30 years using Orbea bikes.

Ouch. Aussie Jay Vine finished the Tour Down Under riding with a broken wrist after getting caught up in the infamous kangaroo crash.

 

Finally…

That feeling when you give five grand from your insurance settlement to the driver who knocked you off your bike because the crash cured your back pain. We may have to deal with rabid LA drivers, but at least we hardly ever run into potentially rabid baby bats. Who needs a bike seat when you’re Ryan Seacrest?

And honestly, who wouldn’t want their very own lobster bike?

Ok, who has $200?seattle.craigslist.org/see/gms/d/se…

— Cold vermin winter of our discontent (@sciencehippies.bsky.social) 2026-01-24T20:52:56.370Z

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

 

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

Killer high & distracted hit-and-run Corona driver could get early release, and a look back at the madcap days of Bicycle Face

January 21, 2026 / / No comments

Evidently, life is cheap in Corona.

The parents of fallen bicyclist Benjamin Montalvo are justifiably angry that the hit-and-run driver who killed their youngest child in 2020 while driving high and distracted could get out of jail after just two and a half years of her nine-year sentence.

Noemi Velado was allegedly texting when she hit the 21-year old man and fled the scene, turning herself in to police days later.

According to KTLA-5,

The couple is now making an appeal to local and state lawmakers to officially designate Velado’s offense as a violent crime, which would require the perpetrator to serve 80% of their sentence.

“When you weaponize your vehicle and you’re texting endlessly and you’re high, that’s a violent crime and it should be treated as such,” Kellie said.

While the Montalvos say they keep their son’s memory alive by speaking out against impaired and distracted driving, they worry that Velado is not fully rehabilitated after such a short amount of time in prison.

Just one more example of how unserious California is about traffic crime.

And why people keep dying on our streets, and drivers keep fleeing afterwards. Because they know it’s not likely to result in more than a slap on the wrist.

And they’re usually right.

………

Now you, too, can suffer from ‘bicycle eye’, ‘bicycle arm’, ‘bicycle elbow’ and/or ‘bicycle heart,’ and other made-up maladies of the Victorian bike boom.

Cycling Weekly looks back at the fads and fallacies of the day, as the Penny Farthings swept the world, allowing men and women to spread their DNA far and wide.

“One of my favourite facts is about what the bicycle did for genetics,” Will Manners, author of Revolution: How the Bicycle Reinvented Modern Britaintold Cycling Weekly. “For people living in rural areas, being able to get around on bicycles expanded the range of marriage partners available to them.”

According to geneticist, Steve Jones, this phenomenon makes the bicycle one of the most important inventions in recent human evolution.

But even more important, it could also clear up your zits in an ancient age before Clearasil.

The crowning glory in an era of ridiculous cycling ailments, ‘bicycle face’ was said to cause serious disfigurement. According to one account in Pearson’s Weekly, C.A. Pearson wrote that ‘bicycle face’ resulted from ‘the constant anxiety, the everlasting looking ahead, the strain on a nervous disposition which imparts a hard, set look to the face, and gives a haggard, anxious expression to the eyes which is quite painful to observe.’

Cycling, however, took a gentler view, writing: ‘we know riders of both sexes who have ridden for lengthy periods… and the only alteration we have ever noted in the countenances of any one of them is that the complexion has invariably been improved.’

It’s a good read, and more than worth a few minutes of your day.

Just be careful that smile doesn’t freeze on your face.

………

Yet another clickbait piece promoting a liability law firm uses 2025 crash data to rank both the safest and most dangerous American cities for bicyclists and pedestrians.

None of which is Los Angeles.

Although it’s no surprise we’re not on the good list.

While the safest cities are spread out across the US, half of the most dangerous ones are clustered in California and Arizona. Add Florida, and it represents three-quarters of the list.

Which is kind of scary to think that just three states make up 75% of the most dangerous cities for bike riders and pedestrians.

And we live in one of them.

………

Congratulations to Streets For All’s Michael Schneider, whose video illustrating the street paving differences between cash-strapped Los Angeles and gilded Beverly Hills was reposted by the New York Post, which never seems to tire of criticizing our (un)fair city.

Then again, we never seem to tire of giving them reasons to.

………

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

An Irish advocacy group complains that Dublin officials can’t seem to find any space for bike lanes while making plans for a street that’s a primary route for the city’s bicycle network.

But sometimes, it’s the people on who wheels behaving badly.

A man in Salt Lake City, Utah, faces a murder charge and seven counts of discharging a firearm for shooting a man in the back, from a second-story window, who he thought was stealing his bicycle. To repeatedly repeat, no bicycle is worth a human life. Register it, put an AirTag in it, and just let the damn thing go and let the cops deal with it, because that’s what they’re paid to do.

A Spanish newspaper gets its knickers in a twist over video of a bicyclist drafting a minivan in the Canary Islands, whose driver seems to be working with him, calling it a very dangerous technique. Even though we’ve all done it. Or is it just me?

………

Local 

Streets For All calls it a Monster Metro meeting tomorrow, as the Metro Board will consider approving a final design for the Sepulveda corridor, and extending the the C-Line to Torrance, while calling for opposition to Metro’s proposed exemption to SB-79 for Los Angeles County.

 

State

A year after the AIDS/LifeCycle bike ride ended after nearly three decades, two new fundraising rides are emerging to take their place, with Cycle to Zero supporting the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and Center Ride Out benefitting LGBTQ centers in Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs/Coachella; it remains to be seen if these rides will combine to raise as much to fight HIV/AIDS.

As if the financially troubled company wasn’t having enough problems already, Rad Power Bikes suffered another blown when a two-story fire destroyed their Huntington Beach store on Saturday.

Security cam video captured a man being chased down and attacked by a group of teens outside San Francisco’s Maritime Museum on Saturday, who beat and robbed him until bystanders stepped in to stop them – all because the man had asked them to slow down.

 

National

The Disco Biscuits announced a West Coast Tour to mark Bicycle Day 2026, the 83rd anniversary of chemist Albert Hofmann’s accidental discovery of the hallucinogenic effects of LSD as he rode his bicycle home. And yes, I’m just juvenile enough to find the whole thing pretty damn funny. 

An Oregon state appellate court says a cop needs more than a “hunch” that a bike was stolen to justify stopping the person riding it, reversing a gun possession charge resulting from the illegal stop.

Police in Austin, Texas can’t find the owner of an $8,000, customized Trek that they believe was stolen. Which is yet another reminder to register your bikes before anything like that happens to you.

Streetsblog calls on new New York Mayor Mamdani to rescind Central Park’s new 15 mph speed limit for bicycles imposed by former Mayor Eric Adams on his way out of office, arguing that it misapplies state law and sets a troubling precedent.

Meanwhile, new data shows that recent improvements for pedestrian crossings have resulted in better safety for people walking in Central Park.

A 17-year old boy surrendered to police, accompanied by his mother, for the December hit-and-run death of a popular Philadelphia, Pennsylvania DJ.

Something to watch for, as the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health has received a nearly quarter of a million dollar grant to study just how safe ebikes really are. Although as always, the question is whether they will differentiate between actual ped-assist bicycles, and electric motorbikes that unfortunately are also called ebikes.

 

International

Road.cc recommends the year’s best all-road bikes for whatever kind of paved or gravel roads you ride.

She gets it. An Irish columnist says bicyclists should be considered “brave”, “hardy”, “efficient” and “considerate” — rather than reckless or inconvenient — in a country that needs as many people as possible to ride to “alleviate traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, improve public health, make urban spaces more liveable, and cut carbon emissions.”

A new study conducted in Bangladesh, India and Ghana shows that increased bicycling could reduce pollution in the global south, home to 49 of the top 50 countries with the most polluted air, yet policies to improve safety and promote bicycling are far less common in low- and middle-income countries than in the wealthy north.

In a deeply disturbing story from India, a man was beaten to death, and several members of his family injured, when they objected when a woman in their family was struck by a member of another clan riding a bicycle; the other family attacked the victims with sticks and iron rods after the dispute escalated into an argument.

Bike Radar lists eleven Chinese bicycling brands you probably aren’t familiar with, but should be, as quality and innovation become more competitive with Western brands.

Japanese cops will stop giving warnings and start fining people for bicycling violations, with fines up to ¥12,000 — the equivalent of roughly $76 — for distracted bike riding.

 

Competitive Cycling

It could be a balmy 105° Fahrenheit for this week’s Tour Down Under, as Cycling Weekly asks how hot is too hot for bike racing?

Twenty-four-year old British cyclist Samuel Watson won the prologue of the Tour Down Under yesterday, through the INEOS Grenadiers rider opted for black shorts, instead of the team’s highly criticized beige/white kit.

 

Finally…

Your next cleats could save your floors and stop scaring the dog.

And that feeling when you can pedal guitar.

Or something.

Nice beat, easy to dance to. I give it a 95.

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Update: 6-year old boy riding bike with parents killed by hit-and-run driver in San Diego’s Pacific Beach; 32-year old woman arrested

January 18, 2026 / / One comment

Dear God, no.

For the third time in three days, someone has been killed riding a bicycle here in Southern California.

This time, it was just a little kid, murdered by a hit-and-run driver.

Multiple sources are reporting that a six-year old boy was killed when he was first hit, then run over by a woman while riding his bike in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood Saturday afternoon.

The victim, identified as Hudson Stephen O’Loughlin, was riding his bicycle with his parents on the sidewalk on the south side of Pacific Beach Drive around 3:44 pm, when he was right hooked by a driver as he crossed the alley at Ingraham Street.

The driver was turning right off Pacific Beach into the alley when she struck the boy, knocking him off his bike. She paused briefly without exiting her car, then accelerated south down the alley, running over Hudson as he lay on the ground in front of her car.

He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver, identified only as a 32-year old woman, was taken into custody after police located her car in National City.

Investigators said alcohol was not a factor in the crash, which does not make it better.

Especially considering that the boy might still be alive if she had just gotten out of her car and seen him there. Or even backed up instead of speeding forward.

Even worse, it’s likely that both his parents witnessed the crash that killed their son, according to 10 News San Diego.

Hudson’s mother, Juliana Kapovich, described her son over the phone as everything she could imagine – a fearless, confident child who was full of life. She said he loved his brother and science.

Kapovich said she and Hudson’s father were with him when he was riding his bike Saturday. Police say Hudson was hit and then run over by a car turning into a nearby alley.

A crowdfunding campaign describes the boy as a bright light taken too soon.

Hudson was a bright, curious child who loved all things science, and his energy was contagious. He filled every room with his spirit and had a passion for BMX, cycling, swimming, skating, and building with Legos. Whether he was racing on his bike, splashing in the pool, or creating new Lego masterpieces, Hudson’s adventurous and creative nature inspired everyone around him. Hudson attended school in North Park where he made many friends and touched countless lives. Hudson dreamed of becoming a military scientist one day, and his love for learning was matched only by his love for his family. In his short life, he brought so much joy, kindness, and wonder to everyone he met. One of the sweetest memories his mom holds close is how, as soon as the sun came up, Hudson would come into her room to ask for cuddles. Those quiet, loving moments were a daily reminder of the deep bond they shared.

As of this time, the page has raised more than $35,000 of the $100,000 goal.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the San Diego Police Department Traffic Division or Crime Stoppers at 888/580-8477.

This is the fourth bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California this year, and the first in San Diego County.

There’s just no excuse.

Update: The driver has been identified as 32-year-old Tiffany Sanchez. She was booked on charges of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run.

However, San Diego’s NBC7 reports Sanchez did not appear to be in police custody Monday, and it wasn’t clear if she had posted bail was posted or been released.

Fox 5 San Diego quotes Hudson’s father, Matthew O’Loughlin, describing how the crash happened. 

“My son is behind me, my other son and wife are about 10 feet behind us,” Matthew described. “No cars, I cross over, I’m fine…I look back to check on him and the lady just runs him over.”

He said his instinct was to capture the driver’s license plate…

“She ran him over taking off with no disregard for anybody, you wouldn’t even do that to an animal, she just left him die on the street,” Matthew said. “She just left.”

The UK’s Daily Mail offers a few more details about the crash. 

David Morrow, who was driving behind the woman at the time, recalled seeing her ‘cut right into the alley’ before running Hudson over ‘twice,’ he told the outlet.

‘Like, both wheels ran over the kid. She stopped right in front for about ten seconds. That’s when I pulled behind her and got her license number, and then she took off,’ Morrow added.

He noted that a bystander, who was possibly a paramedic, jumped in to help Hudson.

‘He got up at first and was standing there all in pain, and then they laid him down, and he stopped breathing right in front of me,’ Morrow said of Hudson. ‘It was sad, and then I left.’

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Hudson Stephen O’Loughlin and his loved ones. 

Photos from Go Fund Me page

 

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

Reforming DUI law to make it kinda less lax, Venice NC rethinks the bike plan, and throwing a bike at a hit-and-run driver

January 14, 2026 / / No comments

Apparently, CalMatters is getting results for calling out California’s lax DUI laws.

The nonpartisan nonprofit news organization has run a series of hard-hitting stories pointing out how the state allows dangerous and deadly drivers to remain on the roads, even after taking a life.

Or repeatedly getting busted while too drunk or stoned to drive.

And how those overly lenient laws adds to the state’s ever increasing body count due to traffic violence caused by people who shouldn’t have been behind the wheel in the first place.

Now they’re reporting that a number of bills are being proposed in the state legislature to tackle the problem, including one directly addressing DUI.

(Assemblyman Nick) Schultz, a Democrat from Burbank, is the chair of the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee and a former DUI prosecutor. He unveiled a new bill last week – which he called “the tip of the spear” – that would crack down on repeat drunk drivers. The bill would:

  • Let prosecutors charge a felony for a third DUI — a “paradigm shift” for sentencing, he said, that would bring California more in line with states like Oregon, where Schultz worked. Right now, in California, a driver generally can’t be charged with a felony until their fourth DUI in 10 years.
  • Require any driver who gets a fifth DUI conviction within 10 years to have their license revoked for five years, and to install an in-car breathalyzer for four years. As we’ve reported, California has some of the weakest DUI laws in the nation, and these measures touch on two reasons why.

Look, I’m glad to finally see some action to address DUI. Any action.

But waiting for a fifth DUI in just ten years to get serious about taking away someone’s driving privileges is like giving someone his gun back because his first few shots missed.

A driver’s first DUI should result in an automatic six-month loss of license, and a requirement to use an interlock device for at least two years.

A second DUI should result in automatic jail time, or at least home vacation confinement. And a third should mean serious prison time, and a permanent loss of license.

That’s three in a lifetime, not 10 years. Or 20.

We should also impound the cars of any drivers who have their license suspended, for whatever reason. Because as we’ve seen, too many people continue to drive even after their license has been taken away.

Does that sound harsh?

So is having to arrange a funeral for a loved one.

The simple fact is, no one has a right to drive. It is a privilege granted by the state, only after passing a test demonstrating a basic knowledge of traffic laws, and the ability to drive safely.

Which means that everyone should know it’s illegal to drive after drinking or getting high. Other than speeding or distracted driving, nothing a person does behind the wheel is more likely to result in the death of another human being.

And don’t get me started on how lenient our speeding and distracted driving laws are.

Right now, we enforce DUI with a wink and a nod, accepting a driver’s promise to never, ever do it again. Until they do, when we usually just do the same thing.

And keep doing it until they kill someone.

It’s long past time we put a stop to it, once and for all. And incremental steps, however well intentioned, won’t get us there.

……….

The Venice Neighborhood Council wants to know where you think a safe Venice bike network should go.

Never mind that there’s already a Los Angeles bike plan, part of the city mobility plan, that maps that out in detail.

But whatever.

The Venice NC Parking & Transportation Committee met Monday to discuss the creation and distribution of a Bikeway Network for Venice in time for the ’28 Olympics.

According to YoVenice,

The purpose of the survey is to include community input, advice, and suggestions before the final product is distributed to the general public. Should they receive board approval, several methods of distribution will be used for maximum participation and input.

The creation of a Venice Bikeway Network would be the ultimate goal and objective.

It’s not that they shouldn’t take another look at it.

Obviously, things have changed in the decade and a half since the bike plan was unanimously approved by the city council. They should consider how it can be improved, particularly in a neighborhood where residents are five times more likely to ride a bicycle than most Angelenos.

But start with the work that’s already in place, without trying to reinvent the (bicycle) wheel.

………

Seriously?

A 31-year old Indiana man faces charges for the hit-and-run death of a 69-year old Indianapolis man riding a bicycle, after police tracked him down two months later.

He bizarrely told investigators that he knew he had been in a crash, but kept going because he thought someone had just thrown a bicycle at his truck, and had no idea there might possibly be someone riding it.

If he actually believes that, prosecutors should add a DUI charge to his indictment, because he’d have to be whacked out of his mind to have that thought even pop into his head.

He should also have been charged with murder, because it took half an hour to find the victim after he was run down, at which point it was too late to help him.

And to top things off, the driver was out on pre-trial release for a separate domestic battery case.

Nice guy.

………

This is the future we could have.

Although as someone else pointed out in the comments, we already have a few Metro Bike Hubs, but nowhere near enough. And you have to have a membership, rather than just using it on demand whenever you need it.

 

………

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

No bias here. Conservative politicians in England’s Merseyside region are attacking a “ridiculous” new bike lane network as “crackpot stuff,” even as the local government calls for people to ditch their cars for some shorter journeys, insisting it will make area “healthier and safer.”

No bias here, either. Irish bicyclists and advocacy group attacked the remarks of a judge who imposed his own views as a driver to slash an award to an injured bike rider by 80%, saying bicyclists “have become a nightmare in Dublin;” one group argued it showed “language that risks normalizing hostility towards people who choose to travel by bike.” Never mind that the judge once refused to take a breathalyzer test when he was suspected of drunk driving.

………

Local 

Just months after Pee-wee Herman’s classic red and white bicycle was donated to the Alamo, and a second went to Kourtney Kardashian as a Christmas present, another of the 14 duplicate bikes used to film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was donated to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures at Wilshire and Fairfax.

Apparently, a random video of bicycling through LA’s Skid Row is proof that California is “a third world hellscape,” where the “streets look like Mogadishu.” In other words, sort of like a few streets in any other major city.

LA’s killer highway nearly claimed another victim, as a man in his 50s was seriously injured when he was run down by a driver while riding an ebike in Hermosa Beach. Although photos from the scene make it clear that he was riding an electric motorbike, rather than a ped-assist ebike.

 

State

The City of La Mesa is teaming with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition for an hour long virtual information session for new bicycle owners tomorrow evening.

A Eureka woman was arrested nearly a year after she used her SUV as a weapon by allegedly speeding up to intentionally strike a bicycle being ridden by someone she knew, while driving on the wrong side of the road, then backing up to run over the victim’s bicycle, and crashing into another car after running a red light as she tried to make her escape; fortunately, the victim didn’t appear to be seriously injured, although the driver of the car she hit was hospitalized afterwards.

 

National

There’s a special place in hell for anyone who flees the scene of a crash, leaving a little kid lying in the street — like the driver who hit a child’s bike as he was riding in a Bend, Oregon crosswalk. Fortunately, the boy wasn’t seriously injured.

Bike Portland struggles to make sense of what caused an experienced bicyclist to lose control of his bike and go over his handlebars, after a witness said initial reports that he hit a large pothole were wrong.

Oregon letter writers argue that improving bike infrastructure helps reduce oil dependence.

A 23-year old Salt Lake City man has been arrested for fatally shooting a bike thief in the back, as the alleged thief was riding off on his bicycle. We’ve said too many times already that no bicycle is worth a human life. Just let it go, and let the cops deal with it. That’s what they’re paid to do.

A tri-state planning association for the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut region calls on New Jersey to reject a legislative crackdown on ebikes that would be the most restrictive ebike law in the US.

You’ve got to be kidding. A bike-riding kid in South Carolina got the blame for crashing into the side of a passing pickup, even though it’s far more likely the driver sideswiped the kid. Never mind that even if the kid did crash into the pickup, the driver was clearly violating the state’s three-foot passing law.

 

International

Momentum recommends a dozen “hidden gem” bicycling routes for your bike bucket list, only one of which is in the US.

An English writer says a bike rider was killed by a hit-and-run driver in his town, leaving the bicycling community scared — and serving as a reminder that safer roads aren’t a ridiculous request, but a need. Trust me, I know the feeling. But I’d add heartsick to those feels, too. 

She gets it. An Irish coroner looking into the death of a 58-year old bike rider blames the lack of a comprehensive bike path network, while a bike advocacy group says the street where he was killed by a truck driver “is not safe for people walking or cycling.”

Speaking of bike bucket lists, a French website recommends the Parc naturel régional du Luberon in the heart of Provence, saying it might as well have been “designed for exploring on two wheels.”

 

Competitive Cycling

Two-time Tour de France and defending Vuelta champ Jonas Vingegaard will race the Giro this year, as he tries to claim the only Grand Tour he hasn’t won. Yet. Note to newspapers — does it really make sense to paywall an AP story that’s readily available on the internet?

Australia’s Royal Automobile Association, the country’s equivalent to AAA, is urging drivers and bicyclists to be patient and courteous, and obey the law, during the upcoming Santos Tour Down Under. Although it’s not the scofflaw bike riders whose impatience and lack of courtesy puts everyone else at risk.

 

Finally…

Turning a simple bicycle jersey into a work of art. Nothing like spending your Christmas riding laps around a Mickey D’s drive-thru.

And accusing an oil-sponsored bike race of “pedalling climate bullshit.”

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Speeding Long Beach driver kills 2 — after killing bike rider 3 months earlier, and Mandani loses a just little bike street cred

January 8, 2026 / / One comment

Un-effing-believable.

A 24-year old woman was formally charged with felony manslaughter for the October death of a bike rider in Long Beach.

Just one day after she was arrested for killing two other people in a Long Beach hit-and-run on Sunday.

According to the Long Beach Post, Ahkeyajahniq Owens was arraigned on a single count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for running down 35-year old Long Beach resident Raul Augustin Gallopa on October 6th.

Owens was allegedly driving her BMW around 100 mph when she slammed into Gallopa while he was attempting to turn left off of Fourth Street near Bonita Ave.

Remarkably, given Owen’s speed, he survived for two weeks in the hospital before dying of his injuries.

The deputy district attorney mentioned the additional killings almost in passing as she asked that Owens to be held without bail, arguing that she is “a huge risk to the community.”

Well, no shit.

Like the earlier crash, she’s accused of running red lights at over 100 mph before slamming into two cars at Sixth Street and Atlantic Avenue in Sunday’s crash, killing two people and injuring three others.

Which makes you wonder how the hell she manages to survive those high-speed crashes.

It also makes you wonder why her license wasn’t immediately pulled after killing one innocent person, let alone three.

It’s also stupendously idiotic that Owens wasn’t taken into custody after the first crash; instead, she was let loose on society after getting booked on suspicion of misdemeanor reckless driving.

Because apparently, inflicting life-threatening injuries at 100 mph on someone riding a bicycle is merely “reckless.”

In a functioning society that actually gives a damn about human lives, that would have been enough to suspend her license at least until a decision was made whether to file formal charges.

But we don’t seem to live in that society.

Instead, we just give dangerous drivers a pat on the back, and send them back out to get their cars fixed, and do it again three months later.

To say I’m disgusted and sickened would be a huge understatement.

To cap it all off, California’s lax traffic laws mean she faces a maximum of six years behind bars if she’s convicted for Gallopa’s death.

Too bad the judge can’t add a year for each 10 mph over the speed limit.

The only good news, if you can all it that, is that she should face a similar sentence for each of the two people she is alleged to have killed on Sunday. Although the DA should upgrade it to 2nd degree murder by arguing that she should have known the danger of speeding after the earlier crash.

We can hope, anyway.

At the end of Monday’s hearing, Owens was ordered held on $200,000 bail.

No word on whether the judge also took away her license until the trial is completed.

Thanks to Chris for the heads-up. 

Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels. 

………

We finally got to see the first crack in the New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani thus far flawless bike-friendly veneer.

According to Streetsblog, Mamdani agreed that scofflaw bike riders shouldn’t be getting criminal summons in the Big Apple, rather than regular traffic tickets.

But he stopped short of saying he would direct NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to end the policy she implemented last year, instead just saying they’re still having “conversations.”

“These are part of the conversations that we’re having,” Mamdani said. “In addition to the question of what kind of a summons, we also have to make it easier to be a cyclist in compliance with the law, because I will tell you that you will find a cyclist biking on a pavement, and sometimes when you ask them why they’re doing so, they’ll point to the car that’s driving in the bike lane.

“We have created infrastructure issues for cyclists that we are then ticketing them for, where it is easier to be out of compliance with the law than in compliance with the law,” the mayor added.

Although if wants to maintain the bicycle street cred he’s built up in the first two weeks of his administration, he needs to stop conversing and start stopping things.

………

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

The Canadian Constitutional Foundation is entering the battle over Toronto bike lanes, joining the appeal of a judge’s ruling blocking the province’s effort to rip them out, by contesting the constitutional basis for it.

Road.cc claps back about why “certain MAMILS” ride in the roadway rather than in a bike lane, in response to an anonymous Facebook poster complaining about four people riding perfectly legally two-abreast next to the kerb, uh, curb.

………

Local 

Streetsblog’s Joe Linton takes a look at the work by Caltrans contractors to prepare for new lanes on Santa Monica Blvd in the Sawtelle neighborhood, which can also be used by bicyclists once it’s finished.

 

State

A Wasco man will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after being sentenced to 86-years to life for fatally shooting a 51-year old man in a dispute over a stolen bicycle — which is convenient since there’s already a state prison right there. Seriously, no bike is worth a human life. Just let it go, and let the cops handle it. 

 

National

Bike Magazine hosts three expert framebuilders discussing the challenges of building bicycles in the US, and the tradeoffs involved in making bikes overseas.

CyclingSavvy offers a lesson on the safe use of separated bikeways.

Forbes writes that ebike regulations are being tightened across the US in the wake of irresponsible drivers. But by “drivers,” they mean the people operating ebikes, not the ones in the big, dangerous machines.

Like Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, a Massachusetts man says he depended on the kindness of strangers on his recent three-and-a-half year, 46,000-mile bike journey around the world.

New York will appeal a judge’s ruling that blocked an Astoria bike lane, while also addressing the concerns she cited.

A December demonstration project showed the practicality of delivering fresh seafood to a New York market via freight ferry and heavy-duty cargo bikes.

A Wilmington, North Carolina public radio station examines ghost bikes through the lens of a man who would have been 38 yesterday, if he hadn’t been killed by a driver while riding his bike over seven years earlier.

A recent South Carolina college graduate considers the people he met and the lessons learned riding his bike across the US, while raising $2,500 for charity.

 

International

Momentum ranks the bicycle festivals worth traveling to this year, starting with Monterey’s Sea Otter Classic in April.

Quartz highlights ten of the world’s best bike cities. None of which is Los Angeles, of course. Or even in the US. 

An Irish writer considers why bicycles are a favored symbol of the country’s rural life, despite the damp and dreary weather.

A group of Indian soldiers are riding a thousand miles across the subcontinent, retracing the march of Peshwa Bajirao to victory in the 1737 battle of Delhi.

A kindhearted South African woman worked with a local bike shop to repair and refurbish her gardener’s broken bicycle at no cost, which is his main mode of transport.

A Chinese province used a recent mass bike ride to propagandize against “xie jiao,“ or “illicit religions, ranging from Falun Gong to perfectly orthodox Christian churches.

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to Beijing with a new ebike, along with Chinese ceramics, a coffee cup set, apples and dried persimmons, and a traditional Korean painting symbolizing peace and prosperity. Seriously, he had me at ebike.

 

Competitive Cycling

In a surprise announcement, 33-year old British pro Simon Yates decided to quit at the top, calling it a career after after winning last year’s Giro, seven years after his first grand tour win in the 2018 Vuelta and 13 years after debuting alongside his twin brother Adam.

 

Finally…

Now you, too, can cosplay being a real Tour de France cyclist. Nothing like a bunch of rapping skinny ass white kids in spandex to get you in the mood for racing season.

And post this one under “problems SoCal bike riders seldom have.”

I had to give up..
byu/manspih inbikecommuting

………

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Hit-and-run charge in Ackerman killing, driver kills 2 Texas triathletes, and Imperial Beach teen critically injured by DUI driver

December 22, 2025 / / No comments
Day 356 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

………

It’s the last 3 days of the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Thanks to John and Austin for their donations Sunday night to save our final fund drive weekend, and help keep all the best bike news and advocacy coming your way every day!

But time is quickly running out, with just three short days left to give.

So I’ll ask you the same question I asked on Day One. What is this site worth to you, and what can you afford to give?

If the information we give you every day is invaluable to you, but you can only afford ten bucks, then give ten. If it’s worth a hundred and you’ve got that, then give that. If you can and want to give more, then great, give more. 

But if it’s not worth a dime to you, or you can’t afford to give anything, then thank you for reading, which I appreciate even more than your money. 

If you want to donate, you can do it right now with just a few clicks through PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.

If you’ve already given, I sincerely and humbly thank you. But either way, I wish a joy filled holiday season for you and all your loved ones. 

And yes, our spokescorgi is just a tad worn out by all this now. 

………

About damn time.

The Los Angeles DA’s office has filed charges against 73-year old Douglas Morton Adams for the July hit-and-run crash that killed 27-year-old Blake Ackerman as he rode his bike on Fountain Ave at Gardner in West Hollywood.

Adams faces a single felony count of hit-and-run resulting in death or serious injury, which carries a penalty of just four years behind bars.

Which hardly seems sufficient for snuffing out the life of a bright young man on the verge of starting a new life with his fiancé here in Los Angeles.

………

Awful news from Dallas suburb of Frisco, where two triathletes were killed by a driver while riding their bikes Saturday morning.

The victims were members of the Frisco Triathlon Club; a friend of the two men says he was supposed to ride with them that morning, but decided to work instead, which may have spared his life.

The driver reportedly started to drive off, but returned to the scene and cooperated with investigators.

Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on how the crash happened, or whether the driver will be charged.

………

A suspected drunk driver is under arrest following a collision with a bike rider in Imperial Beach.

The victim was struck by the driver around 2:40 pm Saturday at Imperial Beach Boulevard and California Street.

The bike rider, reportedly a teenager riding an ebike, was hospitalized with critical injuries.

Anyone with information is urged to call the San Diego Sheriff’s Departmen’s Imperial Beach station at 619/498-2400.

………

‘Tis the season.

Kansas City Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes gave his offensive line new Aveton ebikes for protecting him, along with a host of other high-end swag.

Good for them. An African-American fraternity in South Carolina gave away 22 free bicycles, and as well as warm winter coats to 300 families.

………

LABikeBoy tries riding to the Getty Villa, only to get turned away at the gate for the crime of riding a bicycle.

………

Nothing like riding 136 miles offroad from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn, with nearly 40,000 feet of elevation gain, in less than 48 hours.

………

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

In an example of toxic masculinity run amok, a writer from Cayucos complains that buying your kid an ebike is “guaranteed to turn him into a weak-limb pussy,” and our “young male race into a bunch of butter-soft pansies.” Not that he doesn’t have a point about kids being better off with something they have to pedal, but still. 

Seriously? A politician from Northern Ireland was peeved at the condition of a park after a recent ‘cross race, even though it recovers quickly, and says he refuses to be intimidated by “cycling enthusiasts.” Because it’s not like “cycling enthusiasts” might be local residents or, you know, voters or anything.

But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.

No bias here. A British tabloid says “dog walkers and yummy mummies with pushchairs” are at “WAR” with “inconsiderate cyclists tearing through the park at up to 30 mph.” Then they illustrate it with a “No Cycling” sign, even though the park has a 12 mph speed limit for people on bicycles. “Yummy mummies?” Seriously?

………

………

Local 

A writer on Medium spends years trying to hack life in “car-choked” Los Angeles into something more livable, until he realizes he can have the livable life he wants by moving to Spain.

Santa Clarita’s new bike park is set to open in the first quarter of next year, on a date to be determined.

 

State

No bias here, either. San Diego’s CBS8 reports that residents have concerns about two new community plans, but they can only seem to find one person who complains that a lane reduction and buffered bike lanes could cause problems evacuating the University City area, even while admitting that people could still drive in the bike lanes to get out, if necessary. Never mind that if there’s an anti-bike slant to any story, that station will find it.

San Diego’s longtime San Diego Bike Shop was struck by thieves yet again, losing dozens of high-end bikes at the height of the holiday shopping season, despite efforts to improve security.

San Francisco-based Ridepanda is teaming with corporations to offer leased ebikes to employees, as a perk to get workers to return to the office.

 

National

Singletracks wants to know about the most annoying habits of your bike-riding friends.

In a study that shouldn’t surprise anyone, bicyclists face a greater risk of injury or death in low-income neighborhoods — something born out by virtually any High Injury Network map.

Even tiny Columbia Falls, Montana — population 5,531 — is cracking down on ebikes. But at least they have the sense to differentiate being human-powered bikes, and strictly throttle-controlled devices.

A beloved Philadelphia DJ for a local drag show was killed by a hit-and-run driver while the 54-year old man was riding his bike home from work early Saturday.

 

International

There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole an adaptive e-tricycle from a kid with special needs in a British Columbia community.

This is the danger of a close pass. An English woman suffered multiple broken bones and other injuries when she was forced to hit a pothole on her bike, because a driver passing too close left her nowhere to go.

A British bike rider is warning about the dangers of a green-painted bike lane, after he needed a hip replacement when his bike skidded out from under him because the smooth paint created a slick surface. Which is exactly the fear in this country when green lanes were first introduced, until cities — including Los Angeles — began using textured surfaces. Evidently, that city didn’t get the memo.

A senior political correspondent for the Guardian argues that the UK is not keeping up with rapid changes in bicycling, but emulating the bike-friendly highways enjoyed by the country’s European neighbors will take a lot more money and political will. Sounds a lot like this country, including a certain SoCal megalopolis we could name.

A 58-year-old man died after falling into a canal in Brussels, Belgium with his bicycle, while he was riding home from a Christmas tractor event.

Speaking of Brussels, advocates are calling a ban on bikes in a nearly half-mile long pedestrianized zone “dangerous and absurd.”

The ghost bike movement has made it to Istanbul, Turkey, with a single white bike placed in a memorial to remember all those who have died riding a bicycle.

India’s Financial Express newspaper says bicycling has become the preferred form of exercise in the country, as Indians have “shifted towards outdoor workouts, better heart health and stress relief, driven by post-pandemic habits and growing fitness awareness.”

Travel website Time Out recommends the ten best Aussie bicycling holidays for your next trip Down Under. Which is not the same as the Upside Down, incase you were wondering. 

 

Competitive Cycling

2023 Tour de France Femmes champ Demi Vollering didn’t have anything good to say about all the motorists who passed her by without stopping to see if she was okay after “kissing” the pavement on a training ride in Spain; only a single bicyclist stopped to help her.

Now you, too, can have an ugly Christmas sweater from your favorite cycling team. As long as your favorite team is Visma-Lease a Bike.

 

Finally…

Forget the endless lists of what to buy the bike rider in your life — here’s what not to buy. Loki star Tom Hiddleston is one of us, brown suit and all.

And probably not the best idea to drive back to work after taking “a little bit if everything” at a holiday party.

Let alone pass out on your steering wheel with some of those drugs in plain site.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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

Calderon on drugs in fatal PCH hit-and-run, life sentences in Probst murder, and Raising Canes giveaway goes Hollywood

December 17, 2025 / / No comments
Day 350 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025. 

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Just 8 days left in the 11th Annual BikinginLA Holiday Fund Drive!

Sadly, yesterday was the first day during this year’s fund drive without at least one donation to support SoCal’s best source bike news and advocacy. 

Although that’s partially my fault, as the spokescorgi’s full-time service dog job delayed asking for money until late in the day. 

Don’t let it happen again. Because time is quickly running out on this year’s fund drive. So what are you waiting for already?

So stop what you’re doing, and take just a moment to donate through PayPal or Venmo, or via Zelle to ted@bikinginla.com using the banking app on your smartphone.

Seriously, don’t make her beg. Give now!

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No surprise here.

Toxicology tests confirmed that a Long Beach woman was officially allegedly stoned when she plowed into three bicyclists on PCH in Huntington Beach, killing a 45-year old pastor and father of four.

Forty-three-year old Amber Calderon was reportedly high on fentanyl, meth and weed at the time of the October hit-and-run, confirming reports that she appeared to be under the influence when she was stopped by a witness in a state park nearly a mile away, despite having a flat tire and “obvious damage” to her car.

Eric Williams was riding on the shoulder of the roadway with two other people when Calderon is alleged to have swerved right, running them all down from behind. Williams was the co-founder of the Community Church of West Garden Grove, along with his wife.

According to KTLA-5,

Following the toxicology results, Calderon’s charges were upgraded to one felony count of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence, driving under the influence of drugs causing bodily injury, possession of hard drugs with two or more prior convictions, one felony count of hit-and-run causing permanent injury or death, two felony counts of hit-and-run with injury, and a violation of Section 11395(b)(1) of the Health and Safety Code.

She now faces a maximum of 12 years and four months behind bars if she’s convicted on all charges.

The only surprise is that this appears to be her first DUI, since no murder charges were filed.

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It looks like there was justice for Andreas Probst after all.

The two men charged with intentionally ramming the former Bell, California police chief as he rode a bicycle on a Las Vegas street were both sentenced to up to life behind bars yesterday.

They were both teenagers and students at a Las Vegas high school at the time of the crash, where they shared video of the fatal crash with other students showing themselves laughing and egging each other on as they sent Probst flying off his bike.

The driver, Jesus Ayala, now 20 years old, accepted a plea of 20 years to life, while his passenger, Jzamir Keys, who is now 18, agreed to a sentence of 18 years to life.

As juveniles when the crime was committed, they will both be eligible for parole after 20 years.

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‘Tis the season.

The nationwide Raising Cane’s bike giveaway finally made it all the way west to Hollywood, as Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves teamed with poplar Hallmark actress Lacey Chabert to give 120 new bikes to kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood, with another 380 bicycles promised by Christmas; the fast food chain has donated a total of 4,500 bikes, valued at $1.5 million, in nearly 30 US cities this year alone.

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It’s a great ad for eggs. For yeast, maybe not so much.

A Three Minute EggFleischmann's Yeast

— Cool Bike Art (@coolbikeart1.bsky.social) 2025-12-15T21:02:30.647Z

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

A British mayor says returning a bike lane to a Cambridgeshire bridge would cause chaos, and demanded that the city council change its mind on restoring the temporary bikeway. Because evidently, it causes far less chaos to have bicyclists riding in front of cars and occasionally getting run over. 

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Local 

Lakers star Luka Dončić’ spent nearly $350,000 to buy new ebikes from Venice-based Pedal Electric for every member of the team, as well as all the team staffers; however, the 36 mph top speed for the bike he gave the players violates California law, which allows a maximum for 28 mph for a Class 3 ebike.

 

State

Makes sense. San Diego has installed a network of “hostile architecture” to deter homeless people, which effectively compliments the city’s hostile streets.

Speaking of which, the family of 60-year old fallen bicyclist Yi Zhang discusses their loss and his helping heart, after he was killed by a driver while riding to the gym in San Diego’s Rancho Peñasquitos.

Folsom will build a highway underpass to connect the 50-mile bike trail network north of Highway 50 with a 30-mile network to the south.

Sacramento celebrated the reopening of the Del Rio Trail Bridge, which severed the bike path after authorities determined it wasn’t safe when the new path opened last year.

 

National

Popular Seattle-based ebike maker Rad Power Bikes officially went belly up, filing a bankruptcy petition while seeking new ownership within the next two to three months.

The owner of an Anchorage, Alaska bike shop is finally getting $75,000 worth of stolen bicycles back, which sat in a police evidence room for seven years until the case was finally settled, after they were recovered from a storage unit just two weeks after the theft. Except what was then a new model is now seven years old, with equally dated tech.

Minnesota researchers discovered that it’s not the dark or cold that keeps kids from biking to school in the winter, but rather distance, a lack of safe bike routes, and having to cross dangerous roadways.

A New Yorker who led the fight that removed cars from New York’s Central Park says he opposes efforts to ban ebikes from the park, saying supporters of the ban don’t remember what it was like before when motor vehicles ruled the park. Maybe he could come here, and help us get cars out of Griffith Park.

A proposed change to New Jersey law would eliminate the current ebike classifications, and require an ebike operator’s license, registration and insurance for every type of ebike, from slower Class 1 ped-assist bikes to electric motorbikes.

Residents of Asheville, North Carolina are advocating for the passage of the Magnus White Cyclists Safety Act in the US Congress, which would require carmakers to install Automatic Emergency Braking Systems capable of detecting people who aren’t ensconced in a couple tons of automotive glass and steel, such as bicyclists and pedestrians.

 

International

Around 70 bicyclists took to the streets of Guelph, Ontario to demand that the city maintain bike lanes year round, rather than closing them in the winter; the effort worked, as the city’s mayor used his special powers to order them cleared, starting immediately.

This is who we share the road with. A 25-year old Toronto man was sentenced to five years behind bars and a 15-year driving ban, for the hit-and-run death of a 16-year old kid riding a minibike, then lying about it and telling investigators he’d been carjacked.

Bicyclists riding the UK’s National Cycle Network were forced into what may be a permanent nine-mile detour after a historic 350-foot Scottish biking and walking bridge collapsed due to fast-moving flood waters, as local leaders said it will be “nigh on impossible” to fix. Although something tells me they’d find a way if it carried motor vehicle traffic.

An Irish woman pled guilty to a single count of dangerous driving causing death for killing an “inspirational” former Limerick teacher as the 70-year old man was riding a bicycle, but didn’t enter a plea to DUI and other charges in the crash.

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, ordered the construction of vehicle overpasses to completely separate cars from a 15-mile bike path.

New Chinese regulations will improve safety for ebikes, while making them harder to tamper with to illegally increase speeds.

 

Competitive Cycling

A champion Maltese triathlete broke her collarbone when she rounded a blind curve on a training ride, and hit a double speed bump.

 

Finally…

Riding just 13 mph through the park could get you a $66 speeding fine. Who needs a mag trainer when you could be crushing rocks all winter?

And that feeling when your training ride gets just a tad muddy.

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

Oh, and fuck Putin. 

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