Witnesses described someone on a motorcycle fleeing the scene, but were unable to provide a description.
Unfortunately, that’s all we know at this time. Anyone with information is urged to call LAPD South Traffic Division Officer Hurd at 213/677-9791, or 877/527-3247 after business hours.
As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.
This is at least the 51st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; this was also the ninth we’ve learned about in the City of LA.
Nineteen of those drivers have now fled the scene, or more than one out of three fatal crashes involving someone on a bicycle in Southern California since the first of this year.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
Day 317 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
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KNBC-4 reported late last night that someone riding a bicycle was killed by a motorcyclist in a South LA hit-and-run.
According to the station, the crash happened around 7:30 pm at Vernon and Stanford.
Unfortunately, the story hasn’t been posted online, and that’s all we know right now. Hopefully we’ll learn more soon.
………
About damn time.
Calbike says there’s no time to waste to reach out to your Los Angeles County Supervisor, and demand completion of the LA River Bike Path by 2028.
Don’t let Metro miss our last chance to finish the LA River bike path by 2028.
LA Metro has approximately $400 million to complete the LA River bike path through central Los Angeles. Approved by voters in 2016 as part of Measure M, the funding is more than enough to build an in-channel path in the entire 8-mile gap from Arroyo Seco to Vernon. If completed by 2028 as predicted in Metro’s original schedule, the LA River bike path will connect Olympic venues as part of the Festival Trail and provide safe and affordable transportation to the residents who need it most. It will be transformative.
Unfortunately, LA Metro has only considered “above channel” versions of the path that cost $1.1 billion, $700 million more than is available. They have not identified additional funding and have said in public meetings they will not deliver the path by the summer of 2028.
You can change that by helping to get Metro to approve the following two decisions.
Adopt the in-channel design that can be built with available funds. Except for a few weeks each year in the rainy season, it would give Angelenos an amazing river-level experience and a transportation facility that is especially valuable to low-income residents.
Create a Joint Powers Authority dedicated solely to delivering the project by 2028. Independent agencies focused exclusively on specific projects with the power to build and maintain the infrastructure are proven nationwide to expedite construction.
The Metro Board has only one more meeting in 2025. There is no time to waste. Right now, contact your Los Angeles County Supervisor, in their capacity as an LA Metro Board member, and ask them to support the change to an in-channel design and create a Joint Powers Authority.
The AP kindly listed exactly the reasons for that, in bite-sized, easy to digest chunks.
California has some of the weakest DUI laws in the country, allowing repeat drunk and drugged drivers to stay on the road with little punishment.
The state gives repeat drunk drivers their licenses back faster than other states.
Even when the state does take their license, many drivers stay on the road for years — racking up more tickets or new DUIs — with few consequences until they eventually kill.
Courts and lawmakers don’t treat DUI deaths as violent crimes.
California has fallen behind on a simple solution embraced by many other states: in-car breathalyzers.
Despite the mounting death toll, state leaders have shown little willingness to address the issue.
Which goes a long way towards explaining why people keep dying on our streets.
And why every Vision Zero program enacted in the state has failed.
Oceanside bike lawyer and BikinginLA sponsor Richard Duquette reminds us about the need to maximize your uninsured motorist coverage on your car insurance, to ensure you’re protected if you’re injured by a driver with the minimal coverage mandated by the state.
Ted, Im so tired of seeing the bicyclist victims going uncompensated in bad crashes.
I now have a couple of said cases. I also reviewed another case, after a hit & run. Low insurance limits again. It’s just not that much more money if you’re bicycling the mean streets to buy big limits of UM/UIM coverage. But I know money is tight for many I get it. But a while ago, I read an article in the WSJ that said 4.9 Million Motorists are either Uninsured or Underinsured in CA.
The Eastsider says plans are starting to come into focus for a $10.5 million Complete Streets remake of Huntington Drive through El Sereno, including dedicated bus lanes and protected bike lanes, with two traffic lanes in each direction, a thin median, and wider sidewalks.
State
A writer on the San Francisco Peninsula makes the case for why ebike bans are unenforceable, from federal regulations to the fact that there’s nothing to prevent anyone from claiming their ebike is a mobility device.
A 29-year old man is suing Salt Lake City and a local cop, accusing the officer of a blindside tackle during a popular bike ride, resulting in torn ligaments in both knees; the cop accused him of fleeing after he told a group of riders he was going to cite them for traffic violations, but the plaintiff says he didn’t think the officer was talking to him, and simply rode off when the light changed.
If you build it, they will come. Bicycling rates in Paris have doubled in just the last year, thanks to the city’s commitment to building new bicycling infrastructure, and is continuing to trend upward.
November 12, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Judge dismisses bid to drop PCH murder counts; and felony hit-and-run charges in crash that injured CD5 staffer, killed dog
Day 316 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
………
I somehow neglected to wish a happy Veterans Day yesterday to all those who have served this county. So thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.
LA County Superior Court Judge Thomas Rubinson ruled that Bohm knew, or should have known, that driving more than 100 mph “had a high degree of probability of causing death.”
Partly because Bohm had told police investigators after the crash that two of his friends had died in high-speed crashes.
Data from his car’s airbags showed he was doing 104 mph when he lost control of his BMW on the bend known locally as Dead Man’s Curve, crashing into three parked cars and slamming them into the four young women as they walked on the shoulder of the road.
Just four more victims of SoCal’s killer highway.
Rubinson also rejected Bohm’s defense that he was fleeing from a road raging driver, saying there was no evidence of a second car chasing him. Something that would have logically shown up on at least one of the many security cams along the celebrity-studded street.
According to the story from the Los Angeles Times, the murder charges were “based on the concept of implied malice, suggesting a conscious disregard for human life.”
The ruling means there’s enough evidence to proceed to trial on all four counts of murder and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
Twentynine-year old Koreatown resident Ana Larasalguero turned herself into police hours after the 8:30 am crash on Sunday, October 5th, as Tran and her dog were crossing were crossing Eight Street at Cloverdale Ave.
Larasalguero was charged with felony counts of hit and run driving resulting in injury to another person, and cruelty to an animal. As was the passenger in her car, Josue Santiago, her longtime boyfriend, who allegedly switched places with Larasalguero and fled the scene after the crash.
The Beverly Press also reports that Tran is already back at work, despite her injuries.
Tran, who serves as Yaroslavsky’s business development deputy, was taken to a hospital after the collision with multiple fractures. Yaroslavsky’s spokesman Leo Daube said on Nov. 5 Tran has returned to work.
“Thao is recovering well from her physical injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. But this accident has undoubtedly changed her life forever,” Daube said. “She’s focused on healing and moving forward, and our office is supporting her in every way we can.”
Sheesh. As a math guy who went to law school and who has studied crash/death numbers for some decades now this really drives me crazy. This looks like a law firm trolling for “bike” cases that took some random advice from a web site development firm that said “we’ll create some clever, catchy click bait for you…”
Yes, FL is the worst- I agree 100% with that assessment.
How do you assess “risk” or “danger” though?
FL is a “big” state but… if you look at the “rate” of fatal bike crashes… the number of deaths per, say 100,000 people, you get a better gauge of “safety”
FL had a total of almost 3,400 TOTAL traffic deaths and 234 BIKE deaths, which was 6.9% of all the traffic deaths… that’s a HIGH figure as the national average is 2.9%, which is UP from the 2.0% or so that was norm prior to 2009.
FL’s “rate” of Fatal Bicycle Crashes is also high – 1.03 deaths per 100,000 people.
That’s the WORST in the US, by far.
Because of smaller numbers of people it is “easier” for a smaller state to have a bad number in a bad year. Maine, for example, had 0 bike deaths in 2023. IF they suddenly had 2 their rate would be significant.
FL had 234 deaths with a total population of 22+M
Compare OH, which had 22 deaths with a population of 11.7M.
So Ohio has slightly more than half the population of FL but only 10% of the number of cycling deaths!
One could argue that OH is 10x “safer” or FL is 10x more “dangerous” than OH… or you are 10x more likely to be killed in FL than if you ride in OH
So yea, FL leads the league
Also, if you look at the Big 3 – FL, CA, TX – you see that 234+145+106 =485 deaths. These 3 states have 485/1166=0.416 or 42% of ALL US Cycling deaths.
BUT
When you look at RATES
FL – 1.03 per 100K
CA – 0.37 per 100K
TX – 0.35 per 100K
US Average is 0.35 people killed on bikes per 100K population so CA and TX are pretty much “average” compared other states but FL is WAY out of whack.
Ohio is, by contrast, well below the national average with a “rate” of 0.19
Steve Magas
This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve said that if you ever need a good bike lawyer in the Midwest, tell Magas I sent you.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A British cycling coach says he was shocked at the hatred he encountered after posting video of a near-collateral damage crash, when a driver skidded out of control following a three-car crash, missing him and another rider by mere inches — yet somehow, some people still blamed them for it.
Sad news from Fullerton, where 19-year old Lauren Turner, a member of the Cal State Fullerton women’s soccer team, died six weeks after she and a teammate suffered life-threatening injuries when a truck driver struck the e-scooter they were sharing. Although maybe someone could tell the OC Register that the box truck that hit them probably had a driver.
Police are still looking for the driver, who fled the scene on foot.
Witnesses described the driver passing other vehicles on the wrong side of the road at a very high rate of speed, and repeatedly going on and off the sidewalk before the crash.
So the question remains whether this was “merely” a very dangerous driver who lost control of his car, or someone acting with murderous intent.
We may never know, unless and until the driver is caught.
But either way, it’s a prime example of what happens when a high-powered, lightly regulated machine is in the wrong hands.
By lightly regulated, I mean anyone can buy — or steal — one. And almost anyone can get a license to operate one, which is too easy to get, and too hard to lose.
And there’s nothing to stop you from continuing to drive, even if you do.
The project includes pavement rehabilitation, new bus priority lanes, and accessibility improvements across three major sections:
West Los Angeles: Santa Monica Boulevard between Centinela Avenue and the I-405 freeway.
Hollywood: Santa Monica Boulevard between La Brea Avenue and the U.S. 101.
Echo Park: Alvarado Street and Glendale Boulevard between the U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps and the SR-2 terminus.
What’s missing is any mention of bike lanes.
And while bikes are legally allowed to use bus lanes in Los Angeles, that’s not the same as providing a separate lane for bikes, which would seem to be necessitated by state and agency rules requiring them to consider the needs of all road users in any work on state highways.
There’s no actual law requiring Caltrans to build Complete Streets, after a bill to do just that failed in the legislature.
But it’s hard to argue that any work that excludes bike lanes on any portion of the Santa Monica Blvd/SR2 corridor in the City of Los Angeles has reasonably considered the needs of everyone.
Cyclists face severe injury and death risks in both urban and rural settings. A safe system approach recognizes human vulnerability and the inevitability of mistakes. Engineering countermeasures, such as road separation, better lighting in rural areas, traffic calming, and vehicle safety features (i.e., guard rails, advanced headlights, and cyclist detection), support CMVC prevention. Public health campaigns and legislative action, along with equitable implementation across urban and rural areas, facilitate improving cyclists’ safety.
The study also notes that of the 83 people killed riding bikes, excluding children, head trauma was the most common injury across all age groups, and 62% of the victims weren’t wearing helmets.
However, they don’t say whether the victims actually died of head injuries, and whether the injuries could have been survivable, with or without one.
Until we know that, we still won’t know the true value or necessity of bike helmets.
The un-cleverly named Long Beach “E-BIKES” law (Electric Bicycle Interventions to Keep Everyone Safe) proposal cites a non-existent gap in state and federal regulations requiring the city to step in.
Except ped-assist and other relatively low-speed ebikes are required to follow the same rules as any other bicycles, while faster ebike riders must follow rules for mo-peds or motorbikes, depending on their speeds.
And off-road dirt bikes aren’t legally allowed to ride on city streets, regardless of how they’re powered.
So if there’s a gap there, I can’t see it.
………
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has placed a bet on the Dodgers to win the World Series that will require her to ride a bike if they don’t.
Although any baseball fan can tell you that could be a negative figure, since the losing team could have a high margin in the games they win, and a have a close score in the ones they lose.
But it’s almost enough to make you pull for the Blue Jays, just to actually see Bass on a bike.
Almost.
………
Thanks to Jim for forwarding a reminder that you can now legally ride your bicycle through a red light on the leading pedestrian interval.
And yes, that includes all-way stops.
California vehicle code allows bikes to ride through an intersection when the pedestrian signal says “walk…”
SEC. 3.
Section 21456 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
21456.
(a) If a pedestrian control signal showing the words “WALK” or “WAIT” or “DON’T WALK” or other approved symbol is in place, the signal shall indicate as follows:
(1) A “WALK” or approved “Walking Person” symbol means a pedestrian facing the signal may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal, but shall yield the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully within the intersection at the time that signal is first shown. Except as otherwise directed by a bicycle control signal described in Section 21456.3, the operator of a bicycle facing a pedestrian control signal displaying a “WALK” or approved “Walking Person” symbol may proceed across the roadway in the direction of the signal, but shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicles or pedestrians lawfully within the intersection.
………
Megan forwards a video from British TV with this description.
Actor, writer, director Richard Ayoade is now so known for riding a Brompton (he rides it to the local London studio filmings he works on), that the most recent episode of The Last Leg is the SECOND time a show has “stolen” his Brompton as a bit of comedy for the show.
When they give it back to him on show, he actually unfolds it on camera, and rides off. The audience applauds the quick unfolding.
………
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
An 84-year old Simi Valley man suffered life-threatening injuries when he allegedly swerved his ebike into the side of a car, and was thrown off; police note that he wasn’t wearing a helmet, without saying whether he suffered a head injury. Because we all know the driver couldn’t possibly swerved into his bike, especially if they were the only witness. Although you’ll have to find a way around the paper’s paywall if you want to read it.
That’s how you do it. Seattle took a dilapidated roadway uncomfortably shared by truckers and bicyclists, and turned it into a three-lane road rebuilt to carry up to 80,000 pounds, and a beautiful new, fully separated bike path with a wide median in between. Although there’s still a damn freeway on the other side, so there’s that.
A North Carolina teenager was collateral damage in a crash between a drunk driver and a 19-year old driver, which left the 19-year old with multiple serious injuries and killed a 14-year old bike rider; the drunk who caused it all was a mere 16-years old, with a 1.1 BAC.
Hundreds of Georgia residents turned out Saturday for a memorial ride to remember a 51-year old father of four who was killed by an accused drunk driver while riding his bike the previous weekend. If we could get that many people to show up for any victim of traffic violence, things might actually change around here.
But in brief, the alleged driver, Amber Calderon, was arraigned on Wednesday, and we learned more about the condition of the other victims.
So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll quote myself this one time.
Calderon was charged with one felony count of hit and run causing permanent injury or death, and two felony counts of hit and run with injury.
Thanks to California’s lax hit-and-run laws, she faces a maximum sentence of 5 years and four months, according to the DA’s office. She did not enter a plea, and the hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 13 in the West Justice Center in Westminster…
The DA’s office says the other two victims, who should not be overlooked in the anger and grief over Williams death, suffered serious injuries “including spinal fractures, broken ribs, a broken ankle, as well as cuts and bruises.”
Calderon’s charges could be changed based on her toxicology report, which is still pending.
But 64 months hardly seems like justice for killing one person and severely injuring two others, then just driving away.
Longtime LA bike advocate Joe Linton writes that Los Angeles is dealing with appeals over projects that should be governed by Measure HLA exactly the way we expected.
Evidently, our president isn’t the only one who doesn’t feel constrained by the rules.
Or maybe the city is just bored of Public Works.
Linton writes that the city’s rejection an appeal over a missing crosswalk at Western & Marathon is emblematic of their actions so far.
GM Rubio-Cornejo appears to have missed the point raised in the appeal: that the resurfacing – though mostly on Marathon Street – also overlapped with part of Western Avenue. See the overlap outlined in yellow in the above photo. The area where the crosswalk goes – along Western – was repaved.
The rejection of Western/Marathon is one of at least a half-dozen similar rejections. I haven’t had time to post them all here, but most are similar to Western/Marathon. An appellant requested the city add missing crosswalks on a PED street, and LADOT GM Rubio-Cornejo rejected the request, without it even going to a hearing of the Board of Public Works, which is where the city HLA ordinance states that appeals will be decided.
Metro’s argument is that as a city ordinance, HLA doesn’t apply to them as a county agency. Even though the work is being done on a city street, in junction with the city.
Something tells me Linton’s won’t be the last HLA lawsuit.
Surprisingly, Los Angeles doesn’t make either one, but Santa Clarita and Lancaster both check in at the Bad Place, at #7 and #20.
Not surprisingly, no Southern California city appears in the Good Place. In fact, San Francisco is the only California city to make the list of the most car-optional cities, at #12.
And if a site pimping storage facilities and equipment doesn’t know all there is to know about living without a car, who does?
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
An Arizona man known locally as Bicycle Barry after he gave up driving for health reasons is now battling an ankle infection that could cost him his leg, ten months after he was nearly killed by a road-raging driver. Never mind that driving is so normalized that merely giving up your car is enough to earn you a bicycle sobriquet.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
A Chicago man is blaming the cops for a $3,000 ambulance bill after he was struck by a young woman riding an ebike as he was getting out of his car, complaining that they let her go without a citation. Although the fact that they didn’t cite her just might suggest she wasn’t at fault.
A carfree Angeleno examines the promise of a carfree LA Olympics, even if Mayor Karen Bass walked it back just days later. Speaking of Bass, word is she bet the mayor of Toronto she’d ride a bike wearing a Blue Jays jersey if the Dodgers lose the World Series. Which I’m pretty sure is the first time she’s mentioned riding one since she was elected.
Despite a recent report showing Stockton’s bike fatality rate was six-times the national average as of 2023, recent safety improvements have brought that down to zero this year. More proof that bike deaths can be eliminated, if cities are willing to spend the money and do the work. Looking at you, Los Angeles.
National
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Peter Flax, who writes for Bicycling about nine “badass” women who’ve raised millions for cancer research, calling them “the fiercest sisterhood in cycling.”Unfortunately, though, the story is hidden behind their paywall for members only.
The victim was riding on Pacific Avenue (or Pacific Blvd) near 45th Street around 6:30 am Wednesday when he was run down by a driver traveling south on Pacific. He was knocked into the northbound lane, where he was hit by the second driver.
Neither driver remained at the scene and assisted the victim, as required by law. There’s no description of either driver or their vehicles at this time.
There’s no word on how quickly the second crash followed the first, or if it could have been prevented if the first driver had simply stopped after the crash to warn approaching drivers about victim lying in the roadway.
This is at least the 49th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
Eighteen of those SoCal drivers have now fled the scene, or more than one out of every three fatal crashes involving someone on a bicycle since the first of this year.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for William Valle and all his loved ones.
That would put it in the vicinity of Lifeguard Station 13.
Police arrived to find the victims strewn in the traffic lane, their shattered bicycles on the side of the road.
One of the victims was pronounced dead at the scene; he has not been publicly identified at this time.
However, KTLA-5 reported on air that the victims were members of a Long Beach bike club.
The driver fled the scene, but was arrested after stopping on the side of the road about half-a-mile away. Given the damage to the victims and their bikes, it’s likely her 2006 Mercedes E-Class wasn’t in drivable condition.
If she has a previous DUI on her record, those charges would likely be upgraded to murder.
Police are still investigating the cause of the crash. However, under California law, DUI can be considered a contributing factor, but not the proximate cause of any collision.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team of the Huntington Beach Police Department at 714/536-5670.
This is at least the 48th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Orange County.
Drivers have fled the scene in 16 of those SoCal crashes, or one out of every three fatal crashes involving someone on a bicycle since the first of the year.
There’s still no word on the identities or condition of the other victims.
Update 2: We have more information about the victims, thanks to a crowdfunding page for Eric Williams’ family, and a press release from the Orange County District Attorney’s office.
I’ll just let his family tell the story.
Our family is heartbroken. On October 20th, our brother-in-law Eric Williams — a devoted husband, father of four, and beloved pastor — was tragically killed while cycling in Huntington Beach. We’re doing everything we can to surround our sister Robyn and the kids with love and stability, and so many have asked how they can help. This fund has been created to support them through the days ahead.
Eric was a Godly man with a heart for Jesus and for people. He spent his life serving others — first as a youth and teaching pastor at Seaside Community Church, and later as the founder of Community Church of West Garden Grove. He was kind, funny, and steady in his faith, always lifting others up.
He and Robyn had just celebrated 20 years of marriage. Their children — Julia (high school freshman), Jeanette (6th grade), Alice (4th grade), and little James (3 years old) — were his greatest joy.
Calderon was charged with one felony count of hit and run causing permanent injury or death, and two felony counts of hit and run with injury.
Thanks to California’s lax hit-and-run laws, she faces a maximum sentence of 5 years and four months, according to the DA’s office. She did not enter a plea, and the hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 13 in the West Justice Center in Westminster.
Yes, that’s all.
Although the charges and possible jail time could change, depending on the results of her toxicology report.
The DA’s office says the other two victims, who should not be overlooked in the anger and grief over Williams death, suffered serious injuries “including spinal fractures, broken ribs, a broken ankle, as well as cuts and bruises.”
The press release also provides more information on how Calderon was taken into custody.
Despite having significant damage to her hood, windshield, front bumper and losing her passenger side mirror at the site of the collision, Calderon is accused of driving on a flat tire for another 2/3 of a mile to a beach parking lot at Magnolia Street and driving past the parking kiosk without paying.
A parking attendant flagged her down before a witness to the crash blocked Calderon in with his vehicle and told the parking attendant not to let her leave because she had just hit three bicyclists. The parking attendant radioed for the California State Parks Police to respond.
Calderon was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run resulting in death or injury, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony driving under the influence causing death or injury, and possession of a hard drug with a prior conviction. Toxicology results are still pending.
My News LA reports that Calderon has previous convictions for misdemeanor petty theft, felony sale or transport of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor burglary.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Eric John Williams and the other victims and their loved ones. And best wishes for a full and fast recovery for the survivors.
Thanks to Michael, Zachary, James Johnson, Jeffrey, Mike and William for the heads-up.
October 20, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on 86-year old San Diego bike rider critically injured, La Quinta hit-and-run driver injures 2 teens, and check your bone health
Day 293 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
Point Loma’s Greg Bowerman adds that “good bone health demands solid weight-bearing activity, such as pumping weights or practicing yoga” to prevent fractures as we age.
I’m dealing with the same problem myself after a lifetime of riding, on top of all my other health issues brought on by diabetes, despite weight training. Although I’ve been lucky that I haven’t broken anything yet.
Speakers include Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (District 13), Alissa Walker (Torched.la), Bill Wolkoff (co-executive producer, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), with more to be announced!
When: Monday, November 17th at 7:30pm
Where: Dynasty Typewriter, 2511 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Lots of transit options!
Optional VIP reception begins at 6pm (free if you are part of our Members Club with the purchase of a general admission ticket).
A Santa Clarita man says he feels like a broken record after repeated complaints about kids on ebikes. Although as we’ve repeatedly pointed out, the problems stem primarily from teens on electric dirt bikes and motorbikes, many of them illegal, rather than ped-assist ebikes. But almost no one seems to make that distinction.
State
A La Jolla paper examines the roots of ebikes, which it says are “loved by riders and loathed by many who share the streets with them.” Although you may have to get past the paper’s paywall to read it.
Sad news from Palo Alto, where a man in his 80s died over a week after he was struck by a driver in his 90s while riding his bicycle. Once again raising the question of how old is too old to drive safety. And like the man in Barrio Logan, anyone still riding a bike at that age deserves better.
Vox takes a look at the traffic revolution that’s making cities cleaner — and happier — as more cities are finally choosing bikes over cars. Unlike, say, a certain SoCal megalopolis we could name. And once again, you may have to find a way around their paywall.
Denver business owners complain about bullying after they opposed bikeways in front of their stores, including doxxing, negative Yelp reviews and harassing phone calls. Seriously, don’t do that. We’re far better off in the long run winning the day with better arguments, not harassment.
A former English pastor was remembered as a “keen cyclist” known for riding around town delivering a basket full of food he had grown or cooked to local families, after he passed away at 90. Which is about as nice an epitaph as anyone could hope for.
Velo says pro cycling’s soccer-inspired relegation system is just a hot mess that solves nothing, as the richest teams keep winning and the smaller teams pay the price. Although one thing that might help is limiting the size of pro rosters or capping payrolls, so they have to spread the talent around a little.
October 17, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on The most dangerous intersections in deadly LA, injured Yaroslovsky staffer ID’d, and remembering Pepperdine PCH victims
Day 290 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
Particularly now that city officials longer seem to think we need to know such things.
Maybe because it points to what a colossal, stinking mound of crap they’ve given us when it comes to improving traffic safety here in the City of Angels.
Take Vision Zero, for instance.
Please.
In 2015, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti used an executive order to launch “Vision Zero,” an initiative designed to dramatically reduce traffic deaths through a wide-ranging set of proposed improvements to road design, education and more. Despite the aim of eliminating traffic deaths by 2025, road safety took a turn for the worse. This spring, the city released a lengthy audit of what went wrong.
Among the causes: Only half of the listed “actions” were ever completed. The plan lacked a program for accountability among city departments. There was poor coordination and diminishing participation from the LAPD’s traffic division.
In fact, traffic deaths have exceeded murders for the past three years. And already exceed the totals from 2015, with two full months to go.
The same with serious injury crashes, which have topped 1,500 for three years running, and likely will again.
The worst of the worst, though, is the notorious intersection of South Figueroa and Slauson.
Where South Figueroa crosses Slauson Avenue, bad things happen. Over the past four years, the intersection has been the scene of 17 felony hit-and-run collisions and five severe injuries. The crosswalks aren’t safe, either: seven pedestrians have been struck there.
All told, there were 66 serious collisions at the intersection, which is in the Vermont Slauson neighborhood in South Los Angeles, making it the most dangerous in the entire city during that period.
Then again, the rest of the South Figueroa corridor isn’t much better, with the intersections at Manchester, Florence and Gage also making the list.
Sepulveda makes the list three times, as does Western. Roscoe appears twice in just the top four, where it crosses Sepulveda and at Van Nuys.
Surprisingly, Sunset is only on there twice, where it crosses Highland, and a few blocks east at La Brea.
And Hollywood and Highland checks in a number 11. Which means it evidently wasn’t fixed in 2015 when all-way crossing was installed, after all.
So much for assurances from city officials.
Pedestrian deaths have exceeded the pre-Vision Zero totals for every single year after 2015, as have serious injuries and total traffic deaths.
Unfortunately, the stats don’t break out bicycling deaths, so we still don’t know how many bike riders have actually been killed on the mean streets of Los Angeles in recent years.
Tran, who serves as Yaroslavsky’s business development deputy, was taken to a hospital with multiple fractures. Kobe, who was frequently by Tran’s side at community events, died as a result of being struck by the pickup. Tran posted about the incident on Instagram on Oct. 13.
“It was one week ago on Sunday morning that a hit-and-run driver struck me and killed Kobe while starting our morning walk. I sustained three broken ribs, three fractured vertebrae, a fractured fibula and two fractures in my cheekbones that required surgery. Kobe … died at the ER vet,” Tran said. “I’m recovering at home now, mourning the loss of Kobe and trying to make sense of it all. I’ve received countless gifts of flowers, food and care packages and I’m sincerely grateful for belonging to such a generous and caring community. My injuries will eventually heal but the loss of Kobe is a heartache I’ve not felt since the loss of my parents.”
According to the paper, the driver, identified only as a Los Angeles woman in her 30s, allegedly ran the stop sign at Eighth Street and Cloverdale Ave around 8:30 am on Sunday, Oct. 5th.
She stopped briefly after striking them, then left the scene without getting out of her pickup, leaving Tran and her dog lying injured and bleeding in the street. She was released on her own recognizance after turning herself in later that day, pending charges of felony hit-and-run causing injury.
Police don’t believe she was under the influence at the time of the crash, although the delay in turning herself in means she could have had time to sober up, if she was.
If this whole damn thing has left you anywhere near as angry and heartbroken as I am, Tran asks for donations in Kobe’s memory to Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue, the corgi rescue she volunteers with.
Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, will host a press conference and remembrance today near the site of the crash, at the heartbreaking white PCH Ghost Tire Memorial.
Here is the group’s press release for the event, in case you want to attend all or part of it.
Honoring the Four Pepperdine Students
Killed on Pacific Coast Highway on the 2nd Anniversary of their Passing
October 17, 2025, Malibu, California – On October 17, 2023, four Pepperdine University seniors — Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams — were struck and killed by a speeding driver on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu while walking along PCH after parking their car. All four were members of the Alpha Phi sorority and beloved members of the Pepperdine community.
Their tragic deaths sparked a wave of grief and outrage throughout Malibu and beyond, renewing calls for safety improvements along PCH — one of California’s most dangerous roadways. The tragedy galvanized city, state, and community leaders to honor the memory of these four young women whose futures were cut short by taking action to prevent future loss of life.
October 17, 2025 is the 2nd anniversary of this tragedy. While the focus of the press event is to remember four young lives tragically cut short–and the work of making progress improvements will never fully measure up to the families’ grief of lives lost–the important work of paying tribute by improving public safety continues. The urgency of improving safety is never more acute than on October 17 when we pause to remember their lives.
When:
Friday, October 17, 2025
Press Conference: 2:30 – 3:00 PM
Remembrance Event: 4:00 – 5:00 PM
Where:
PCH Ghost Tire Memorial
Pacific Coast Highway and Webb Way
Roughly 23661 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
PRESS CONFERENCE (2:30 – 3:00 PM)
Officials and advocates will honor the memory of the four Pepperdine students whose lives were tragically lost in 2023 and report on efforts to make the Pacific Coast Highway safer.
Confirmed Speakers:
Bridget Thompson, Roommate and close friends with Niamh, Peyton, Asha, and Deslyn (Opening remarks and emcee)
Senator Ben Allen, California State Senate
Lee Habor, Caltrans Representative
Rep for Supervisor Lindsey Horvath
Captain Jared I. Perry, CHP West Valley Area
Captain Dustin Carr, Lost Hills Sheriff’s Department
Councilmember Doug Stewart, City of Malibu
Michel Shane, Emily Shane Foundation & Fix PCH
David Rolston, Father of Niamh Rolston
REMEMBRANCE EVENT (4:00 – 5:00 PM)
Who: Open to the public — friends, families, students from Pepperdine University, and community members are all invited to attend.
Program:
Moment of Silence
Release of Four White Doves
Music by Skyla Woodward (vocals) and Alima Ovali (guitar), Pepperdine University students
Words of Remembrance: An open mic will be available for anyone wishing to share memories or reflections, guided by an emcee.
This project began as Vinita Weir’s wish, in memory of her daughter, and has since been expanded — at the request of all family members — to honor all four Pepperdine students.
The meeting will take place at the Pacoima City Hall at 13520 Van Nuys Blvd.
Among their primary priorities are,
1. Make LADOT a chartered department that has responsibility to construct and maintain streets property line to property line, moving the Bureau of Street Services under LADOT.
Since being formed in 1979 under City administrative code, LADOT is responsible for planning nearly all of LA’s transportation projects without the ability to construct streets or sidewalks – a responsibility currently given to Public Works in the City Charter. Giving LADOT this authority would align LA with most large cities in the nation, where the department that manages streets safety and traffic flow also has the ability to effectively build and maintain streets and sidewalks.
2. Shore up street funding with a regular percent of city assessed property values.
LADOT and BSS have lost a significant number of staff in recent budgets and do not have the capacity to effectively deliver services in a timely manner. Currently in the City Charter, Parks and Rec and the Library departments are unique in receiving a dedicated percent of all taxable property values which ensures reliable funding for some of LA’s most vital public services. We believe streets, the City’s largest public space, should also be granted this privilege.
3. Change the City budget to a 2 year cycle and formalize a 5 year Capital Improvement Plan.
The benefits of both of these suggestions have been well researched and proposed by other groups, for the simple reason that not all infrastructure projects are going to fit neatly in a single city fiscal year. Long term planning can reduce costs and improve efficiency in delivering projects. While not every City formalizes a CIP in the City Charter, other large peer cities such as NYC, Houston, and San Jose do. A 2-year city budget and 5-year CIP process would allow departments to improve management of projects, staff capacity, and delivery timelines.
4. Replace the board of public works with a director position similar to other City departments.
The Board of Public Works is over 100 years old and has a unique management structure compared to other departments inside the City of LA by reporting to both a board and a director. It is also unique as a vehicle for structuring Public Works. The department should be run by a single director with a clear line of authority between the Mayor’s office, the department, and the Bureaus inside.
City leaders in Leeds, England are calling for banning bicycles and ebikes from one of the busiest main streets in West Yorkshire, even though bikes represent just three percent of the 250,000 people who use the street every week. And once again, bicycles of every kind — both regular bikes and ped-assist ebikes — are lumped together with electric motorbikes, as one woman calls ebikes “a fatality waiting to happen.”
Westminster police busted a man with seven open felony warrants after a brief pursuit on his bicycle, and discovered he was carrying 200 grams of meth, 15 grams of fentanyl and “other items indicative of drug sales,” as well as being a convicted felon in possession of a gun. Although they don’t explain what justification they used to initiate a stop, let alone a police chase.
A pair of San Raphael men were termed “prolific bike thieves” after they were busted for stealing a number high-end ebikes, with police saying they had been arrested many times before for bike theft and drug possession.
A new lawsuit alleges an NYPD officer intentionally swerved into a man as he was riding a mo-ped against traffic in a bike lane; the cop reported he swerved to avoid the victim, but surveillance video exactly the opposite.
The fiancée of a fallen North Carolina bicyclist tries to turn tragedy into life saving by urging the city council to use his death, as well as two other bicyclists who were also killed by a dump truck driver, as a catalyst to improve safety on local roads.
October 15, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Yaroslavsky decries traffic violence, LAPD waits 5 months to ask for hit-and-run help, and just 4 CA safety bills signed into law
Day 288 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
Last Sunday morning, someone driving a pickup truck struck a member of our team in a hit-and-run while she was walking her dog in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. She sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized with multiple fractures for several days. She is now in stable condition and recovering. Tragically, her beloved dog, Kobe, was killed in the crash.
Kobe was part of our office family. His playful energy and easy affection brought smiles to everyone who met him, whether in the office or out at community events like CicLAvia, where he was a familiar face. Our office feels emptier without him, and our thoughts are with our colleague as she recovers from both her injuries and this heartbreaking loss.
The driver has since turned herself in, but this devastating incident is a reminder that far too many Angelenos are hurt or killed on our streets every year. In 2024 alone, more than 300 people lost their lives to traffic violence, many while simply walking or biking in their own neighborhoods. Behind every death or injury is a family changed forever, a community left grieving.
As I mentioned, the victim is a friend of my wife’s and mine, and Kobe was probably our corgi’s best friend.
They were always together, every time we saw her. And our corgi would run to give her kisses, and around Kobe a like a lovesick puppy.
Which she probably was.
To say I’ve been devastated by this whole damn thing is probably the understatement of the year.
The most heartbreaking part was when she posted news of Kobe’s passing on Instagram, saying her final memory of the dog she adored was staring into one his eyes after the crash, both unable to move to comfort the other.
And if that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, you’re a stronger person than I am.
There’s no word yet on whether the driver has been charged. But at most, she’ll face a maximum of four years and a fine up to $10,000 for felony hit-and-run causing serious injury. Which LA prosecutors will probably bargain down to misdemeanor to get a guilty plea, unless someone puts pressure on them.
And here in California, the hit-and-run murder of her dog is just a misdemeanor property crime.
The 64-year old victim, who hasn’t been identified, was reportedly riding on Hoover Street at 20th around 3:15 am on May 28th, when he was hit head-on in a left cross by a driver turning left onto Hoover.
Who knew that both Hoover and 20th could go east and west?
What makes far more sense is if the victim was riding south on Hoover, and was struck by the northbound driver turning left onto 20th. Although you’d think that after five months the cops could get the damn details right.
The suspect vehicle, described only as a white sedan, was last seen headed west on 20th Street toward the 10 Freeway west on-ramp.
The victim was hospitalized with severe injuries. There’s no information on his current condition.
Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Holmes of the LAPD’s West Traffic Division at 213/473-0216.
And yes, there is a standing $25,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and conviction in any serious injury hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.
Reducing the speed limit to 30km/h across residential areas doubled the amount of bike travel on low-stress streets – creating a safer environment for children and less confident cyclists, said the study’s lead researcher, Dr Afshin Jafari.
“Slowing traffic makes bicycle riding less stressful, encouraging more people to choose bikes as a safe and viable mode of transport,” Jafari said…
Meanwhile, the study – which was published in Cycling and Micromobility Research – found car travel was barely affected by the 30km/h limit, as it was only applied on local streets rather than the busier roads – such as main roads or highways – that were designed to maximise the flow of traffic.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A writer for Cycling Weekly says he was passed so badly by a truck driver that an inch the wrong way would have meant he wouldn’t still be here to tell the story — and that’s normal for bicyclists, who are expected to just accept it. As the bard put it, “‘Tis true, ’tis pity, And pity ’tis, ’tis true.”
No bias here. An Irish TV commentator accuses “mouthy” wealthy cargo bike owners for a property crisis brought on by soaring home prices by trying to “ringfence cities as active travel playpens for the better off,” and forcing an entire generation to live at home with their parents. Although that doesn’t explain why we’re having the same problem over here.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
President Trump threatened to move next year’s World Cup out of Boston, and take the 2028 Olympics away from Los Angeles, ostensibly because of potential safety concerns. Or more likely, because he just doesn’t like us, never mind that he doesn’t have the authority to do that.
Pasadena residents strongly backed slow speed greenways on El Molino Ave, Wilson Ave, Sierra Bonita Ave and Craig Ave, with over 1,000 people signing petitions backing them, and 18 local organizations endorsing the projects, as well as 200 emails and around 35 speakers who supported them at Monday’s council meeting.
As expected, 18-year old Jzamir Keys pled guilty to second-degree murder in the death of former Bell, California police chief Andreas Probst as he was riding a bicycle in Las Vegas, with a sentence of 18-to-life; Keys was a passenger in the car who laughed and filmed the murder as Probst was intentionally run down by 20-year-old Jesus Ayala, who pled guilty last week.
The Guardian offers “expert” advice on cleaning and maintaining your bike, including a tip that you could save hundreds just by giving your bike a bath once a fortnight. Or every two weeks for those of us on this side of the pond.
Britain’s Neil Campbell set a new world bicycle speed record of 175.89 mph by drafting behind a high-powered pickup truck at a competition in Arkansas last week, topping his previous record of 174.33 mph. And to think I was happy when I finally topped 30 on level ground.
Don’t let Metro miss our last chance to finish the LA River bike path by 2028.
Twentynine-year old Koreatown resident Ana Larasalguero turned herself into police hours after the 8:30 am crash on Sunday, October 5th, as Tran and her dog were crossing were crossing Eight Street at Cloverdale Ave.
More on the hit-and-run crash that severely injured a staffer for CD5 Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, and killed her beloved corgi.
As I mentioned, the victim is a friend of my wife’s and mine, and Kobe was probably our corgi’s best friend.