The driver stopped briefly, then backed up and fled the scene.
The crash occurred around 6:40 am at Olympic Blvd and Vermont Ave, as the pickup was headed east on Olympic. The driver attempted to turn right onto Vermont, and apparently right hooked the victim as she rode east across Vermont.
The driver stopped for a moment, then backed up onto Olympic and fled east.
The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was taken to a hospital, where she died sometime later.
Police found a white Dodge Ram pickup matching the description of the suspect vehicle nearby and took the driver into custody. Investigators note that drug use “may” have played a role in the crash, though it’s unknown if alcohol may have also been a factor.
The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to call detectives with the LAPD’s West Traffic Division at 213/473-0234 or 1-877/527-3247.
This the 21st bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the ninth already in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fourth we know about in the City of Los Angeles.
Six of those SoCal deaths have involved hit-and-run drivers.
However, someone should tell My News LA that once a driver flees the scene, it’s not a “suspected” hit-and-run driver, it is a hit-and-run. The driver is only suspected once they’re accused.
However, there also seems to be some question whether the accused driver was taken into custody; KTLA-5 says an arrest was made, but My News LA says police are still looking for the driver, with the usual standing $50,000 reward for any fatal hit-and-run in the City of Los Angeles.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and her loved ones.
The driver of the Santa Clarita Transit bus appears to be the only witness to the crash, since the only passenger on the bus left before investigators arrived.
In the absence of any independent witnesses, it will be up to CHP investigators to determine what actually happened. And investigating bicycle crashes is not exactly their strong point.
As noted above, this the 19th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the eighth in Los Angeles County.
That means a bike rider has been killed in SoCal roughly every three-and-a-half days since the first of the year. And less than once every nine days in LA County.
Aeromedics were dispatched at 10:44 am, and lowered by helicopter after locating the man near the La Tuna Foot Trail, and immediately began lifesaving efforts. Additional personnel from the Los Angeles and Burbank Fire Departments hiked in and travelled by Jeep to reach the scene.
However, despite their efforts, the victim was declared dead at 11:38.
There’s no word at this time whether victim’s medical condition was caused by a fall or natural causes, or due to some other factor. It’s also possible his death could have been due to natural causes brought on by mountain biking.
He was publicly identified only as a man around 50.
The scene was turned over to law enforcement for further investigation.
This the 12th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and remarkably, already the seventh in Los Angeles County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and her loved ones.
For the 11th time in the past 30 days — okay, 28 — someone has been killed riding a bicycle on the mean streets of Southern California.
And once again, the victim was murdered by a hit-and-run driver.
According to the Long Beach Police Department, a woman riding a bicycle was mowed down by a motorist who ran a stop sign in broad daylight, then just kept running.
Police report the victim was riding south on Redondo when the driver blew through the stop sign on westbound 2nd at a high rate of speed, striking her, then continuing west on 2nd without stopping.
When police arrived, they found the woman, who has not been publicly identified, being tended to by a bystander who had stopped to help. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died.
Authorities are looking for the driver of a 2025 gray Hyundai Sonata; there’s no description of the driver at this time.
Fatal traffic collisions have been a growing problem in Long Beach despite the city promising it would try to eliminate them completely by 2026. Last year, there were 53 deadly crashes in the city. Most people killed were outside a car: walking, biking or riding an e-scooter.
Long Beach’s strategy is to force drivers to slow down, but the city has faced criticism for moving too slowly on some tactics, such as installing automated speed cameras.
Anyone with information is urged to call LBPD Collision Investigation Detail Detective Edwin Paredes at 562/570-7110, or anonymously through LA Crime Stoppers at 1-800/222-TIPS (8477).
This the 11th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the sixth in Los Angeles County; three of those SoCal deaths were caused by hit-and-run drivers.
According to a crowdfunding campaign, 36-year old Regan Cole-Graham died after being struck by a driver while riding a bicycle with her husband and two kids this past Saturday.
She was seven months pregnant.
Her unborn daughter survived another day before dying in the NICU at UCLA Children’s Hospital on Sunday.
It’s impossible to know whether this tragedy could have been prevented if the bike lanes were still there. But their removal will almost certainly mean Los Angeles will be liable for her death.
The GoFundMe describes Cole-Graham as “…a loving & devoted wife, a fierce & joyful mother, a hilarious & loyal sister, and a beautiful, fiery daughter.”
As of this writing, the site has raised more than $134,000 to pay for funeral expenses and help her husband and kids with their future, while the goal has been raised to $210,000.
These are the eighth and ninth bicycling fatalities that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, the fourth and fifth in Los Angeles County, and the second and third reported in the City of Los Angeles.
Not that it would have helped under the circumstances.
An 87-year old driver ran down Cole-Graham from behind, knocking her into the street, where he ran over her with his sedan. Her three-year old son remained strapped into his seat as the car pushed her bike down the street, suffering minor injuries.
The driver remained at the scene; police do not think he was under the influence.
Yuda Zweda witnessed the incident and says that she briefly spoke with the man afterwards.
“The only thing he really said, ‘Please pray that she survives,'” Zweda said.
People who live in the area say that the intersection is dimly lit and dangerous for pedestrians.
“They put in some speed bumps down there and flashing lights, but I still just don’t think people seem to notice,” said one resident.
Ashley Saglie, described as a friend of the victim, expounded on that.
“I think a lot needs to change. I think there needs to be better lighting, I think there needs to be an expanded bike path,” Saglie said.
Never mind that there was a briefly bike lane on Pershing Drive, right where the crash happened, less than nine years earlier.
According to the California Post, the new West Coast edition of Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, Cole-Graham was an executive with Google’s LA office.
Cole-Graham had worked for Google in Los Angeles since 2019, where she served as Consumer Marketing Lead and later Brand Partnerships Lead and orchestrated a multi-million dollar partnership with Live Nation among other deals, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Before that, she worked as a Senior Product Marketing Manager for AT&T and marketing manager at DirecTV, where her father also worked as an executive and helped her get her first job after she graduated from San Diego State University, her family’s lawyer said.
According to the Post, her husband described her as an “amazing wife” and “the world’s best mother.”
Brian Breiter, the attorney for the family, commented on the tragedy, as well as questioning why the man who hit her was still driving.
This is the hardest time anyone could imagine, and I just want them to be together. Imagine a three year old little boy and an 18 month old child witnessing that?” Breiter continued.
“And then, of course, their unborn sister, who survived in the NICU but unfortunately didn’t make it.”
Breiter said he’s reviewed horrific footage showing the crash, which remains under investigation by authorities.
He noted the driver’s age at that “at some point it times to take the keys away” from some people.
January 29, 2026 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Bike rider in his 40s killed by hit-and-run driver in Boyle Heights Thursday morning; 7th SoCal bike death this month
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.
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.
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.
Despite the efforts of paramedics, the victim, who was not publicly identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators speculated that he somehow lost control of his ebike while riding in the left lane and hit the median, and was thrown from his bike.
The belief that he was riding in the left lane and hit the curb with enough force to cause his death suggests he may have been riding an electric motorbike or dirt bike, rather than a bicycle.
However, it’s also possible that he was on a ped-assist bike, and may have been forced into the median by a motorist or hit a pothole.
With the limited information available, all we can do is speculate. Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.
This is the third bicycling fatality that I’m aware in of Southern California this year, and the third in Los Angeles County.
December 9, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on SAFE takes Long Beach and Los Angeles to task for failing on speed cams, and how to request improvement on county roads
Day 343 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
Thanks to Brian, Kathleen, Steven and Lisa for their generous support for SoCal’s best source for bike news and advocacy!
So what are you waiting for? It only takes a few clicks to donate via PayPal, Zelle or Venmo, and guarantee our spokescorgi will find a little kibble in her stocking this year.
And yes, that’s the same photo of our official spokescorgi that we used yesterday, because it’s after 4 in the damn morning and I want to go to sleep, already.
Speaking of SAFE, the organization takes Glendale, Los Angeles and Long Beach to task, along with Oakland and San Jose, for failing to implement the state’s speed cam pilot program, over two years after it was signed into law.
Only San Francisco has actually placed speed cams on the streets, getting a 100% A+ grade in SAFE’s scoring system, while seeing a dramatic decrease in speeding where the cameras have been installed.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, gets a D grade, with Long Beach only slightly better at D+.
Although, while I can’t speak to Long Beach, that’s probably being undeservedly kind towards LA.
Malibu, which was added to the plan a year later as residents clamored for speed cams on deadly PCH, has done much better at implementing the program, already achieving a B+ in SAFE’s scoring.
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Thanks to Luc for forwarding a response from LA County on how to request safety signage or other improvements on country roads.
Report a Problem: Bike Path: Hi – Not a problem but a proactive measure to enforce safety for all. Now that the Rockstore section on Mulholland is finally open to all traffic:
Who do I ask for a sign to be placed showing to “share the road with cyclists”?
Thank you!
Answer: Thank you for contacting the website for Los Angeles County Public Works. We provide services to the unincorporated areas of L.A. County. Your concerns have been forwarded to the Traffic Investigator for the subject location, who should be contacting you shortly. You may also contact them at 626-300-4848.
And no, “more protected bike lanes everywhere” is probably not quite what they’re looking for.
But still.
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Gravel Bike California discovers some some hidden trails and camps in the Verdugo Mountains in the inaugural Tour de Dugo.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Once again, business owners try to shoot themselves in the foot, protesting new curb-protected bike lanes in Chicago while alleging they were losing business after just 45 days, even though studies show protected bike lanes usually result in increased sales if they just give it a little time.
A Fresno driver was on the wrong side of the roadway when he struck and killed a 51-year old anthropology professor three years ago as she was riding with three other bicyclists, according to a woman riding with her; the 50-year old driver faces a vehicular manslaughter charge, as well as a couple misdemeanors for her death.
A 24-year old man pled not guilty to DUI and hit-and-run charges in San Mateo County, after he allegedly hit a 15-year old boy riding an ebike in a bike lane, and dragged the kid several blocks before crashing into a couple parked cars; police found half gram of meth and 14 empty beer cans in his car after the crash. No word on how the boy is doing, but he can’t be good after that.
The New Jersey legislature advanced a bill that would reclassify all ebikes, including ped-assist bikes, as motorized bicycles, and require a drivers license for anyone over 17 to operate one, or a motorized bicycle license for anyone 15 to 16. A perfect example of how lumping all forms of electric bikes, including motorbikes and dirt bike, together as ebikes can result in a crackdown that harms everyone.
Amsterdam considers a ban on fat-tired ebikes, hoping that restrictions on tire widths will substitute for a ban based on engine power or potential speeds.
A South African appeals court called for a new inquest into the 2016 death of a woman who fell off a cliff while mountain biking with her husband, after a magistrate had ruled that her husband was implicated in her death “on the face of it,” without hearing any testimony; she supposedly fell when he turned his back after stopping to take a photo.
This is not the news any of us wanted to end the holiday weekend with.
Just as I was writing for tomorrow’s post that we could be thankful that no one was killed while riding a bicycle over the long Thanksgiving weekend, news broke that it wasn’t true.
Because a man described only as an “adult male” was killed Sunday evening in the Florence-Graham neighborhood of South LA in unincorporated Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide detectives are responding to a death investigation involving a bicyclist and vehicle. The incident was reported on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at approximately 5:55 P.M. at the intersection of E. 71st St & Holmes Ave. in unincorporated Los Angeles.
The victim was transported to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
There is no additional information available at this time.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
You can also offer tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 800/222-TIPS (8477), or at lacrimestoppers.org.
It seems telling that the crash is being handled by the homicide unit, rather than traffic investigators, though we don’t know enough right now to speculate what that may actually mean.
Never mind that, even for a case being investigated by homicide detectives, they still say that victim was killed by a “vehicle,” rather than someone driving one.
Or as Andrew put it in forwarding the notice to me,
“Death investigation involving a bicyclist and a vehicle,” not “a driver ran down another person in cold blood and didn’t even stop.”
Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.
This is at least the 53rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 12th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
