Police investigators concluded the victim, who has not been identified, was riding west on Cowles Street when he was apparently hit head-on by a driver turning east on Cowles from southbound Sante Fe.
He died at the scene, despite the effort of paramedics.
The driver fled in an unknown direction. There’s no description of the driver or the suspect vehicle at this time.
It’s not clear from the description whether the victim was riding on the wrong side of the roadway, or if the driver turned onto the wrong side. West Cowles is a relatively narrow, two lane street, so either one is possible.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Collision Investigation Detail of the Long Beach Police Department at 562/570-7355. Anonymous tips can be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1-800/222-TIPS (8477), or visiting the LA Crime Stoppers Website.
This is the 36th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the 11th we know about in Los Angeles County.
Which means that drivers have fled the scene in just under one third of those SoCal bicycling deaths, and just under a third have been in LA County.
West Hollywood has been making big moves for better biking in recent years. In April 2025, the city council unanimously committed to building only protected bike infrastructure on future street projects — the first city in the Los Angeles area to do so — and followed it up by painting all existing bike lanes green on Fairfax Avenue, San Vicente Boulevard, and Santa Monica Boulevard for improved visibility. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the horizon, West Hollywood’s premier location in LA positions it as a key corridor for the broader active transportation push underway across Los Angeles ahead of the Games.
On the other hand, WeHo compared very favorably to LA’s subpar rating of 32 compared to the national average of 36, ranking us 1350th in the US, and barely in the top 200 California cities at 195.
And no, Los Angeles is not a city to watch. Even if we have climbed from the nadir of 2023, when we scored a whopping 19.
However, they still haven’t been publicly identified by any official source, so I won’t name them here. But reading what others had to say about them, it sounds like we lost some very exceptional people.
Then again, we’re all exceptional in some way, to someone.
There’s also no word yet on the name of the accused driver, who should have appeared in court by now, which raises the question of why they’re holding back his identification.
………
Finally, someone in France must have a hell of a sense of humor.
There was no hot mic moment to detect the reaction of Trump, who is not known to bike and has joked about doing minimal exercise beyond regular golf outings.
Despite being called — or calling himself — the fittest, healthiest president in recent history, Trump has said he will never, ever ride a bicycle, and has mocked Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and John Kerry for their two wheeled exploits.
I’m learning in real time that my body no longer responds like it did when I rode a bike every day, which seems like something I should have learned a long time ago.
Okay, so I’m a little slow.
There’s a limit to what I can do now before I just shut down. And trying to dig a little deeper like I did on m bike just makes it shut down harder.
Oh, and diabetes sucks.
That one I already knew. But still.
Today’s photo: Metro Bike is free today for Bike Day, no matter how many legs you have, and whether you fit on the seat or in the basket.
………
Happy Bike Day in Los Angeles County.
No, seriously, that sound you hear is me whipping out the noisemakers.
Metro and Metrolink buses and trains will be free today for anyone with a bicycle or a bike helmet, along with free Metro Bike bikeshare rides; some other bus lines will likely participate, but your mileage may vary.
Like other professionals that claim their sales are down after a bike lane goes in, the street walkers of Calzada de Tlalpan insist their earnings are down 70%, because the bike lane now covers the outer lane of the roadway where they used to stand and negotiate with customers.
And while bikes may be good for business, as a rule, they offer very little privacy.
Although they do travel at a slower pace, allowing riders more time to examine their, uh, options. And giving everyone more time to drive a hard bargain or lend a hand.
The former Los Angeles Times Opinion editor says forget about the polls, and vote for the candidate who most closely matches your values, while somehow managing to accurately capture the gist of each one in just a single sentence.
For example,
Vote for:
Xavier Becerra if you are happy with the way the state has been heading policy-wise and prefer a governor with unquestioning loyalty to the Democratic Party who is unlikely to make substantial changes…
Steve Hilton if you are a Republican or a conservative-leaning independent who is not super MAGA, but wants the state to abandon its climate-change objectives and focus on drilling and logging.
Matt Mahan if you want a business- and tech-friendly centrist Democrat as governor who will bring a flavor of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie to the whole state…
It’s worth clicking through to read the entire, very brief, piece.
Because she nails it.
And she did more to clarify my thinking than two months worth of angry debates filled with gubernatorial wannabes shouting over one another.
But I remember when Los Angeles had trash cans on every corner of every thoroughfare, and people who actually came out and emptied them once or twice a week.
Ask your grandparents, kids.
And I, for one, can’t wait for people come here for the World Cup, and return home talking about the squalor they found on the streets of Los Angeles.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
A New Jersey letter writer, who cites his experience founding a bike bus and as a Scouting Bicycling Merit Badge Counselor as his source of expertise, says opposition to New Jersey’s draconian licensing requirement for all ebikes is disingenuous, because it usually hinges on the benefits of ebikes for elderly people, who aren’t the primary buyers of ebikes. As if there aren’t multiple types of ebikes and users, with multiple motivations, and no possible options between no regulation and a heavy-handed crackdown.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
A website devoted to odd stories lists 15 crimes involving bicycles that you didn’t know, even though it’s actually 14, and only 13 if you don’t consider Lance’s doping a criminal offense. And they apparently don’t know that the outlaw Harry Longabaugh was better known as the Sundance Kid.
April 27, 2026 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Update: Man riding ebike killed by hit-and-run driver in LA’s Jefferson Park neighborhood; 8th SoCal bike rider killed in hit-and-run this year
Another day, another person killed riding an ebike in Southern California.
The victim, described only as a man around 48-years old, was thrown onto a parked car with enough force to cause significant damage to the rear of the car.
He died at the scene.
The driver fled following the crash. No arrest has been made, and there is currently no description of the suspect vehicle.
There is also no word on how the crash occurred, or where the victim and the driver were located in relation to the intersection.
We also don’t know at this time what kind of ebike the victim was riding; whether it was a Class 1, 2 or 3 ebike, or an e-motorbike or electric dirt bike. An earlier report describes the bike as a motorized or motorbike, but that description was removed from the later update.
The earlier report also describes the victim as 38-years old.
This the 28th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the tenth in Los Angeles County; it’s also the fifth we know about in the City of Los Angeles.
Eight of those deaths have involved hit-and-run drivers.
As always, there is a standing $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any fatal hit-and-run driver in the City of Los Angeles.
Update: The victim has been identified only as a 38-year old man, pending notification of next-of-kin, while police are now looking for the owner of a dark-colored Jeep Wrangler, no model year given.
Anyone with information is urged to call Officer Diaz and Sergeant Nily at 323/421-2577, or 1-877/527-3247 during non-business hours. Or call anonymously at 1-800/222-8477 or lacrimestoppers.org.
KTLA-5 reports the victim was riding on the sidewalk on the 1600 block of South San Antonio Ave, near Patterson Street, around 2:30 pm Friday, when he rode out into the street and was struck by a driver.
It’s not clear from the limited description whether he rode out into Patterson at the intersection, or went off the sidewalk and into the street on San Antonio.
A street view shows a bike lane on both sides of the street, so it’s questionable why the victim would have been on the sidewalk.
It’s also not clear whether he was riding was a legal Class 1, 2 or 3 ebike, or an illegal e-moto. Which is exactly the problem when the same word is used to describe anything with batteries and two wheels.
He was taken to a local hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital Orange County, where he died on Sunday.
The victim hasn’t been publicly identified, and there’s no word at this time just how old he is.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, although police remain unsure whether alcohol or drugs played a role in the collision.
Update: Shortly after posting this, KNBC-4 and KABC-7 reported that the victim was a student Simons Middle School, a few blocks away in Pomona.
Thirteen-year old Angel Mendoza was struck as he was riding an e-scooter to a friend’s house, and died of severe head injuries; he was not wearing a helmet.
March 14, 2026 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Update: 73-year old woman dies after apparent right-hook hit-and-run in Koreatown Monday; suspected DUI driver arrested
Seriously, this has got to stop.
For the fourth time just this week, someone has died riding a bicycle in Southern California.
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.
March 11, 2026 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Update: 67-year old man on bike killed by driver of Santa Clarita bus in Castaic Wednesday morning; 19th SoCal bike death this year
Seriously, this has got to stop.
For the 19th time in just 70 days, someone riding a bicycle has been killed on the mean streets of Southern California.
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.
February 8, 2026 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Man dies mountain biking near La Tuna Foot Trail in remote section of Shadow Hills; 12th SoCal bike death in 30 days
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.
February 8, 2026 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Update: Woman riding bicycle killed by speeding hit-and-run driver in Long Beach; 11th SoCal bike rider killed in last 4 weeks
This is getting really old.
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.
