The reports indicate the victim, identified by friends as Jeff Jones, was killed when the driver of a white van made a U-turn in front of him.
No time was given for the crash. However, he was supposed to meet a friend at 1 pm, but never arrived. The email I received came shortly after that.
A friend of the victim confirms it was Jones’ bike in the photo.
There’s another vehicle visible at the scene with damage to the right rear quarter panel, which may or may not have been involved in some way.
(Note: I’m not posting the photo here. Family members inevitably read these stories, and can find images of a crash scene very disturbing. If you want to see the photo, which doesn’t show much more that the bike and van, you can click through to it here.)
I’m told Jones was in his mid-50s, and a father. Whose children will now spend the rest of their lives without him.
Photo of Jeff Jones by Josh C.
More information and official confirmation when it becomes available.
This is at least the 43rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 17th that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County; it’s also the ninth in the City of Los Angeles.
Update: The Eastsider has confirmed the details of the crash with a detective with the LAPD’s Central Traffic Division. The driver stayed at the scene and was cooperating with investigators. T
August 23, 2019 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Road rage driver attacks LA bike rider, WeHo mayor OKs blocked bike lanes, and protected bike lanes AOK
Sorry about that.
My apologies for yesterday’s unexcused absence.
Blame it on my diabetes, after a bout of low blood sugar knocked me out for several hours.
A man riding to work on Santa Monica Blvd was repeatedly harassed, brake checked, and physically assaulted by a driver in an unmitigated display of road rage that lasted over 6 minutes.
All for the crime of riding a bike, legally and exactly where he was supposed to be.
And to top it off, she accused him of scratching her car after she blocked his bike against another car, and proceeded to door him multiple times.
Seriously, watch the whole thing — with the sound up.
Diaz is the victim of the crash, who remains hospitalized.
………
Evidently, the mayor of West Hollywood is perfectly okay with mail carriers and delivery drivers blocking the city’s few bike lanes.
The Mayor of @WeHoCity@ourWEHO saying that USPS is ok parking in the *bike lane* because they need to be “efficient” with their time when delivering mail. Why does their need to be efficient outweigh cyclists need to not die? Each time a car is parked there, it endangers lives. pic.twitter.com/DiqqAeZexU
After all, it’s much easier to accuse people of “outrage culture” than to take a small step to protect human lives.
WeHo can clearly do better than that. And should.
In fact, it does, no thanks to the mayor, apparently.
More info: Since Jan 2019, Parking Enforcement significantly increased ticket issuance for all loading zones, bike lanes. Bike lane citations, this past July, are four times higher than what they were in July of 2018. BUT there’s always more work to do! Loading zones, etc. #WeHo
After the the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released a study questioning the safety of some protected bike lanes, John Pucher and Ralph Buehler, two of North America’s leading bicycling academics, say it ain’t necessarily so.
“Finding problematic intersection design of cycle tracks here and there in three U.S. cities does not at all negate the overwhelming evidence that protected bike lanes are both safer, in fact, than unprotected lanes or no facilities at all, and that the vast majority of cyclists and potential cyclists overwhelmingly prefer such protected facilities and feel safer on such facilities, thus leading to sharp increases in cycling rates.”
Pucher stresses:
“The IIHS study focuses on the dangerous intersections, but overall, cycle tracks are definitely safer. I agree, however, that intersection design is absolutely crucial to the safety of cycle track systems, and that special intersection, roadway markings, traffic signs, and traffic signals are necessary.”
No, you don’t have to wear a bike helmet. If you were to, say, get hit by a garbage truck on your commute, a small piece of foam and molded plastic is not going to make much of a difference. But since this is America and not Copenhagen, where cyclists are demonized for taking a sliver of space away from precious steel boxes and commuters are regularly in fear of their lives, it’s best to hedge your bets. Wear a helmet. (But whatever you do, please don’t helmet shame those who prefer to let their locks flow.)
………
Sometimes it’s the people on bikes behaving badly.
Beautiful piece by an investigative reporter for the LA Times about the remarkable recovery of a man who was nearly killed in an Oceanside bike crash, after lingering in a near vegetative state for months. And her efforts to convince someone he was still alive in there.
Sad news from Bakersfield, where a woman was killed trying to ride her bike in a crosswalk; the CHP immediately absolved the driver of blame because it was dark. Apparently, Dodge Challenger’s like the one the driver had don’t have headlights, and the CHP has never heard of the state’s basic speed law, which prohibits driving too fast for current conditions. Like when it’s too dark to see what’s in the road directly ahead of your car.
Seventy-five-year old Courtney Rudin was convicted of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for the head-collision that killed a woman riding in a Sonoma County charity ride when he made dangerously ill-advised passed around a slower vehicle; he faces just one year behind bars. Seriously, killing another human being should never be a misdemeanor, intentionally or not.
Forbes says bicycle-oriented development is a growing force with the larger field of transit-oriented development throughout the US, now that bicycling is the nation’s fastest-growing form of transportation.
I want to be like him when I grow up. An 86-year old Utah man still rides 1,000 miles a year on a tandem with his son; he was riding 3,000 miles a year on his own until he was hit by a driver three years ago. Although I’d just as soon skip that whole “hit by a driver” part, thank you.
The owner of three pit bulls that killed a nine-year old Detroit girl as she was riding her bicycle has been charged with second degree murder for not controlling his dogs; the dogs, one of whom was shot by a rescuer, will likely get the death penalty.
Rapper Kadeem’s new album World Sport takes on a bicycling theme, reflecting the time spent on his ‘87 Schwinn World Sport as he was recording it, as well as his time on two wheels navigating the streets of Boston, dealing drugs and delivering for DoorDash.
New York prosecutors threw the book at the 18-year old driver who ran a red light and caused the collateral damage crash that killed a Brooklyn bike rider two weeks ago, charging him with criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, vehicular assault, disobeying a traffic device and doing 61 mph in a 25 mph zone. In other words, driving his Dodge Charger exactly the way the carmaker suggests he should.Thanks to Shaggy for the heads-up.
The New York Times examines why drivers rarely faces charges for killing bike riders; prosecutors have to show the driver’s behavior was “egregious,” and that they broke at least two traffic laws. Although it seems unlikely that the same standard would apply to killing someone with any other kind of weapon.
Montreal will soon start ticketing drivers who violate Quebec’s equivalent of a three-foot passing law by using an ultrasound device that measures the distance between a bike and a passing car. The LAPD apparently has no interest in that, despite being told about the device multiple times as part of the department’s bike liaison program.
Making the case even more bizarre, police booked the driver on posthumous criminal charges for causing the crash. Which presumably means, if convicted, he could face eternity behind bars.
Unfortunately, the Indian press frequently uses the same terms for bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles, so we have no way of knowing what the victim was actually riding.
………
Sometimes it’s the people on bikes behaving badly.
A Vancouver bike rider demonstrates why you shouldn’t fly off a sidewalk and try to beat oncoming traffic.
A new official Los Angeles art project will place up 100 rainbow halos to honor traffic victims. While it’s important to remember victims of traffic violence, wouldn’t it be better to fix the damn streets so we don’t need the halos in the first place?
An Indianapolis bike rider says he appreciates the city’s new bicycle network, but he’s had it with people driving in bike lanes. Not to mention drivers who start on the green bike signal, rather than the regular traffic light.
A writer for Jalopnik says Vision Zero is the wrong goal; instead of responding to traffic deaths, New York should focus on “unleashing the joy of riding a bike to make a better place to live, not fighting the fear that riding a bike may entail.”
A woman survives the death of her pro cyclist husband in a racing crash, only to find love with another cyclist; Astrid Collinge married Belgian cyclist Louis Vervaeke this year, three years after her then-husband Antoine Demoitié was killed by a race moto during the 2016 Gent-Wevelgem.
Unless you consider a little improved lighting and a pair of scramble crosswalks a great street.
Because I sure as hell don’t.
Meanwhile a few other views of CicLAvia popped up on Twitter’s radar today.
Love how many LA neighborhoods @CicLAvia exposed me to over the years, but really over the moon getting to see MY neighborhood and commute quiet, joyful, and full of people. pic.twitter.com/kaFI2JzGZP
And he has a message for the heartless coward who did it.
Without hesitation he says, “I just wanted to give a message to the person that did this to me… I just wanted to know why you do like what you did. You saw me. You hit me. You knew I was under there.”
“I remember everything,” Diaz says, “From like when I got hit. When I was stuck under there. I was just being dragged. I felt like all my air was being lost.”
Yet remarkably, he forgives his near-killer.
“I forgive him but I also want him to turn himself in,” he says, matter-of-fact.
Police are looking for the driver of a dark-colored four-door Honda, probably with damage to the front end.
Hopefully the standing $25,000 reward will encourage someone to speak up.
The story also notes that a bike race will be held this Saturday to raise funds for Diaz.
[Editor’s Note: A bike race is being held Sat. Aug. 24 with donations going to Diaz. Register time: 12:30 p.m., start time 1:30 p.m. Meet up at 35th and Maple. Starting point Jefferson/Maple – Ending point Angels Point]
If anyone has more information about the race, let me know; you’ll find my email on the About page.
………
Don’t try to ride an e-anything on the campus of San Diego State University, where “electric or motorized dockless scooters, bicycles, roller skates, hoverboards, skateboards and other micromobility devices” have been banned starting with the fall semester.
The Luddites at SDSU would probably even ban this one, too.
Santa Monica is gearing up for an open streets event of their own, with COAST opening two miles of streets to people — and closing to cars — on September 15th, along Ocean Ave, Colorado Ave and Main Street.
Sad news from Elk Grove, where a bike rider was killed in a collision with a freight train. One more reminder to never go under, over or around crossing barriers or warning lights, even if you don’t see a train or one has just passed; there might be another one traveling in the opposite direction.
More sad news, this time from Healdsburg. A 61-year old former Huntington Beach resident died on Sunday, after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver last week; he’d been struggling to kick the bottle and get off the streets. Hats off to the Press Democrat for one of the most respectful stories I’ve seen about any homeless victim.
We know the feeling. Curbed New York says achieving zero traffic deaths will require radical changes to the city’s streets, but they’re still waiting for that to happen. Sort of like Los Angeles, where city officials somehow seem to think making marginal changes here and there will somehow magically reduce deaths in the city.
A British pair says a 12-year old girl would have been killed if she hadn’t been wearing her helmet when she was hit by a driver. Which is questionable considering she suffered a fractured skull anyway; it’s possible her injuries could have been much worse without it, but it’s also possible that the helmet somehow failed to protect her.
“You guys are putting my life in danger because you are fucking assholes,” the man riding the fancy looking e-bike tells the police.
“You gotta go” one cop mutters.
“No! I don’t have to do shit! You guys are blocking the bike lane for no fucking reason!” the man responds.
“There’s no emergency! Nothing is happening! I’m looking around, there’s no terrorist threat. There’s just you guys jerking off and doing nothing but standing here staring at me. I’m not threatening people’s lives—you are! You are the problem!”
The international Fancy Women Bike Ride rolls on September 22nd, described as the “most colorful, fantastic and empowering women’s parade in the world.” No word yet on whether there will be an LA edition of the ride.
And traffic safety deniers Keep LA Moving will hold a national conference in Mar Vista this October to discuss their virtually fact-free opposition to road diets and Vision Zero, along with their vision for the auto-centric America of tomorrow. It would be a real shame if any biking or walking advocates were to show up; thanks to Erik Griswold for the tip.
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Local
The widow of an LA County Sheriff’s Department reserve deputy who was killed competing in the 2017 World Police and Fire Games is suing helmet-maker Bell and parent company Vista Outdoor, alleging his bike helmet was negligently designed, which made it a “useless safety device” and “an ultimate death trap to cyclists” — apparently concluding the fatal heart attack he suffered during a mountain bike race was caused by a head injury due to a fall.
The Fresno Beeoffers more details on the crash that killed a bike rider Tuesday morning, when a teenage driver drifted onto the shoulder in minivan full of high school students and rear-ended the 56-year old victim at around 45 mph. Thanks to John McBrearty for the heads-up.
Rouleurexamines women’s cycling’s #MeToo moment, uncovering abuse and harassment at the highest levels of the women’s tour. Seriously, there’s no excuse for that crap. Ever.
Thanks to Robert Leone for his generous contribution to help support this site and defray the cost of the Corgi’s hospice care, along with a very kind note — both of which are much appreciated.
The driver faces a single count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for either striking the bike rider while driving on the wrong side of the road, or causing her to lose control and fall.
The driver said he thought he had plenty of room to pass a slow moving truck without hitting the pair of bicyclists coming in the opposite direction, and only realized he might have been wrong when the driver’s side mirror fell off his truck.
An investigator for the CHP somehow concluded that there was no evidence of a crash, apparently believing the man’s mirror just happened to fall off the same time he passed the victim.
Sure. Let’s go with that.
An earlier trial ended in a hung jury, leaning 10 – 2 in favor of a conviction.
After police rescued a five-year old Boston-area boy who wandered off in his pajamas, while pushing a bike with flat tires and a missing training wheel, an anonymous donor gave him a new one, along with supplies for the new school year.
The family of an Ottawa man is demanding answers after he was critically injured in a collision, saying not enough is being done to protect people on bicycles. Nice reporting job by the Ottawa Citizen, which managed to get through the entire story without mentioning that the vehicle that hit him had a driver.
A Halifax, Nova Scotia city councilor wants to copy Oregon in placing a $10 to $20 tax on the purchase of any new bicycle. But that’s just the start; he also want bicyclists to be registered, insured and licensed, just like the cars they’re not.
August 13, 2019 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Vote for Loraine Lundquist in CD12 today, more kindhearted people, and kick leads to shove in the UK
No surprise here, as traffic collisions increased in the first full month after a road diet was installed on Broadway in Long Beach. Anytime there’s a major change to a roadway, you can expect an initial increase in collisions as drivers adjust to the new configuration. Which is why with most pilot projects, the data is only considered meaningful after they’ve been in place for awhile.
Needless to say, it didn’t take long for the pro-Pence bikelash to roll in after America’s favorite seven-time ex-Tour de France champ claimed he blew the doors off the Vice President on a Nantucket bike path. Evidently, they failed to notice Lance’s tongue planted firmly in cheek.
A Connecticut bike rider was injured in collision with a bear; the scofflaw Smokey wannabe was reportedly wearing dark colors, had no license or insurance, and fled the scene after the crash. Seriously, bears should be required to wear hi-viz, be tested, licensed and insured, and wear numbered plates on their massive butts if they’re going to use our roads.
Meanwhile, another letter writer says Copenhagen is a great place for bicycling because it’s relatively flat.
Unlike Los Angeles, which is… uh, relatively flat.
………
As long as we’re on the subject of letters, an Oregon letter writer says —
Bicyclists need to take more responsibility.
There’s no proof bicycling infrastructure benefits anyone but people on bikes;
Bike riders use senior citizens as “wrinkly, silver-haired pylons on the imaginary racetrack of the handle-barbarians;”
Bicycling can never be made entirely safe, so riding on city streets will always be a gamble;
Oregon’s governor is rewarding the lawless behavior of bicyclists by allowing them to “wander through red lights, stop signs and ignore yield signs while challenging vehicles to the same space.”
Bike riders need to be taxed, tested and licensed. And ticketed.
Damn, that’s a lot to unpack.
But let’s give it a try.
First of all, yes, bike riders — and everyone else — need to assume more responsibility.
I myself recently assumed responsibility for disappearing Jimmy Hoffa, snatching the Lindberg baby, and trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees.
Third, anyone who endangers pedestrians, especially older, younger or disabled pedestrians, is a complete and total jerk. And probably drives exactly the same way. Never mind that a lot of the people on bikes fit in that nebulous senior category themselves.
Fourth, saying the streets will never be safe for bike riders is just another way of saying motorists are incapable of driving safely. But yes, there are ways to improve safety, even in intersections.
Finally, most bike riders already hold a drivers license, so they have been tested and licensed. And bike riders are subject to traffic fines, just like drivers, in every state of the union.
And as we’ve already seen, testing and licensing drivers hasn’t exactly inspired good behavior, either.
He particularly goes off on plans for a bike lane on the street next to where he’s sitting, insisting no one rides there, as numerous bike riders glide past behind him.
And he insists you’ll get a disease if you ride a bus.
No, really.
Although evidently, he’s including himself in that big FU to bikes and the people who ride them.
Thanks to F. Lehnerz for the heads-up.
………
Lots of generous people in today’s news, starting right here at home.
Unfortunately, we can’t always stop a crime before it happens. And we can’t always recover someone’s stolen property—but we can help get someone back on two wheels with a shiny new bike. The LAPD wishes all Angelenos a safe and fun, sunny SoCal weekend. pic.twitter.com/8taclNon1E
This is who we share the roads with. Legally or otherwise.
Police: 14-year-old getting driving lessons with dad in car crashed into Marysville bus stop — where grandmother was sitting next to 13-year-old granddaughter while holding 1-year-old baby. All 3 taken to hospital. @KIRO7Seattlepic.twitter.com/tzqWKunMW7
An Oregon appeals court says yes, bicyclists can legally pass vehicles on the right, after a bike rider was cited by a cop for unsafe passing after he was right hooked by a bus driver who’d just passed him.
It was nice while it lasted. In the two years since St. Joseph MO opened a free bikeshare system with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all 40 bicycles have been stolen or destroyed.
A Philippine paper looks at SoCal’s Coryn Rivera and her efforts to make the US cycling team for the 2020 Olympics, even though she could compete as part of the Philippine national team.
August 9, 2019 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Wicksted to stand trial for murdering bike rider, throwing in Mariposa towel, and new CicLAvia Hollywood map
Let me start with a brief personal message today.
Like many people, I’ve struggled to comprehend the incomprehensible in recent days, and make sense of a world that doesn’t any more. So let me say how fucking proud I am to live in a city made up of countless races, religions and communities.
Simply put, Los Angeles is richer for all of us.
I love being part of our rainbow-hued, multi-ethnic, multi-faith and multi-oriented bicycling community.
And I’m proud to be a small part of such a vital segment of our city — one that keeps riding, regardless of how much we’re marginalized, and despite those who would force us off the roads and elected leaders who turn their backs on us.
We’ve got a long way to go just to break even and claim even a small part of the streets for our own.
But we’ll get there.
And riding bikes helps it all make just a little more sense.
According to the Claremont Courier, 62-year old Sandra Marie Wicksted will be arraigned today after being found competent to stand trial for drunkenly swerving her car across the street — intentionally — to crash into Pray, for no apparent reason.
Allegedly.
She also faces three counts of attempted murder for swerving at other people on bicycles before slamming into Pray, as well as one count of attempted grand theft.
Wicksted is currently being held on $6.1 million bond — over three times the original bail amount.
And she faces a very long time behind bars if she’s convicted.
Burbank’s neighborhood bullies on horseback have managed to fence off our public section of the Los Angeles River and make it their own taxpayer-funded riding preserve.
It would be very easy to walk around the massive iron gate that’s recently been installed just off the Victory Boulevard overpass, but after seven years of battling there and in court against forces far more powerful than I am, with very little support from other cyclists and bike advocacy groups, I’ve sadly given up on it.
Gay also answers the question I’ve long had about why the teenage cycling phenom from South LA never made the pro tour.
And thankfully, it’s not because the door was closed to a black cyclist earlier this century, like LA’s other former national crit champ has claimed.
It’s a stirring rebirth for a cyclist who was tapped early in his career to be an elite American talent. Williams won a lot when he was young—he took the under-23 national criterium championship when he was 19, and was part of a track pursuit title in 2009 with teammates including Taylor Phinney. His ascension would stall, however, as he grew disillusioned—as an African-American who grew up in the inner city, Williams said he felt a “disconnect” from the Europe-African-American who grew up in the inner city, Williams said he felt a “disconnect” from the Europe- based sport and its stubborn structures—and a promising sprinter wound up coming back and deciding to stay home.
“I would say the U.S. National team didn’t have the right system to develop a rider like me,” Williams says. “I think that was an opportunity missed.”
It’s definitely worth the time to read.
PS — They tell me deleting your cookies might get you in. Even if it didn’t work for me.
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One local event we missed yesterday, before we move onto the big wide world of bike news, as Lyft and Santa Monica Spoke team up for a free scooter skills class.
FREE Scooter Skills, Sun. Aug. 11th join @Lyft & @SMSpoke for the first in a series of Free Scooter Safety Events. All are Welcome! Learn safety skills & techniques, road rules, rights & responsibilities. Free helmets, refreshments… https://t.co/Wexa2kiMFWpic.twitter.com/oZlfkLlX8U
A Wichita KS man reminds bike riders to wear a helmet, insisting his helped prevent a concussion and stitches when he collided with another rider on a bike path. Although standard bike helmets don’t actually protect against concussions; you need a MIPS or WaveCel helmet for that.
Police in Massachusetts had to break up a fight between several people after a driver crashed into a bike rider, who had the right-of-way, although the story doesn’t say if the victim or his friends were involved.
What the hell is going on in Atlanta? After the city saw a fourth e-scooter rider killed, the city’s mayor instituted a nighttime ban on dockless scooters and ebikes. As far as I’m aware, that appears to be far beyond the death toll for any other city, and in far less time.
The Palm Beach Post offers a photo essay of the city’s legendary Jack “the Bike Man,” as the nonprofit bearing his name creates a special “Never Again” bike honoring Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School, site of the Parkland massacre.
The LA Timesdiscovers car-lite and bicycle-obsessed Copenhagen. So now you can expect NIMBYs and other anti-bike lane forces to say “This isn’t Copenhagen.” Which will be a refreshing refrain from the usual “This isn’t Amsterdam.”
The Irish Times says the death of 22-year old Belgian cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht is yet another reminder of the dangers of open road racing, saying he’s the eighth cyclist to die in competition in just the last three years.
August 8, 2019 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Upcoming bike events, why people stop going to public meetings, and a look at a friendly little OC bike shop
By all reports, last night’s public workshop in Eagle Rock to discuss plans for a North Hollywood to Pasadena bus rapid transit line was much better managed, without the anti-transit threats, harassment and intimidation of previous meetings.
We already know that Katy Perry is one of us, taking her bicycle with her torrid to her shows; she’s also taken her $19 million Beverly Hills mansion off the electric grid to reduce her carbon footprint.
A Chicago woman turns herself in for a hit-and-run so bad her bike-riding victim remains in critical condition over three weeks after the crash; she’s been charged with felony hit-and-run and DUI counts. She should also face charges for attempting to coverup the crime by replacing her car’s mirror and windshield the day of the crash. Although it will be interesting to see how they can make the DUI charge stick without a blood, breath or field sobriety test.
After taking up bicycling in honor of her late bike-riding husband, a Chicago woman was crushed when someone stole her bike in South Carolina. Until she got it back when the thief tried to sell it to a legitimate dealer.
Right-wing Austrian politicians are calling for a ban on bike trailers after two small children were killed when a driver slammed into the trailer their mother was pulling behind her ebike, while calmer voices say the real problem is cars and the people driving them.
Heartbreaking story from Hiroshima on the 70th anniversary of the first atomic bomb attack, where a three-year old boy was buried with his tricycle until his bones were exhumed 34 years ago and moved to the family cemetery.
