On Friday, we mentioned that an 82-year old man was critically injured while riding his bike on deadly Los Coyotes Diagonal in Long Beach.
Sadly, news broke on Saturday that the victim has died.
According to the earlier story, the elderly man, publicly identified only as a Long Beach resident, was struck by a driver near the intersection of Los Coyotes Diagonal and Clark Ave around noon Thursday.
He was transported to a local hospital with injuries to his upper body.
A press release from the Long Beach Police Department places the time of the crash as 11:55 am, and moves the location slightly north to Los Coyotes Diagonal north of Stearns Street.
The victim was riding east across Los Coyotes Diagonal when he was struck by a driver in the left northbound lane.
He may have simply been trying to cross the nightmare of an intersection, where two major streets transect the massive six-lane boulevard, when he ran out of time to get all the way across.
The 19-year old driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The police say he was not impaired or distracted at the time of the crash.
Something they wouldn’t know for certain unless they had examined his phone; it’s not clear if they have actually done that, or are simply taking his word.
However, in this case, blame can most likely be placed on a street and intersection that is simply not designed for fragile human lives.
Anyone with information is urged to call Long Beach Police Detective Allen Duncan at 562/570-7355, or call anonymously to 800/222-8477.
This is at least the 48th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 21st that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.
It’s also at least the fourth traffic-related bicycling fatality in Long Beach since the first of the year, and the second on Los Coyotes Diagonal, in what has been a horrible year for LA County’s second largest city; another man died while competing in a Long Beach bike race last month.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
