Tag Archive for Orange County

Bike rider killed in Orange collision last month; few details available

May 10, 2018 / / 3 comments

Blame me for the delayed report.

A comment from A. Bauer let me know a bike rider had been killed in a collision in the City of Orange a few days earlier.

That was ten days ago.

In the meantime, I’ve been waiting for more details beyond the initial report in the Orange County Register. Or any real details, for that matter.

That finally came today with a Facebook post from the Orange County Bicycle Coalition.

According to the initial report, a bike rider was headed west Santa Ana Canyon Road when he was struck by a driver going north on Orange Olive Road around 5:30 pm on Thursday, April 26th.

That’s all the information that was available until today, despite checking on a near daily basis.

The OCBC speculates that the victim may have been riding salmon due to the lack of citations against the driver, and the position of his body and bike at the southeast corner of the T-intersection following the crash.

If he had been riding on the right side of the street, it’s likely that a collision with a northbound vehicle would have thrown him to the northeast side of the intersection.

The OCBC also sites a rumor that he may have fallen into the path of the driver.

However, it’s also possible that the limited description may have been wrong; he could have come off the sidewalk or actually been riding on Orange Olive instead.

The victim still hasn’t been publicly identified. That usually, but not always, indicates that the next of kin lives outside the US.

This is at least the 20th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and just the second I’m aware of in Orange County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones. 

Thanks to Bill Sellin and A. Bauer for the heads-up.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Santa Ana mountain bike rider collapsed and died in front of South Coast Global Medical Center

January 12, 2018 / / One comment

Even being in exactly the right place at the right time isn’t always enough.

The Orange County Register is reporting that a man, who has not been publicly identified, collapsed with riding his mountain bike on South Bristol Street in Santa Ana around 6:30 this morning.

He fell directly in front of the South Coast Global Medical Center, and was eventually taken inside where he was pronounced dead.

There’s no word on why he collapsed or the cause of death.

According to the paper, so many motorists stopped to help the victim that police initially thought he must have been hit by one of them.

Too often we only hear about the conflicts between people on bikes and in cars, whether verbal or physical, intentional or otherwise. As sad as this news is, it’s heartwarming to see that there are still people who care about others on our streets.

This is the second bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first in Orange County.

Unfortunately, issues medical issues like this can arise at any time, often with little or no warning. So let this be a reminder to see your doctor on a regular basis, especially if you’re older or have health issues, to ensure that you’re healthy enough to ride.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

87-year old man killed riding across intersection; 2nd fatal bike Santa Ana crash in two days

October 28, 2017 / / 2 comments

For the second time in two days, a man has been killed riding a bike in Santa Ana.

According to the Orange County Register, 87-year old Lien Huu Ha was struck by a pickup as he was riding across the intersection at West 1st Street and South Center Street around 12:50 pm.

According to witnesses, Lien was riding west with traffic on 1st when he turned left at Center, and was struck by a driver headed in the opposite direction on 1st.

He was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he passed away.

The driver remained at the scene; police don’t suspect he was under the influence.

A street view shows Center connecting with 1st in a T-intersection controlled by a red light, with three lanes in each direction on 1st and a center left turn lane.

Given his age, it’s possible that Lien may have started across the street with the light, and was unable to finish crossing before the light changed. However, that is just speculation at this point.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Santa Ana Police Department at 714/245-8200.

This is the 54th bicycling fatality in Southern California, and the 10th in Orange County.

It comes after David Lee Macmillian was killed riding across Main Street on Thursday, less than six miles away.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Lien Huu Ha and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Erik Griswold for the heads-up. 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Homeless bike rider dies hours after he was hit by a car in Santa Ana

October 27, 2017 / / 6 comments

This morning we mentioned that a bike rider was seriously injured after reportedly riding out into traffic in Santa Ana.

Now word comes that he died of his injuries several hours after the wreck last night.

The Orange County Register reports that 54-year old David Lee Macmillian was struck by a car near Main Street and Columbine Ave around 6:47 pm. He is described as homeless.

Macmillian was reportedly riding north on the sidewalk on the southbound side of Main Street when rode out into traffic, and was hit by the driver of a 2005 Corvette.

However, it’s very unclear what that means.

A street view shows a T-intersection controlled by a red light, with three lanes in each direction on Main.

It could be that he came off the curb mid-block and rode into traffic on the wrong side of the street, or he could have attempted to cross Main.

There’s also a a utility box and light pole blocking the sidewalk just past Columbine, which could have caused him to enter the street to go around it.

The Register says it’s still unknown whether Macmillian was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The question is whether his actions on the bike suggest he was drunk or stoned, or if police suspect that merely because he was living on the streets.

This is the 53rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth in Orange County. It’s also at least the 11th bicycling death in Santa Ana since 2011.

That compares to 66 in SoCal this time last year, and ninth in Orange County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for David Lee Macmillian and all his loved ones. 

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Update: Bicyclist killed in fall on Santiago Canyon Road Wednesday

September 28, 2017 / / 10 comments

More bad news.

According to the Orange County Register, a 56-year old Aliso Viejo man was killed when he fell off his bike on Santiago Canyon Road on Wednesday.

The paper reports he suffered significant injuries when he fell west of the 241 Freeway, suggesting he may have been traveling at a high rate of speed.

He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Photos from the scene show around eight to ten other riders waiting as police investigate, suggesting he may have been on a group ride when he crashed.

He is the third SoCal cyclist whose death has come to light in the past 24 hours, all of whom appear to have been involved in solo crashes or falls while riding with a group.

This is the 47th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth in Orange County. It’s also at least the third fatal bike crash on Santiago Canyon in the last six years.

Update: I’m told the victim was Aliso Viejo resident John Smith; reports indicate his front tire blew out after hitting a sharp rock at 40 mph.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for John Smith and all his loved ones.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Update: 78-year old Bicycle Club of Irvine member killed in Laguna Canyon crash

September 26, 2017 / / 3 comments

Patch is reporting that there was a fatal collision involving a bike rider in Lake Forest this morning.

According to the site, the victim was riding with other bicyclists near the intersection of State Route 133 and Lake Forest Drive when he was hit by a car around 10 am this morning.

Identified only as an adult man, he was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No other information is available at this time.

If confirmed, this would be the 45th bicycling collision in Southern California this year, and the seventh in Orange County.

Update: The Orange County Register tells a completely different story. 

According to the Register, a 78-year old man was killed when he crashed his bike into the back of a car parked on the right shoulder while riding south on Laguna Canyon Road around 9:51 am.

My News LA places the location near Lake Forest Drive in Irvine, as shown in the original map. 

The victim has not been publicly identified. 

Update 2: The victim has been identified as Gary Thomsen, a member of the Bicycle Club of Irvine. 

He was on the club’s regular Tuesday morning ride when he crashed into a Caltrans truck that was stopped on the shoulder, possibly after suffering a medical emergency. 

The group doubled back when they learned of the crash, and discovered a doctor had already stopped and was performing CPR, to no avail.

His neighbors Sandi and John Carpenter offered a remembrance and a photo of Thompsen. 

Gary and Fern were married for 54 years.  They have three children and two grandsons.

He was always athletic, played football in college, then began running and after
retiring from IBM he became an active cyclist.  He loved working on bikes and decided to go to the Barnett Bicycle Institute in Colorado Springs Colorado and be certified.  He volunteered at the Bone Adventure Dog Day Care Center  for many years.  He and Leigh loved to travel.

Gary being the kind, gentle person became our local go-to bike mechanic in the neighborhood as he was always willing to help.  He was dubbed the “Fix bike for a beer” man.

He will be deeply missed by many.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Gary Thomsen and all his loved ones.

Thanks to Lois and John for the heads-up; thanks to Bill Sellin for the update.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: Bike rider killed in Fountain Valley hit-and-run

September 13, 2017 / / 4 comments

Yet another bike rider has been killed by a heartless coward who fled the scene, this time in Fountain Valley.

According to multiple sources, 41-year old Fountain Valley resident Bihn Ngo was riding a mountain bike north on Brookhurst Street just south of Ellis Ave when he was struck at 12:54 am.

He was reportedly riding in the curb lane when he was struck from behind and thrown 50 to 60 feet into a parked car.

The driver fled north on Brookhurst, and was last seen turning right onto Ellis.

Police are looking for a red 1990s Ford Mustang with damage to the front end. Anyone with information is urged to call the Fountain Valley Police DepartKent at 714/593-4485.

This is the 42nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth in Orange County.

It’s also the second fatal hit-and-run in Fountain Valley in the last three weeks, following the death of popular Orange County runner Juan Garcia; an arrest was made in that case.

Update: According to KTLA-5, 25-year old Huntington Beach resident Justin German was arrested later the same day after a tip from someone who recognized the car. Thanks to Peter for the heads-up.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Bihn Ngo and his loved ones.

 

Category: Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: Hit-and-run driver kills bike rider in Newport Beach, injures another

July 15, 2017 / / 8 comments

This time the killer didn’t have a chance to sober up first.

The Orange County Register is reporting that a bike rider was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Newport Beach last night.

The driver, identified as 23-year-old Taylor Evans, fled the scene after striking two people riding their bikes on northbound Newport Boulevard near Industrial Way at 1:19 am.

One of the two victims apparently died at the scene. The other suffered undisclosed injuries.

Neither has been publicly identified at this time.

No word on how the collision occurred.

Evans was arrested a few blocks away at Newport Boulevard near E. 16th Street as he tried to push his damaged SUV out of the roadway. He was booked on suspicion of felony DUI with bodily injury, hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter.

A street view shows a six lane, high speed arterial roadway with a painted shoulder on the northbound side below Industrial Way, and a wide parking lane above it.

This is the 31st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth in Orange County. This is also at least the 13th bicycling death in Newport Beach since 2010, an average of nearly two a year.

Update: The City News Service has identified the victim as 41-year old Costa Mesa resident Jose Vasquez-Perez. The story also places the location as Costa Mesa, though the crash is being investigated by the Newport Beach Police Department.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Vasquez-Perez and his loved ones. 

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

71-year old Garden Grove bike rider killed in crash

July 5, 2017 / / Comments Off on 71-year old Garden Grove bike rider killed in crash

A man riding his bike was killed in a Garden Grove collision on Monday.

The Orange County Register reports 71-year old Garden Grove resident Eliseo Quiroz was struck by the driver of a Hyundai Accent at 4:53 pm in the 12700 block of Buaro Street.

Quiroz was trapped underneath the car, which continued on to strike two parked cars. He was taken to UCI Medical Center after responding officers and bystanders lifted the car off him, where he was pronounced dead at 5:28 pm.

No word on how the collision occurred, though police don’t believe drugs or alcohol use was a factor.

A street view shows a narrow, two-lane residential street with parking on both sides.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Garden Grove Police Department at 714/741-5823.

This is the 29th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth in Orange County. He is also the 6th bike rider to die in Garden Grove since 2011.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Eliseo Quiroz and all this family. 

Thanks to Bill Sellin for the heads-up. 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

52-year old bike rider killed in Anaheim hit-and-run; driver captured following police chase and shooting

March 19, 2017 / / 8 comments

An Orange County man was killed in a hit-and-run while riding his bike early Sunday morning. But for once, the driver didn’t get away.

According to the Orange County Register, 52-year old Anaheim resident Encarnacion Salazar Munoz was riding east on Ball Road, just east of Gilbert Street in unincorporated Anaheim, at 5:20 am when he was struck by an SUV headed in the same direction.

He died at the scene.

According to a CHP spokesman, the driver had veered into the the bike lane where Munoz was riding, and fled the scene after striking him.

KCBS-2 reports Anaheim police later spotted the driver, 25-year old Riverside resident Jason Roy Rocha, when they tried to pull him over for an unrelated traffic violation. Rocha fled from the police, losing the officers, until he crashed his Ford Expedition into a fence at the intersection of Seal Beach and Westminster boulevards in Seal Beach.

He reportedly came out of the SUV holding his arm as if he had a weapon; a Seal Beach cop responded by firing his gun, missing Rocha. He was taken into custody on suspicion of hit-and-run and driving under the influence.

Munoz leaves behind a wife and three kids. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay his funeral expenses; so far it has raised just $85 of the $25,000 goal.

This is the ninth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, four of which have been hit-and-runs. He is the third person killed while riding in Orange County since the first of the year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Encarnacion Salazar Munoz and his family. 

Thanks to John Damman for the heads-up.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Bikes & the Law, Hit-and-Run, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,
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