Tag Archive for Riverside County

Bicyclist killed in Perris hit-and-run Thursday night; driver arrested hours later

January 16, 2021 / / One comment

Just over two weeks into the new year, a second bike rider has been killed in Riverside County, both the victims of hit-and-run drivers.

But at least this time, the killer was caught a few hours later.

According to My News LA, the victim was riding through the intersection of Goetz Road and Mapes Road in Perris around 8:30 pm Thursday when he was struck by a car driven by 28-year old Perris resident Nathan Craig Rogers.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, died at the scene.

Rogers fled the scene, but Patch reports he was taken into custody around 11 pm Thursday.

At last report, he was being held on $75,000 bond on suspicion of felony fatal hit-and-run and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence.

It’s unknown if drugs or alcohol played a role in the collision.

Sadly, California’s lenient hit-and-run laws mean Rogers is looking at just four years behind bars, with another year in county jail for the misdemeanor manslaughter charge.

And that’s only if the judge rules the sentences should run consecutively, rather than concurrently.

Anyone with information is urged to call Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Kiebach at 951/776-1099, or the Perris Station at 951-210-1000.

This is at least the 4th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 2nd that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

Half of those SoCal bicycling deaths have ben the result of hit-and-run drivers, both in Riverside County.

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

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

Update: Bike rider killed in Riverside hit-and-run Thursday morning; first SoCal bike death of 2021

January 7, 2021 / / One comment

Sadly, it should surprise anyone that the first Southern California bike rider to lose his life this year was the victim of a hit-and-run driver.

According to MyNewsLA, the victim was riding south on Jackson Street at Colorado Ave in Riverside, in a dedicated bike lane, when he was struck by a driver around 6:30 am this morning.

The driver slowed down briefly, then took off without stopping.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to Parkview Community Hospital, where he died a short time later.

KTLA-5 reports the initial investigation indicates he left the bike lane and entered the regular traffic lane just before he was run down.

However, a street view shows a broken line on the bike lane prior to the intersection, which could have given the impression he left the bike lane.

Unfortunately, there’s no description of the hit-and-run suspect or the vehicle at this time.

Anyone with information is urged to call Riverside Police Detective Anderson at 951/826-8723.

This is the first bicycling fatality I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the first in Riverside County

That compares 65 bicycling deaths in Southern California last year, and ten in Riverside County.

Update: The victim has been identified as 66-year old Riverside resident Lin Tae Kim. 

The suspect vehicle is described as a 2002 – 2008 Mini Cooper, with the driver’s side window and mirror missing, as well as several pieces of side trim.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Lin Tae Kim and his loved ones. 

 

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

Bike rider killed in crash near Redlands; no details available

October 30, 2020 / / 2 comments

Another person has been killed riding a bicycle in Southern California.

And once again, almost no details are available.

According to My News LA, a bike rider was killed in a collision at 5:32 Thursday morning on San Timoteo Canyon Road at Redlands Boulevard in Redlands.

However, the location appears to put it in Riverside County, near the border with San Bernardino County south of Redlands.

A street view shows a heavily trafficked T-intersection, with two-lane roadways in each direction.

Unfortunately, that’s all we know at this time; there’s no word on the identity of the victim or how the crash happened.

Let alone why.

This is at least the 53rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the tenth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

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

 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

82-year old bike rider dies following Temecula bike collision; investigators quickly blame the victim

October 6, 2020 / / One comment

Bullshit.

The Press-Enterprise is reporting that an 82-year old Murrieta man died late Sunday afternoon, a little over 32 hours after he was struck by a driver while riding in Temecula.

And Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputies didn’t hesitate to blame the victim for his own death, when he’s not around to share his side of the story.

According to the paper, Kenrick Skinner was crossing Margarita Road at Paseo Brillante in Temecula around 7:20 Saturday morning when he was struck by an eastbound driver.

Skinner was taken to Wildomar’s Inland Valley Medical Center, where he died around 4 pm Sunday.

The driver remained at the scene and called 911.

A street view shows four lane roadway, with bike lanes and a left turn bay in each direction on Margarita, the intersection controlled only by a single stop sign on southbound Paseo Brillante.

It strains credibility to believe that an 82-year old man would somehow violate the right-of-way by riding out into oncoming traffic, as investigators suggest.

The paper doesn’t say which direction Skinner was traveling, but it’s easy to imagine that the broadly curving roadway may have appeared clear before he started crossing.

He may have struggled to get across the wide roadway before drivers caught up to him — especially if they were traveling at a high rate of speed, which seems likely given the early hour and the wide open roadway design.

Which means a better question isn’t why was he was in the roadway, but why did the driver fail to see a man on a bicycle directly in front of him?

If sheriff’s investigators can answer that, they’ll know why this tragic crash happened.

Anyone with information is urged to call Deputy Hoctor of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Southwest Station at 951/696-3000.

This is at least the 48th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the ninth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

It’s also the fourth SoCal bike death in the past week.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Kenrick Skinner and his loved ones. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Bike rider killed by hit-and-run driver in Perris crash; victim identified as 64-year old Perris man

July 19, 2020 / / One comment

Once again, a man has been killed riding a bicycle on the mean streets of Southern California.

And once again, a heartless coward has fled the scene.

According to the Press-Enterprise, 64-year old Perris resident Steve Baxter was found badly injured near the intersection of Goetz Road and Ellis Avenue in Perris around 11:16 Friday night.

He died at the scene five minutes later.

The Riverside County Coroner places the exact location as Goetz Road, 531 ft south of Cai Court.

Authorities are looking for an older white or light colored sedan with major front-end damage and a shattered front windshield, make and model unknown.

Authorities asked anyone with information is urged to call Riverside County  sheriff’s deputies at 951/210-1068.

This is at least the 33rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eighth that I’m aware of in Riverside County; it’s also the sixth in the county since mid-June, which suggests a serious problem.

Simply put, there is no excuse for failing to have the basic human decency to stop your damn car, and leaving another human being to die alone in the street. Ever.

Period.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Steve Baxter and all his loved ones. 

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

Update: Man killed riding bike in Desert Hot Springs hit-and-run; 5th Riverside County bike death in 30 days

July 8, 2020 / / One comment

Please make it stop.

Just one day after reporting on two bicycling deaths in Southern California, another man was killed riding in Desert Hot Springs sometime overnight.

And no, the coward behind the wheel didn’t bother to stick around. Or even call for help.

According to the Desert Sun, the victim was found lying next to his mangled bicycle around 5:45 this morning on Two Bunch Palms Trail near Cholla Drive in Desert Hot Springs. However, police were unsure on exactly when or where the crash occurred.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

There’s no description yet of the suspect or the vehicle. There’s also no word on whether the victim had lights on his bike, or what kind of bike he was riding.

He was found lying in the eastbound lane on the lightly traveled road, leading a bicyclist passing by the crash scene to note that drivers can be blinded by the rising sun, which came up at 5:42 this morning — about the time his body was discovered.

With little traffic at that early hour, it’s likely the driver could have easily exceeded the posted 45 mph speed limit on the straight, unbroken roadway.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Palm Desert Police Officer Chris James at 760/329-2904, ext. 351, or the PDPD watch commander at 760/329-2904, ext. 302.

This is at least the 30th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the seventh that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

It’s also the fifth bicycling death in the county in the past 30 days.

Update: The Desert Sun has updated their story to indicate the victim was a 43-year old man, though he still hasn’t been publicly identified. 

Police are looking for a maroon 2006-2009 Lexus IS250 sedan, last seen heading west on Two Bunch Palms Trail. Which would suggest that driver was headed away from the rising sun, not towards it. 

Investigators determined that the victim was riding in the middle of the roadway, though they don’t know which way he was going. 

Presumably, they mean in the middle of the lane, rather than down the center line. However, with no shoulder on either side, there’s nowhere else to ride without hugging the edge of the road. 

It’s also important to note that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to determine the exact point of impact in bicycle collisions; police often rely on where the victim’s body and bicycle landed, which can have little or no relation to where they were hit. 

Update 2: The victim has been identified as 43-year old Palm Springs resident Christopher Jones. Police now place the time of the crash as around 5:30 am.

Update 3: Police arrested 31-year old Yesenia Bibriesca of Desert Hot Springs on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, after finding the Lexus believed to have been used in the crime. 

She’s been released on $75,000 bail. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the Christopher Jones and his loved ones.

Thanks to Victor Bale and Phillip Young for the heads-up.

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

Riverside bike rider killed in collision with motorcyclist Monday night; 4th Riverside county bike death in 30 days

July 7, 2020 / / 2 comments

More bad news today.

According to My News LA, a bike rider was killed in a collision with a motorcyclist in Riverside Monday night.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was attempting to cross Magnolia Ave just east of Jackson Street around 10:25 pm when he allegedly rode directly out in front of a man riding west on a Harley.

He was killed instantly.

The motorcyclist and his passenger were taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries.

A police sergeant appeared to blame the crash on a lack of crosswalks in the area. Yet a street view clearly shows the intersection of Magnolia and Jackson controlled by a traffic signal, with a crosswalk in every direction, suggesting the crash may have been significantly east of Jackson.

Magnolia is a four lane divided street in a residential neighborhood, with bike lanes and a wide planted median, and a 40 mph speed limit.

The question is why the victim would ride out in front of such a loud motorcycle, even if he or she didn’t see it.

It’s possible they were under the influence or distracted in some way, or that the 54-year old motorcyclist may have been traveling at a high rate of speed.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Riverside Police Department’s Traffic Bureau at 951/826-8720.

This is at least the 29th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

It’s also the fourth bicycling death in the county in the past 30 days.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , ,

Bike rider dies five days after Jurupa Valley hit-and-run; third Riverside County bicycling death in past week

June 16, 2020 / / One comment

It’s happened again.

A cowardly Southern California driver fled the scene of a crash, leaving an innocent person dying in the street.

Only this time, it took five days for the victim to pass away.

According to the Press-Enterprise, a man was found lying in the street on the 9400 block of Mission Boulevard in Jurupa Valley around 10:43 pm last Thursday, after reports of a crash involving someone on a bicycle.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was taken to a local hospital suffering from major injuries; sadly, he was pronounced dead on Tuesday.

The driver didn’t bother to stick around.

The suspect vehicle is described as a white 2012-2018 Ford Focus sedan, missing its passenger side mirror; it was last seen driving west on Mission.

Unfortunately, there’s no description of the heartless killer behind the wheel, or any word on how the crash happened.

Anyone with information is urged to call Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Nancarrow at 941/955-2600.

This is at least the 27th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fifth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

It’s also the second Riverside County bicycling death in just the last four days; a third rider was found dead on Saturday after going missing late last month.

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

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , ,

Missing mountain biker Brian Grangaard found dead nearly three weeks after crashing on Hemet area trail

June 13, 2020 / / 4 comments

More sad news from Riverside County, where a mountain biker has been found dead nearly three weeks after he disappeared while riding near Hemet.

According to My News LA, 45-year old Hemet resident Brian Darrell Grangaard was reported missing after he failed to return from riding in Santa Rosa Hills on May 25th.

His body was found late Thursday afternoon, hidden by heavy brush at the bottom of an embankment off Vista Del Valle near Rawlings Road.

Grangaard had apparently lost control while descending steep the curvy road, and ridden off the roadway at a high rate of speed.

He is believed to have died the same day.

There are now helmets, smart watches, and other devices that can report your exact location in the event of a fall or collision. While something like that could have aided in the search, there’s no way to know at this time if rescuers could have gotten to Grangaard before he succumbed to his injuries.

A crowdfunding page to help pay for the search raised $2,000, equalling the goal.

The investigation remains open, and anyone with information is urged to call the CHP’s San Gorgonio Office at 951/769-2000.

This is at least the 26th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the fourth that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Brian Darrell Grangaard and all his loved ones. 

Thanks to Phillip Young for the heads-up.

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

Update: 21-year old Corona resident killed by hit-and-run driver late Thursday night

June 13, 2020 / / One comment

Once again, someone on a bicycle has been left to die in the street by a heartless coward.

This time in Corona.

According to a press release from the Corona Police Department, 21-year old Corona resident Benjamin Montalvo was riding south on the 1600 block of Rimpau Avenue with two friends when he was run down from behind by an unidentified driver just before midnight Thursday.

Montalvo died at the scene, while his killer fled without stopping; the suspect vehicle was described only as a dark-colored sedan.

Authorities place the time of the crash around 11:54 pm.

Unfortunately, there’s no other information available at this time.

A street view shows a four lane road with a center turn lane in a business district, transitioning to a residential area a few blocks later. It would likely have been quiet and dark at that hour.

Anyone with information is urged to call Corona Police Officer David Dopson at 951/817-5845, or email David.Dopson@CoronaCA.gov.

This is at least the 25th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

Update: A 22-year old Riverside woman has been arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run after turning herself in Friday night; other charges may be considered. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Benjamin Montalvo and all his family and friends. 

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