Bad news from Santa Ana.
I learned late last night from a source in Orange County that a bike rider was killed in a left cross while riding in a crosswalk Monday evening.
The victim, identified by the Orange County Coroner as 62-year old Robert Horton, was riding in a crosswalk along 17th Street when he hit by a car turning left onto the northbound I-5 Freeway onramp around 5:20 pm.
He was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he was pronounced dead at 6:06 pm.
Presumably, Horton was riding on the sidewalk when he rode into the crosswalk; no word on which side of the street he was on or which direction he was riding.
Riding on the sidewalk is banned in the downtown area in Santa Ana; whether that would apply along the freeway is unclear. Depending on how the local police apply the confusing laws on riding in a crosswalk, he could be blamed for the collision if he was riding against traffic.
However, looking at Google Earth, it’s unclear how the driver could have made a legal left turn onto either onramp, since they appear to be designed for right turns only, with left turns blocked by the median.
And while the Orange County Register identifies the make and model of the car, there’s no word on the driver. Or even if the car had one.
This is the 17th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second in Orange County. That compares with 38 and eight, respectively, this time last year.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Robert Horton and his family.
Thanks to James Johnson of Johnson Attorneys Group for the heads-up.
