The victim was riding west on Ortega and attempted to cross Date Palm Drive in the crosswalk, and was hit by a driver heading south on Date Palm. Yet somehow, police say both the driver and the victim ran the red light.
The victim, identified only as a 48-year old Cathedral City resident, died at the scene, while the driver was taken to a hospital with minor facial injuries.
No explanation was given for why the victim’s age and city of residence was given, but their sex was somehow a secret.
Police also didn’t explain how the driver and the bike rider both could have entered the intersection against the light, despite traveling in different directions.
July 8, 2025 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Ventura woman carrying bike loses arm in train collision, and alleged red light-running Escondido bike rider injured in crash
Day 189 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
The victim was reportedly carrying her bike in one arm as she crossed the railroad tracks near Seward Ave when her bicycle somehow got caught in the tracks, and was struck by a southbound Amtrak train as she was still holding it.
Her arm was located near the crash site, and was taken with her to the hospital; however, there’s no word on whether doctors were able to reattach it.
Anyone is urged to call the Ventura Police Department at 805/650-8010.
This is yet another tragic reminder to never attempt to cross railroad tracks when a train it approaching, or once a crossing gate closes and the warning lights start flashing.
More bad news, this time from Escondido, where someone riding a bicycle suffered “significant injuries” when they were struck by a driver.
The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was reportedly riding against a red light while crossing North Centre City Parkway at Mission Ave Friday evening.
And yes, the driver stuck around afterwards this time.
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The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
No bias here. A San Diego letter writer calls on police to ticket lawbreaking bicyclists who ride through stop signs and red lights, while complaining about bicyclists riding two and three abreast in the traffic lane on the coast highway. Yet somehow fails to also call for ticketing all the speeding and/or distracted drivers who pose a far greater danger to the public.
An Irish city counselor who claims he was a “keen cyclist” before a recent injury now opposes a planned bike lane, claiming his opposition is evidence based, and he will defend it even if “cycling zealots bombard” him with emails. Proving once again that it’s always the ones who claim to be cyclists that you have to worry about.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is planning another bicycle and pedestrian safety operation in West Hollywood this Thursday. The standard protocol applies, ride to the letter of the law until you cross the city limit line, so you’re not the one who gets ticketed. Thanks to David for the heads-up.
A Las Vegas man faces a murder charge for fatally shooting a 27-year old man in a dispute over a stolen bicycle; he was just released from prison in 2023 after serving a year behind bars for another alleged attempted murder, after pleading to a reduced charge for participating a double shooting.
A Nova Scotia woman wants answers about her father’s death days after hitting a culvert on his bicycle while possibly being chased by a pack of dogs; he managed to walk home, but no one realized how badly he was injured until hours later. A tragic reminder to always get checked out by a doctor after any hard crash, especially if you hit your head. And keep your damn dogs under control and on your property.
I came within inches of getting run down by a driver last night.
I was walking the dog across the street, at a red light, in a crosswalk, with the crossing light, and had waited until all the cars were stopped before walking into the street.
Then just as we stepped into the turn lane, an overly aggressive driver sped through the red light to make a left turn, barely missing us.
Seriously, I don’t know we’re supposed to keep people safe on our streets if none of that works to keep drivers from killing people.
On the other hand, at least he wasn’t driving like this.
Pedestrians dive for cover as a driver fleeing police goes off the road and into an outdoor dining area. The wild scene unfolding on a busy Manhattan street. Eyewitness News with the condition of an officer injured in the chaos. Tonight at 11 from ABC7 https://t.co/wEQkq04nhepic.twitter.com/eY25nPgZ7g
As a Culver City resident, mom, cyclist and enthusiastic supporter of public transit in my private and professional life, my position on the mobility project is not detached. I’m one of the many people enjoying the benefits highlighted in Move Culver City’s mid-pilot report (literally — that’s me on the cover, the mom on the cargo bike with my daughter, her friend and their stuffed animal friend Marley).
Drivers complain that the bus and bike lanes slow down traffic on the street. But the lanes don’t do so by much: According to the report, during peak afternoon traffic, travel time in a car has increased by a maximum of two minutes compared with a 2019 baseline. Meanwhile, overall traffic on the corridor has diversified and increased, with marked gains in bus ridership, cycling and pedestrian activity. Also important, the bus and bike lanes protect bikers, pedestrians and even other drivers from traffic violence that occurs with increased speeds.
She goes on to argue that the project’s perceived flaws aren’t reasons to remove it, but make it better, instead.
A common argument coming from some council members and opponents of the project is that because bus service is currently inadequate, prioritizing buses over cars with a dedicated lane does not maximize use of the road. They argue the infrastructure lacks support and utilization because of our car-centric culture and low ridership.
Those are not reasons to remove bus and bike infrastructure — those are reasons to double down. Council members are the decision makers. If bus service is not up to par to maximize the protected lane, then it is on them to make it better. If the project lacks support, then they need to invest in the service frequency, reliability and connectivity to strengthen the ridership and thus the buy-in.
Take a few minutes to read the full thing.
Then do something about it. Because if they can remove this, no street improvements will ever be safe from reactionary motorheads.
Seamus Garrity tweeted that ticket is actually nearly $500 — about what it costs if a driver gets caught running a red light, which poses far more risk for everyone else around them.
Having ridden that path hundreds of times myself, I can attest that riding through there poses virtually no risk to anyone crossing from the parking lot to the pier, as long as you slow down and show a little basic courtesy to others.
I could possibly see a $50 fine, though I’d still object to getting one. But $485 is far out of proportion for the risk posed by such a minor violation.
Should have I suppressed being startled when they yelled at me? Should I have not avoided eye contact? Should I have said “Home to my kids” instead of just “Home,” and said it more meekly? But it wouldn’t have made a difference… (2/7)
Santa Monica Lookout offers more information on the upcoming Vision Zero improvements to Wilshire Blvd in the city. Although if 89 percent of severe injuries to bicyclists and pedestrians happen at unsignalized intersections, and approximately one out of five collisions at those intersections occurs when drivers make a left turn or continue straight, that means 80% of crashes come from cross traffic or drivers turning right. So shouldn’t they be working on that?
The Brooklyn Academy of Music may have “whimsical” bike racks designed by famed former Talking Heads lead singer and folding bike rider David Byrne, but it’s still fighting plans for a nearby protected bike lane, citing vague concerns over safety. Apparently deciding it’s safer to leave the people who already use the busy bike lane unprotected, because something.
A machete-wielding teenaged robber will spend the next six months behind bars, and another six months on probation for a series of violent bikejackings, including using a moped to knock British pro Alexandar Richardson off his bike and drag him the length of a football field before making off with his bike.
A science website celebrates the 80th anniversary of Bicycle Day, which marks the date Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann sampled the new drug he had developed before setting off for home on his bike — and experiencing the world’s first psychedelic LSD trip on the way.
Where they got that figure, I have no idea. A footnote on the chart says the stats came from PeopleForBikes annual rankings, but there is no mention of fatality rates on the Los Angeles page, and no reference to that 15.6 per 10,000 figure.
And it doesn’t seem to correlate to any other actual statistics, from any credible source.
So take it with a grain of salt. Or maybe a bag, given just how far off they are from anything close to reality.
Riding here can certainly suck at times, for any number of reasons.
And just how we got in this mess, six years after the mayor signed the program into being, and just three years before Los Angeles traffic deaths were supposed to be a thing of the past.
Okay, you can stop laughing now.
Safety activists believe that work is going far too slowly. Pedestrian and cyclist groups say the city has spent decades prioritizing fast car travel on its streets at the expense of everyone else using the roads — and the rising death toll is the tragic but inevitable result.
“This is not the trajectory of a modern city,” said John Yi, executive director of the pedestrian advocacy group Los Angeles Walks. “The last thing we want is to double down on cars while other cities are reimagining what their streetscapes would be without cars.”
That total of nearly 300 people killed on city streets last year — including 18 people on bicycles and 132 pedestrians — could rise even further as more detailed analysis is done.
Meanwhile, a listing of the city’s most dangerous intersections give us all a roadmap of places to avoid.
Two of which are within a short walk from my own home, let alone a ride.
In other words, driving exactly the way the company actively encourages in its ads.
Hopefully, the survivors of those victims will get good lawyers, and sue the hell out of Dodge, not just for making machines capable of mass mayhem, but promoting their use in the most dangerous ways possible.
And if they need a good lawyer, I’m happy to recommend a few.
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Things are looking up in Eagle Rock, even if you do have to ride in or near the door zone.
It’s mostly a door-zone bike lane, but the experience of biking on this street feels so much more comfortable now!
This is also exactly what we need on Hollywood Blvd, particularly at Hollywood & Highland, where the city has done absolutely nothing to protect tourists and pedestrians from motor vehicle terrorists and out-of-control drivers.
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Congratulations to the Fort Myers, Florida New-Press on what may be the worst bicycle-related headline in human history; only after reading the story does it turn out the victim had a little help getting killed, rather than just keeling over.
No bias here. A writer for The Spectator complains about “the ceaseless self-pity of cyclists,” and complains about hulking male bike riders on huge bikes speeding down sidewalks, plowing everyone out of their way. Evidently, there must be a class of bicycles in the UK at least twice the size of regular bikes. Or maybe she hasn’t seen an actual bicycle since the Penny Farthing went out of fashion.
If you found the LA River path blocked by police activity in Long Beach Saturday afternoon, it’s because a man was shot near the bike path around 11:15 am; the victim was hospitalized in critical condition.
A Seal Beach police lieutenant warns against riding ebikes discourteously, and says bike riders should slow and come to a complete stop at all intersections, unless they have a green light. Which is guaranteed to piss off every driver on the road around them.
British drivers — and at least some segments of the press — are freaking out over new changes to the country’s Highway Code requiring operators of more dangerous vehicles to take greater care to avoid crashes, while advising bike riders to take the lane and ride two abreast under some circumstances to improve safety.
David Drexler writes that Santa Monica has finally installed a curb separating bike riders and pedestrians on the newly widened Marvin Braude bike path through the city’s beaches.
But at the same time, they’ve installed a ridiculous 5 mph speed limit on the pathway, which is a fast walking pace, and slower than most people run. And almost half the 8 mph speed limit in Hermosa Beach.
Never mind that, as he points out, it’s hard to ride a bike that slowly without falling over, even on a cruiser bike.
Just more evidence of biking rules being set by people who’ve never ridden one.
Photos by David Drexler.
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Los Angeles County protestors aren’t backing down in the ongoing street confrontations with the Sheriff’s Department.
Meanwhile, bike riders in many parts of the county continue to express a fear of being harassed or arrested by sheriff’s deputies for Biking while Black or Brown.
Which is something no one should ever have to fear.
Compounding the tragedy, the formerly two lane street where the crash occurred has suffered from speeding drivers since being widened to four lanes earlier this year.
We’ll never know if he and his daughter might have both made it home to their family if it hadn’t been.
And someone should ask Sacramento’s ABC10 why it took until the next-to-last of 17 paragraphs in their story to mention that the damn car even had a driver.
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A frequent bike rider, who asked not to be named, forwarded this dashcam video taken during a recent drive through Santa Monica, demonstrating why stopping for red lights matters.
San Francisco authorities are struggling to identify a hospitalized man who was seriously injured when he was hit by a driver while riding his bike. This is why you should always have some form of ID that’s not likely to get lost or stolen when you ride your bike. I always wear my RoadID, but you can also carry a card with your name and emergency contact information.
New York bike riders will be on their own, as city officials plan to close part of the Hudson River Greenway for reconstruction work with no safety provisions for riders forced to detour onto the streets; the pathway is the busiest bike path in North America. Which is saying something for anyone who’s ever tried to ride the Venice bike path on a holiday weekend.
July 30, 2019 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: Seattle jock attacks bike zealots, CD4 candidate offers hope, and LAPD ignores drivers to ticket bike rider
He also claims only 25 bike riders a day currently use the street in question, and doubts the number is likely to increase once the bike lanes go in.
Maybe someone should tell him you can’t judge the need for a bridge by how many people swim across the river.
Or if a new road is needed by how many people currently drive across the fields.
Then again, maybe he could learn something from the bikeway on Vancouver’s Burrard Street Bridge, which many motorists called an unnecessary failure on a road few bicyclists used when it opened ten years ago.
All those bike riders must have been busy swimming against the tide a decade ago.
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CiclaValley offers a painful reminder that once upon a time, we actually had the mayor’s support for safer streets and hope for the future of our city.
On the other hand, the following response to that tweet is exactly the attitude we need from our elected officials. And why Sarah Kate Levy has my personal support for LA’s 4th Council District set currently held by David Ryu.
I don’t ride — but I have pretty good sense of empathy, compassion, and imagination. It’s not that difficult to understand why we need a connected protected bike network in this city. It’s just a lack of political will.
Streetsblog San Franciscocalls for regulating killer trucks. Trucks don’t kill, drivers do. But no truck should ever be allowed on the roads with massive blindspots that can prevent drivers from seeing bike riders and pedestrians, or without sideguards to keep people from getting swept underneath.
Evidently, bikes as props are a thing for scantily-clad models this year. Sports Illustratedswimsuit model Anne de Paula rides a bike in some exotic-looking beach location while wearing a “cheeky” one-piece swimsuit. Which may be a BikinginLA record for most hyphens in a single sentence.
For one brief instant, it seemed like we had reason to be excited, and maybe there was actually hope for Los Angeles. Except the new Complete Streets project is on the wrong Hollywood Blvd, in the wrong Hollywood, in the wrong state, on the wrong side of the country.
Toronto newspaper readers go ballistic when a columnist suggests bicycles don’t pose the same threat to pedestrians that drivers do. The simple fact is, someone on foot is far less likely to be killed in a collision with a bicyclist than with a driver, for reasons that should be obvious. But it can and does happen. So it’s your responsibility to ride safely and carefully around pedestrians, who can be every bit as unpredictable as drivers think we are.
Huh? A British columnist bizarrely spends most of his column talking about smoking, vaping, coffee drinking and otherwise distracted drivers. But then says we should pity the drivers who get blamed for the sins of modern bike riders if they actually hit one. Personally, I’d rather pity the person who gets hit.
Four people were seriously injured when a driver crossed over the center line and plowed into their bicycles in a Japanese tunnel; four other people were injured when a second driver crashed into his car, including a two-month old baby who suffered major injuries.
We may have hit-and-run drivers, but at least we don’t have to worry about hit-and-run deer. If you’re going to break into a garage and steal a bike, try not to leave a scent for the police dogs to follow.
And this is why country music is called three chords and the truth. Just hang up and drive already.
More bad news on what should have been a weekend of celebration after a last minute reprieve for the Marathon Crash Ride.
KNBC-4 is reporting that a Glendale man in his late 20s was killed after riding his bike through a red light in Glendale this morning.
According to the station, the victim, who has not been publicly identified, was riding at the intersection of Glendale and California Avenues at 7:10 am when he allegedly rode through the light at a fast pace, and was hit by a car. He was taken to USC Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver, identified only as a woman in her 40s, remained at the scene and was not arrested.
No other details are available at this time.
As always, the question is whether there were any independent witnesses, other than the driver, who saw him run the red light. It’s too easy to blame the victim when it’s impossible for him to give his side of the story.
This is the 24rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 11th in Los Angeles County.
My sincere prayers and sympathy for the victim and his loved ones.
Update: Evidently, there was another witness. According to the Glendale News Press,
(Sgt. Tom) Lorenz said a witness at the nearby Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf saw the cyclist, headed south on Glendale Avenue, run a red light before being struck by a car headed east. “He didn’t even slow down,” he said, adding the driver of the car, a woman in her 40s, has been cleared of any fault.
Update 2: the Glendale News-Press has identified the victim as 25-year old Melik Khanamiryan, presumably of Glendale. Thanks to Danny Gamboa for the link.
Just when it looked like we might get out of the 4th of July holiday weekend relatively unscathed, word comes that a bike rider was killed in Chatsworth last night.
The LA Daily News is reporting that 47-year old Chatsworth resident Samuel Martinez was riding west on Lassen Street at Topanga Canyon Blvd around 11:40 pm when he was struck by a Chevy Silverado pickup headed north on Topanga; he was pronounced at the scene.
A police spokesperson reports that Martinez went through the red light, making him responsible for the collision. And serving as a reminder why bicyclists — and everyone else on the roads — need to stop for traffic signals.
If you blow through a red light or stop sign, you’re likely to be held at fault for whatever might happen as a result. Regardless of what anyone else on the road may have done to contribute to the collision.
Which means that you could end up being the one ticketed for the collision. And that you, or your heirs, will be unlikely to receive any settlement as a result.
There is no mention of whether Martinez’ actions were confirmed by independent witnesses, however.
It’s a common problem that cyclists who are killed or seriously injured can’t present their side of the story, while the drivers who hit them understandably have an inherent interest in painting their actions in the best possible light. Unless someone other than the driver actually saw the collision, police should view driver’s statements regarding the actions of the victim critically.
Too often, they don’t.
It’s also possible that the light may have changed as Martinez was entering the intersection, leaving him unable to stop in time to avoid going through the red light or avoid the collision.
That is not to say Martinez didn’t simply blow through the light.
Just that such statements should be taken with a grain of salt if there are no corroborating witnesses.
This is the 45th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 21st in Los Angeles County. Alarmingly, it’s also the seventh death of a bike rider in the City of Los Angeles since the first of the year — far surpassing the total for each of the last two years.
And this year is barely half over.
My sympathy and prayers for Samuel Martinez and all his family and friends.
And I promise to get right on that, as soon as I can stay in one place long enough to write one. Too many meetings and other obligations have kept me on the run the past couple days.
And tomorrow doesn’t promise to be any easier, thanks to a morning press conference when I’m usually still checking the news, petting the Corgi — and no, that’s not a metaphor, even if it does sound vaguely dirty — and working on my second cup.
Then again, if you’re not busy Thursday morning, you might want to head to the 7th Street side of MacArthur Park at 9:30 am when the mayor will be hosting a press conference to announce something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
And yes, it’s good news.
And no, I can’t tell you. Even if others have been leaking the news everyone was supposed to keep quiet.
I promise to fill you in later. In the meantime, if you can’t wait, check out L.A. Streetsblog after 9:30 am when Damien will break his paternity leave long enough to spread the good news. And maybe even quote yours truly if he can make heads or tales out of that rambling statement I gave him.
Meanwhile, here’s a perfect example of the benefits of defensive riding.
I often see cyclists run the red light where the Marina bike path crosses Admiralty Way, for no apparent reason. Especially since there’s seldom a long wait there.
Then again, it’s not unusual to see drivers run it, as well.
Most go through just after the light has changed. Which is why I make it a policy to wait an extra second or two to be sure that everyone is going to stop before I cross.
Then there’s this jerk, who blew through without slowing down, several seconds after the light had changed, and while I was already crossing the street.
If I hadn’t taken those few extra seconds, I might have been right in front of him. Not that I think that would mattered to the driver, who seemed to be a hit-and-run waiting to happen.
A couple weeks ago, I met with Malibu Public Safety Commissioners Susan Tellem and Chris Frost, along with LaGrange member and BAC Vice Chair Jay Slater, and a representative from the Sheriff’s Department, to discuss safety issues in the Malibu area.
While there was disagreement on some issues, one thing we all agreed on was the need for cyclists to observe stop lights on PCH. A serious cyclist himself, Frost made a compelling argument that riders who run red lights in that area pose a significant risk to their own safety, as well as needlessly causing problems for other road users.
As a result, I offered to let him write about the issue from his own perspective, as a rider and Public Safety Commissioner. What follows is his comments, presented without input or editing on my part.
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The City of Malibu has been inundated with cyclists who fail to stop for the required red lights on Pacific Coast Hwy. I am a cyclist myself and put in a great many miles out there amongst you. Many of you know me, as I have taken the time to poll you (mostly at the Trancas Starbucks) on your feelings about PCH. I have ridden with many of you, and know you outside of my duties as a Public Safety Commissioner. I have asked you about your riding habits, and from that have culled a pretty good understanding of what goes on out there. This, coupled with what I personally observe and experience, has led me to the following.
The red light issue has reached a level that is causing problems for all cyclists, even those who obey the law. Motorists have developed a kind of tunnel vision that does not differentiate one cyclist from another. That means that the law-abiding rider gets treated pretty much the same as one who continually flaunts the law. So when you get buzzed for no apparent reason, the cause may well be an incident you had no part of.
This is happening much too frequently now, and it has developed into a breeding ground for animosity and worse–injury and death.
No one is so entitled that they are permitted to ignore a red light. And for you top tier riders, this means being a role model, not the cause of an accident. I know firsthand what is like to lose a friend out on this highway; and many of you do as well. It changes the lives of many forever–including the motorist involved. Recently, I have had reports of riders who claim they are time trialing down PCH, and thus will ignore the red lights whenever convenient. I’m not even going to comment on this. These riders know who they are, and they need to change their riding style. This is completely unacceptable, and is looked at by the majority of the cycling community as unacceptable. There are stretches of this highway with no lights that allow you to ride without stopping. If you don’t like stop lights, this might be your alternative.
On the subject of T-intersections (e.g., Busch Dr, Kanan Rd, Paradise Cove, Malibu Pier, Carbon Cyn, Big Rock): we have all taken liberties with these types of intersections. A whole pack of riders was recently written up at Big Rock for running the red light. This was not the case of the lead riders entering on a yellow, but the whole group blasting through a red. That ticket cost each rider approximately $400. Please take into consideration that the residents east of that light use the red light interval to exit their garages and driveways. If there are riders coming through, the drivers have very little time to see this and react. Reports of near collisions and angry exchanges between the cyclists and drivers have become all too common. I have spoken with these residents, and heard about too many cases of these residents being flipped off and having water sprayed at them. Come on everyone, is this the way we want to be portrayed? A T-intersection with a stop light is the same as any other and carries the same requirements as any other.
So in finishing, please stop at the red lights and stop signs. They are there for a reason. If you want to question why, I will be happy to hear your comments at a Public Safety Commission Meeting. Meetings are held at 6 PM the first Wednesday of each month at the Malibu City Hall. Bring your complaints, and try to have solutions as well. Don’t think of it as someone else’s responsibility. It belongs to all of us.
Please understand that I am a long-time cyclist, and will always stand up for cyclists rights. I am also a big fan of public safety because it benefits everyone, not just the cyclists. You are all ambassadors of our sport and what you do on the highway is viewed by other cyclists, motorists, residents, and–most of all–by the youth who will possibly be riders themselves. So what kind of impression do you want to leave? Remember you are no more entitled than anyone else. And the responsibility belongs to every cyclist out there.
Please police your own sport. It will lessen the impact of having it policed for us.
Thank You,
Chris Frost
City Of Malibu
Public Safety Commission
Vice-Chair
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The Reseda Blvd bike lanes are nearly finished, while the Wilbur Ave. road diet and bike lanes are threatened. More on Wednesday’s upcoming Streetsblog fundraiser and silent auction, with sponsorship from Ralphs, Trader Joes and my favorite American brewery. Eight members of the oddly, but somewhat appropriately, named Palisades Literary Society bike club follow the Tour de France route through the Pyrenees; thanks to George Wolfberg for the link. From my friends at Altadena blog comes word of a $50 reward for a stolen Schwinn Voyageur. Witnesses say the drunk driver charged with killing a biking German tourist in San Francisco got out of his car, moved the bike out of his way, then switched seats with his girlfriend passenger before fleeing the scene.
