It takes a lot of effort to steel myself to write about yet another bike rider killed on our streets, sometimes.
I tell myself I’m just waiting for more information. But in reality, I’m working up the strength to confront another needless tragedy.
Especially when it’s the third time in three days.
That was the case today, when I received an email forwarding a report from the Redlands Police Department, which announced the death of a man riding a bicycle near 5th Ave and Marion Road, shortly before 9 this morning.
A response to the post indicated that seven people, including two doctors, struggled to save the victim’s life before paramedics arrived. He died at the scene, despite their efforts.
A street view shows a separated bike lane in both directions on 5th.
Unfortunately, that’s all the information we have right now.
This is at least the 78th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eleventh that I’m aware of in Riverside County.
Update: I received the following comment from Amanda Frye in response to this crash, which I asked if I could share here — including the first indication that the victim may have been a 18-year old kid.
Never mind that the crash still hasn’t seen a single word in the local press.
On the same day that the Redlands City Council voted to raise speed limits all over the city, Long Beach City Council voted to lower speed limits throughout their city to reduce accidents and save lives.
Two days later in Redlands, a 16 year old boy riding a bicycle near Moore Middle School was struck and killed. The Redlands City Council justification for raising speed limits were based on an obviously flawed Engineering and Traffic Survey (ETS) conducted by a company from out of town. The Engineering report contains obvious omissions including schools in the vicinity or residential area with bicyclists and pedestrians. These engineering road condition omissions would have provided justification for lower speed limits in the vicinity where the 16 year old was killed, Fifth Avenue was listed as 45 mph with no notation in the survey for a school in the vicinity. Redlands’ Moore Middle School borders Fifth Avenue. It appears that Redlands staff just rubber stamped the study with little to no review or oversight. Other Redlands schools on streets included in the ETS were not noted either resulting in raised speed limits in residential neighborhoods with the public pointing out these omissions. Near my house the engineer missed the large bicycle symbols on the road as this is a popular bicycle route and failed to note a residential area with pedestrians and bicyclists or an open drainage channel. How could these items be missed?
While residents were asking for lowering speed limits to make our roads safer for everyone, Redlands city council voted to raise the speed limit claiming the police said they had to raise speed limits in order to enforce them. The action and rationale lacked logic especially given the flawed Engineering and Traffic Survey. The California Vehicle Code provides the local authority the ability to lower speed limits to make our streets safer for all.
Update 2: The victim was identified by relatives as 16-year old Juan Pablo Carrillo-Salazar, who was just visiting Redlands from his home in Mexico when he was killed.
A crowdfunding campaign to send Carrillo-Salazar’s body back to Zacatecas for burial has raised just $135 of the modest $6,000 goal.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Juan Pablo Carrillo-Salazar and his loved ones.
Thanks to Kate Condon, Amanda Frye and Helen Salazar for the heads-up.
