He was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The driver remained at the scene, and police don’t suspect they were speeding or under the influence.
The intersection is controlled with a traffic signal in each direction, with bike lanes on Bristol above Edinger. There’s no word on who may have had the green light in the moments before the crash.
Anyone with information is urged to call Santa Ana PD Cpl. W. Hadley at 714/245-8216.
This is at least the 44th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and already the seventh that I’m aware of in Orange County.
April 12, 2022 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Utah crash victims identified as Whittier brothers, San Diego bikeway fail, and Santa Ana Karen assaults bike-riding boy
Sadly, our worst fears have been realized.
On Saturday, two men identified only as brothers from California were killed when they were run down from behind by a repeat DUI driver near St. George, Utah, who claimed to be on fentanyl from being hospitalized the day before.
And told police she lost control of her car after losing control of her bowels as she was driving.
He also reports a pair of teens in cycling gear were standing by their bodies, screaming about their dads.
Read into that what you will. But it fits with rumors that the Bullard’s teenage sons were among the first riders to come upon the scene shortly after the crash.
Adam’s last post is particularly heartbreaking in retrospect.
Their accused killer, 47-year old Julie Budge, faces twin counts of vehicular homicide, DUI and hit-and-run, as well as single counts of reckless driving and failure to stay in her lane.
She continues to be held without bail, no doubt to the relief of everyone else on the roads.
Budge was previously convicted of DUI seven years ago.
Like Los Angeles before it, San Diego has learned the hard way that traffic safety projects are doomed to fail if they’re not rolled out carefully.
In LA’s case, it was the failed installation of road diets and bike lanes in Playa del Rey, which were unceremoniously ripped out at the mayor’s orders when angry drivers got out their torches and pitchforks, after getting no advance notice the changes were coming.
Hey Long Beach! LA County will be performing maintenance of the LA River Trail between Ocean Blvd and Artesia Blvd starting today 4/4/2022 and expected to end Monday, 4/18/2022. Be advised you may need to take alternative routes due to potential closures during this time. pic.twitter.com/0OSXPwTjLh
No bias here. An Idaho letter writer complains about “arrogant” bike riders who hog the road by riding side-by-side, forcing drivers to — gasp! — actually slow down until it’s safe to pass. And he must know what he’s talking about, since his family owns two bikes.
The Kansas woman who pled guilty last month to running over and shooting a bike-riding because he smiled and gestured towards her has changed her mind, and now insists she didn’t do it; she’s asking the judge to allow her to change her plea.
New York City will shut down over 100 streets to celebrate Earth Day later this month. Meanwhile, Los Angeles officials will undoubtedly mark the day by making a few pronouncements about how important it is to save the earth, while doing absolutely nothing about it.
Raw video provided by County News shows the van, with relatively minor front end damage, coming to a stop on 1st, with what appears to be a commuter bike sprawled in the roadway.
(I’m not embedding the video, because it shows blurred views of the victim’s body lying in the center lane near the bike, which is not something his family or friends need to see.)
The victim’s death can likely be blamed on the lack of a crossing signal or crosswalk at Figueroa, which should have provided a safer alternative to busy Harbor Blvd. But clearly didn’t.
Two deaths so close together, both in terms of time and distance, suggests serious problems on the deadly corridor.
This is at least the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and already the fourth that I’m aware of in Orange County, which would usually have less than half that number so early in the year.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.
February 13, 2022 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Bicyclist killed in Santa Ana hit-and-run; half of all SoCal bike victims this year killed by hit-and-run drivers
Once again, someone riding a bicycle has been killed by a heartless hit-and-run driver.
Despite the efforts of first responders, the victim, who was has not been publicly identified, died at the scene.
Police believe the victim was riding east in the bike lane on West First when the driver of a red Kia sedan ran them down from behind, then fled the scene.
Unfortunately, there’s no further description of the car or the driver. But whoever did it should face a murder charge for making a deliberate choice to leave an innocent victim to die in the street.
Anyone with information is urged to call Santa Ana Police Investigator Bao at 714/245-8223.
This is at least the 12th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third that I’m aware of in Orange County.
Half of those SoCal victims have been killed by drivers who didn’t have the basic human decency to stick around afterwards.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his or her loved ones.
A 71-year old man riding a bicycle lost his life in Fountain Valley early Saturday morning, thanks to a drunken coward who didn’t have the decency stop.
Allegedly.
According to County News TV, police responding to reports of a crash found 71-year old Santa Ana resident Liem Bui lying on southbound Euclid Ave just north of Heil Ave, next to Mile Square Regional Park, around 5:39 this morning.
The driver fled the scene, leaving Liem to die alone in the street.
Police identified the suspect vehicle, locating it in Westminster sometime later with 32-year-old Fountain Valley resident Amanda Martin still in the driver’s seat.
She was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence, felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
It’s not clear if she was driving at the time or had stopped, or whether she was awake or passed out behind the wheel.
She was being held on $100,000 bond.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Traffic Bureau of the Fountain Valley Police Department at 714/593-4481.
This is at least the fifth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first that I’m aware of in Orange County. Three of those deaths have been hit-and-runs.
October 5, 2020 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Sheriff’s deputies shot Dijon Kizzee 16 times, blaming road diets for CA decline, and things are looking up in Santa Ana
And escalated when Kizzee allegedly dropped a stolen gun as he struggled to escape the deputies; what’s in dispute is whether he attempted to pick the gun back up. Especially since the official version of events has changed several times in the days following the shooting.
At least four of those shots could have been fatal.
Never mind that road diets have been successfully used for decades throughout the US, including in red states.
But that would have involved doing a modicum of research, which might have gotten in the way of his preordained conclusions.
………
It looks like things are about to get much better in Santa Ana.
And should be everywhere.
The Downtown cycle track network is starting to come together. Here is the section that will be a bi-directional between the Santa Ana Train Station and Garfield Elementary. It’s still under construction but it’s looking great. pic.twitter.com/shVFQibFzT
BIKE RECOVERY: "Someone was offered the bike by a Craigslist seller, and contacted me after seeing it on Bike Index." @BikeIndexBOUpic.twitter.com/fM8MmBY21I
BIKE RECOVERY: "Bike Index was key to police being able to recover this bike from a pawn shop. Inputting the serial was very very important. Thank you for this tool." #yegbike@stolenbikesyegpic.twitter.com/mx5w01S3zL
it’s up to us to make sure the free, voluntary program stays that way to prevent abuses like we saw with the city’s previous mandatory licensing program, which became an excuse to stop people of color without probable cause as they rode their bikes.
………
Deep thought of the day.
The stationary bikes have been moved outside and I feel like the SoulCyclers are *this* close to an epiphany pic.twitter.com/DiKomRvdqm
Talk about not getting it. Apparently confusing the treatment with the disease, a London columnist complains that bike lanes are choking the life out of the city through fume-filled traffic jams. Someone should tell him that it’s all those cars that cause the noxious fumes — and the traffic. And safe bike lanes mean fewer of those on the roads.
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
A columnist for the Southern California News Groupremembers Long Beach real estate scion and bike advocate Mark Bixby, who fought to get a bike lane across the new replacement for the Gerald Desmond Bridge, and won, before dying in a 2011 plane crash along with four other people.
State
Sad news from Eureka, where a bike rider was killed in a collision when the victim allegedly swerved in front of an oncoming car, according to the driver and multiple witnesses.
Chicago business owners blame new protected bike lanes for a drop in business, with one hardware store owner insisting the loss of parking spaces has meant a 30% drop in sales. Although a far more likely explanation is the same drop in business suffered by brick and mortar retailers across the US during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Sportsmanoffers a nice profile of Josh Quigley, the bicyclist who set a new record for the northern crossing of Scotland, just months after he barely survived getting run down at 70 mph driver by a Texas driver while on an around the world bike tour. He was inspired to do the ride by Britain’s Sir Chris Hoy after a failed suicide attempt.
A bike-riding Philippines columnist says it’s time the country has a mandatory bike helmet law. Never mind that experience around the world shows that helmet laws depress bicycling rates, which is exactly the wrong thing to do with the world facing a climate crisis — let along the Covid-19 pandemic.
Unfortunately, the press seldom follows up once the ambulance doors close. And it may take weeks before we find out what happened afterwards.
If ever.
That’s what happened with 60-year old Santa Ana resident Virgilio Lemus Garcia, after he was left lying in the street by a hit-and-run driver early in the morning on Sunday, October 13th.
According to a witness, Garcia was riding his bike on Warner Ave when he was run down by the driver of a blue Honda, who only stopped briefly before hitting the gas.
Video from the scene shows his mangled mountain bike near the curb, and the same black cowboy hat he wore in photos lying in the street.
Police are looking for a mid-1990s dark blue Honda Civic sedan with likely front-end damage, including broken head lights and a possible shattered windshield.
Southern California bike riders are being left to die in the streets by heartless, murderous drivers at an ever increasing rate.
Nearly half of the twenty people who’ve died riding bicycles in the past two months have been killed by cowardly hit-and-run drivers, who refused to stop and render aid as required by law.
Or had the basic human decency to call for help, rather than leave another person suffering alone in the last moments of their life.
The latest hit-and-run victim lost his life early this morning in Santa Ana.
October 14, 2019 /
bikinginla / Comments Off on Morning Links: More of same as Newsom vetos Complete Streets bill, and Santa Ana hit-and-run gravely injures bike rider
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
Evidently, not much has changed with a new, more progressive governor in Sacramento.
Former Governor Jerry Brown became famous for obstructing bicycle safety bills, to the point that “Jerry Brown” became a pseudonym for a dangerously close pass after Brown vetoed two versions of a three-foot passing law before finally agreeing to the watered-down version we have today.
And yes, I may have had something to do with popularizing that term.
Which is the primary reason Newsom gave for vetoing it.
But anyone who’s followed Caltrans for any length of time knows they’re notorious for promising change, then continuing with the same deadly, auto-centric policies.
Newsom’s veto message says Caltrans is already committed to Compete Streets “where reasonable and feasible.”
Which is simply another of saying if it gets hard in anyway, or anyone complains, just forget it.
And we’re left with a few minor changes to add sidewalks or bike lanes here and there — the “low hanging fruit,” as LADOT described it.
Newsom also cited Caltrans’ brazen, and successful, attempt to sabotage the bill, despite their many pledges of support for Complete Streets. The agency cited an absurdly high projected cost for the measure, claiming it would cost the state an extra $1 billion a year.
Add that to the bike lanes, and double it for both sides of the street, and you’re looking at less that $375,000 per mile.
Just a tad less than that $4.5 million.
Maybe they were planning on some very expensive crosswalks, and a shitload of Share The Road signs.
Or maybe they just didn’t want to finally be held to account.
So once again, people who choose not to drive, for any length of time and for any reason, are left holding the bag.
Along with the communities these roads pass through. And the earth they’re built on.
And once again, we’re left with a self-proclaimed climate governor, like LA’s ineffectual climate mayor, who’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect the environment and fight climate change.
As long as that doesn’t mean inconveniencing drivers in any way.
………
Yet another bike rider is barely clinging to life, thanks to yet another heartless coward behind the wheel.
If the name doesn’t mean anything to you, this spectacular stunt from his self produced video series probably will.
The 36-year old British Columbia native was riding a trail in Cabo San Lucas when he fell, suffering a fatal head injury.
He started racing BMX at 11 before switching to mountain bikes at 15, rising to become the second-ranked North American rider in the 2003 World Cup standings.
He also became the first rider to land a Cork 720 a few years later. Even if he misses it here.
Sometimes the problem is just bald-faced bigotry directed to someone made more vulnerable by being on a bike. A British man intervened when a handful of teenagers surrounded a Jewish man, shouting anti-semitic slurs and threatening to take his bicycle. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with some people?
But sometimes, it’s the people on two wheels behaving badly.
A man was fatally stabbed in South El Monte Friday evening after three men got out of a passing car, knocked him off his bike, and repeatedly stabbed him; the victim tried to get back on his bike and ride for help, but only made it another block.
Life is cheap in New York State, where authorities plea bargained a case of vehicular manslaughter in the drunken hit-and-run death of a bike rider down to a simple hit-and-run injury case; the driver could be out in as little as 18 months. Also good to know that driving at nearly three times the legal limit is just an effing misdemeanor in the Empire State.
The University of Alabama football team has sent a football and jersey signed by star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the family of a 12-year old boy who was recently shot and killed by another boy because he wouldn’t give his bicycle; his family plans to have him buried with both.
The victim was walking or riding his bike on the west sidewalk along Fairview when man driving south on Fairview somehow jumped the curb and slammed into him.
The driver pulled into a nearby parking lot before calling 911 and running back to the scene.
The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was taken to a Santa Ana hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
There’s no word on why the driver jumped the curb. It’s possible he may have been distracted or under the influence; it’s also possible there may have been another vehicle involved.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Santa Ana Police Department at 714/245-8200.
This is at least the 33rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the sixth that I’m aware of in Orange County.