Sometimes, I don’t even know what to say.
A bad day Tuesday on the streets of Southern California, followed by a worse day yesterday.
Tuesday, it was news of a grandfather killed by a driver in El Monte while riding the ebike he just got for his birthday, followed by two people on a Metro bus killed by a speeding, red light-running driver in Chatsworth, who has been charged with two counts of murder.
Then a helicopter reporting on the crash for KNBC-4 and Telemundo fell from the sky, killing both people on board and an unfortunate bystander from Guatemala on the ground.
Then the first news to pop up yesterday was a Long Beach man killed in a right-hook crash by a hit-and-run truck driver, in what oddly wasn’t called a hit-and-run. That was followed by a 13-year old on an ebike killed by a driver fleeing the police in Menifee.
And just as I started to write this, news broke of a pedestrian killed when he was struck by three separate drivers in Long Beach Sunday, two of whom fled the scene.
But at least I don’t have to write about that one.
All this just days after LA advocates stormed City Hall on Tuesday with a demand to declare a State of Emergency on Traffic Violence, which I’d much rather be writing about.
And yes, I recognize the irony in being unable to write about a demand that drivers stop killing us because drivers won’t stop killing us.
Sigh.
So let’s start with the tragedy in Long Beach, if only because it happened first.
The Long Beach Post reports that a 68-year old Long Beach man, whose identity has not been made public, was struck by the driver of a semi-truck as he was riding on the sidewalk on PCH near Canal Ave on September 4th.
Yes, two weeks ago, and we’re just now finding out.
The crash occurred shortly after 11 pm as he was riding west on the south sidewalk, which should have been the safest place to ride along SoCal’s killer highway, but wasn’t. Because as he approaching a parking lot driveway, the semi driver pulled out from the parking lot, and turned right directly in front of him.
The victim stopped his bike, but trailer of the semi still struck him, knocking him to the ground — and presumably, under the truck’s rear wheels.
He was taken to a hospital, where he died a day later, according to My News LA, although the medical examiner didn’t bother to inform the Long Beach Police Department until September 10th.
And they still didn’t tell us for another week.
Nearly two full weeks after the collision, they still haven’t found the driver, and there is no description of the truck. Yet for some reason, the cops aren’t calling this a hit-and-run, apparently on the questionable assumption that the driver may not have been aware he hit someone.
My News LA reports the driver was leaving a restaurant parking lot; the only restaurant on the south side of that block is the Golden Star Restaurant at 1560 PCH.
Anyone with information is urged to call LBPD Detective Paredes at 562/570-7358; anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800/222-TIPS (8477).
This is at least the 47th bicycling fatality that I’m aware of in Southern California this year, and the 16th we know about in Los Angeles County. At least 13 of those SoCal deaths have been hit-and-runs.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and all his loved ones.
