Not every bicycling fatality involves another vehicle.
Sadly, sometimes all it take is one bad fall.
According to the San Bernardino Sun, 54-year old Valencia resident Mario Steven Cruz was riding on a downhill trail at the Snow Summit Mountain Resort in Big Bear on Friday morning when he fell from his bike. He was not breathing when an off-duty ski patrol member arrived at the scene around 9:35 am.
Cruz was flown to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he died the next day around 10:35 am.
This is the 52nd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 7th in San Bernardino County; he is also the third bike rider to die in the county in just the last week.
Update: In tragic news for a department that has already suffered too much loss in recent months, Brion reports in a comment below that Cruz is a retired LAPD Motor Officer.
My deepest sympathy and prayers for Mario Cruz and his family.
