Tag Archive for solo fall

Breaking news: Man killed in apparent solo bike crash on PCH in Seal Beach

October 2, 2020 / / 3 comments

Southern California’s killer highway has claimed yet another victim.

The Seal Beach Police Department is reporting that a man was found lying in the bike lane on Pacific Coast Highway near Seal Beach Boulevard around 9:17 Wednesday morning.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.

According to the police, he was apparently riding in the bike lane when he hit some unidentified object, and was thrown from his bike.

The article stresses that no other vehicle was involved.

However, without identifying the object he allegedly struck, it’s also possible that the victim could have been sideswiped by a passing driver, or fallen in an attempt to avoid one.

There’s also no word on whether the victim was wearing a helmet, which might have helped in this situation, depending on the speed he was riding. Or it might have been of no use, since they don’t specify what injuries he suffered.

Hopefully we’ll learn more later.

Anyone with information is urged contact Traffic Investigator Keith Phan at 562/799-4100 ext. 1625, or email kphan@sealbeachca.gov.

This is at least the 45th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eleventh that I’m aware of in Orange County, which is having a very bad year.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones. 

Thanks to John McBrearty for the heads-up.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: Victim was actually on a motorcycle — 30-year old Brady Alexandru killed in solo Corona bike crash

April 21, 2020 / / One comment

Update: According to the Corona Police Department, the initial report was incorrect, and the victim was riding a motorcycle, not a bicycle. 

Which does not make it any less of a tragedy. 

This returns the number of SoCal bicycling fatalities to 15, and just one in Riverside County.

……….

It doesn’t always take a car to take a life.

Sometimes a simple curb is enough.

That appears to be the case in Corona, where police report a man was killed falling off his bike Sunday evening.

According to My News LA, the victim, identified as 30-year old Corona resident Brady Alexandru, somehow struck a curb near the intersection of Via Pacifica and Willowspring Lane.

He fell off his bike, striking his head, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Unfortunately, no explanation was given for what street Alexandru on or which direction he was riding, or why he may have hit the curb.

A street view shows a three-way intersection, with two through lanes and a bike lane in each direction on Via Pacifica, and an un-laned residential street on Willowspring, controlled with a stop sign.

There appears to be a hill on Via Pacifica, which could have contributed to the crash if Alexandru gained speed on the downhill before coming in contact with the curb. And there’s a speed bump on Willowspring that could have caused him to lose control if he was traveling in that direction.

It’s also possible that a driver may have played an unknown role in the crash, if Alexandru hit the curb after he was forced to avoid a vehicle.

Unfortunately, we will probably never know.

There’s also no word on whether he was wearing a helmet, which might have made a difference in this case.

Solo falls like this are exactly what bike helmets are designed for, though it’s possible the force of the impact could have still exceeded a bike helmet’s relatively low design limits, depending on how fast Alexandru was going.

Police haven’t ruled anything out, including the possibility that drugs or alcohol may have contributed to the crash in some way — which is a very odd thing to say in a solo crash like this, unless they have some reason to suspect it.

Anyone with information is urged to call Corona Police Department Officer Jason Gardner at 951/817-5784.

This is at least the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second that I’m aware of in Riverside County.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Brady Alexandru and all his loved ones.

Note: Because of the late-breaking story, there will be no Morning Links today; as usual, we’ll be back with anything we missed on Wednesday. 

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Bike rider dies after he’s disconnected from life support; victim fell on club ride at Santa Fe Dam last weekend

May 2, 2019 / / 8 comments

Even when the news is expected, it’s no less tragic.

Or heartbreaking.

On Wednesday, we reported that a man had suffered life-threatening injuries after hitting a curb while riding at Santa Fe Dam last weekend.

Sadly, I was told today that he passed away after he was disconnected from a ventilator Thursday morning.

Don Hernandez was on a club ride from the Rose Bowl to Duarte on Saturday morning when the group passed through a parking lot at Santa Fe Dam. Hernandez somehow hit a parking curb and went over his handlebars, landing on his face.

Even though he was riding at slow speed, he suffered a number of severe injuries, including a fractured skull and breaks to his neck and spine.

And yes, he was wearing a helmet, but it offered little protection the way he landed.

He was placed in a medically induced coma; however, a neurologist found no brain activity just days after his fall, making this ending virtually inevitable.

The only good to come out of this is that Hernandez was an organ donor, so his death will bring life to others.

Another reminder to sign your donor card.

There will be a memorial service on Monday, May 6th at 4:00 pm at La Cañada Presbyterian Church, located at 626 Foothill Blvd in La Cañada Flintridge.

This is at least the 24th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the tenth that I’m aware of in Los Angeles County.

Correction: I originally placed the site of Hernandez’ cash in the parking lot at Hanson Dam; as the story now reads, it was actually at Santa Fe Dam. I apologize for any confusion.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Don Hernandez and all his family and loved ones.

Category: Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: Teenage bike rider killed Monday afternoon in San Diego solo fall

February 15, 2016 / / 2 comments

A teenage San Diego boy has died as a result of a fall onto train tracks in the Encanto neighborhood this afternoon

According to KFMB CBS-8, the 14-year old, who has not been publicly identified, was riding down a steep hill at a high rate of speed when he hit a fence at 2:30 pm and was launched into the air, landing on the trolley tracks that run parallel to Imperial Avenue at 60th Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering massive head trauma.

He was not wearing a helmet. And yes, in this case, it matters.

The only hill visible in a street view is to the north on 60th, suggesting he was descending southbound and jumped the curb, striking the fence blocking access to the tracks.

Under California law, anyone under the age of 18 is required to wear a helmet while riding a bike. And solo falls like this are exactly what bike helmets are designed to protect against, though it’s possible that his speed may have exceeded the design limitations for a helmet.

KSWB Fox-5 suggests he landed in a way that a helmet may not have been much benefit.

This is the 16th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the third in San Diego County; it’s also the second in the City of San Diego.

Update: The victim has been identified as Jose Guadalupe Hernandez Dominguez of San Diego.

However, the location has been changed to Imperial Ave and 61st Street, suggesting that he was riding down the hill from the north side of Imperial, not the south.

Multiple news reports indicate he was riding with a friend when he struck the curb and crashed through the guard rail, going airborne and landing hard on the tracks.

In a report unconfirmed by any other source, KGTV ABC10 says he and his companion were fleeing from a robbery attempt as they sped down the hill. 

The poorly written story alternately gives his age as 13 and 14, though, and says the two boys were riding along the trolly right-of-way, which is impossible since it runs along Imperial, rather than on 61st, and there is no significant hill in either direction on Imperial.

Update 2: CBS8 is confirming that Dominguez and his friend may have been fleeing from a group of men who robbed them.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Jose Guadalupe Hernandez Dominguez and all his family and loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: 75-year old man killed in Huntington Beach bicycling fall

January 10, 2016 / / 5 comments

Sad news from Huntington Beach this morning.

According to the Orange County Register, the victim, identified by MyNewsLA as 75-year old Richard Schultz, was found lying in the street on the 8300 block of Talbert Ave around 10:39 am yesterday.

Schultz was unconscious and suffering from a serious head injury; he died at 2:45 pm after being taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange.

He appears to have somehow lost control of his bike and fallen, perhaps after striking a fixed object; police investigators say no other vehicle appears to be involved. Of course it’s always possible that a passing car or truck, or some other action, could have caused him to lose control.

A satellite view shows a four lane roadway with bike lanes on either side; there’s no word on which direction he was riding.

Anyone with information is urged to call Accident Investigators Josh Page at 714-536-5670 or Bob Barr at 714-536-5663.

This is the second bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the first in Orange County. And it’s the fourth bicycling fatality in Huntington Beach in just the last eight months.

Update: An Orange County rider sent this in response to the Register article.

Curiously, the article states that the road was “free of hazards” and that no vehicles were involved. Both are suspicious statements. First, on Saturday morning, that’s an incredibly busy stretch of road. It crosses Beach Blvd (a stroad that Caltrans won’t let the city put bike lanes on). It’s right by the Walmart driveway, and westbound leads directly to Central Park, whose sports fields are slamming busy on Saturday mornings. Also, the westbound stretch borders the cemetery, so it’s kind of treated like a speedway, and a lot of motorists punch the gas when they see the pesky yellow light of the signalized “intersection” of the Walmart driveway, which can lead to a lengthy red light in letting a backed-up line of motorists exit the parking lot. As far as the “free of hazards” claim, DOUBTS. Hunny’s pretty good at maintaining a street sweeping schedule, but there’s been so much grit & gravel & puddles & leaves & mud & fronds & trash & hidden potholes thanks to the storms lately, it’s been harrowing riding pretty much everywhere. Not to mention, I really have no confidence in the ability of HBPD’s Major Incident Reconstruction Team to assess what counts as “hazards” to a bicyclist.

Update 2: According to the LA Times, he was wearing a helmet. That raises more questions, since it suggests that either the helmet failed, or the force of the impact somehow exceeded the design capacity of the helmet. 

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Richard Schultz and his loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , , ,

Oxnard woman killed in bicycling fall in Port Hueneme

September 22, 2015 / / One comment

This is why you always secure loose items on your bike.

According to the Ventura County Star, 53-year old Oxnard resident Maria Dupre was riding her bike on the 800 block of North Ventura Road in Port Hueneme around 6 pm Sunday, when something she was carrying on her bicycle became lodged in her front wheel. She lost control and fell from her bike.

She was taken to the Ventura County Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The paper notes Dupre was not wearing a helmet; in this case, it might have made a difference, assuming she suffered a head injury. Solo falls like this are exactly what bike helmets are designed to protect against.

This is the 51st bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the second in Ventura County; the first occurred just eight days earlier in Moorpark.

My deepest prayers and sympathy for Maria Dupre and all her loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,

Correction: San Diego cyclist dies in solo fall after suffering medical problem; bicycling deaths down over 60% from last year

April 8, 2015 / / 2 comments

Sad news from San Diego, as a bike rider has died in a solo fall.

According to the Union-Tribune, the 59-year old cyclist crashed his bike in the Lake Murray area after apparently suffering some sort of unidentified medical issue.

The victim, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was riding on Kiowa Drive near Lake Murray Blvd when he fell around 7:30 pm Thursday. He died after being taken to a local hospital.

No other information is available at this time.

Remarkably, this is just the 12th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, compared with 31 in the seven-county SoCal region this time last year — a drop of nearly 61%.

However, it’s the fourth bicycling death in San Diego County, compared to two last year at this time.

Update: San Diego’s Fox 5 places the scene of the incident as on a bike trail near the baseball fields.

Correction: The original version of this story mistakenly said this was the eighth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year; it was actually the 12th. The story has been amended to reflect the accurate total. My apologies for the error.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for the victim and his loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities, Update / Tags: , , , ,

Update: Experienced cyclist dies in Eagle Rock solo fall; 9th LA bicycling fatality this year

August 26, 2014 / / 24 comments

Sometimes, all it takes is a crack in the street to take a rider down.

That appears to be what happened last week in Eagle Rock, as a bike rider died in a solo fall on Colorado Blvd.

Details are still very sketchy. However, reports are that Edgardo Gabat, reported to be 55 or 56 years old, was riding on Colorado Blvd east of Figueroa last Thursday when his wheel got caught in a crack or seam in the pavement and he fell hard. He was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, where he died some time later.

No other details are available at this time. And no word on whether he was wearing a helmet; this appears to be the sort of slow speed fall that bike helmets are designed for, as opposed to the often high speed impacts of traffic collisions.

A ghost bike ceremony will be held at the scene at 9 pm this evening.

This is the 63rd bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 24th in LA County. It’s also the 9th bike death in the City of Los Angeles, which compares to 11 in the city this time last year.

Update: According to Carlos Morales of the Eastside Bike Club and Stan’s Bike Shop in Monrovia, Gabat was a very experienced cyclist who always wore a helmet. He was also a popular member of Adobo Velo, Southern California’s largest Filipino-American cycling club. 

He also notes that the area around this intersection is notorious for poor pavement conditions, resulting in several traffic incidents involving cyclists. In fact, Morales is aware of at least one lawsuit that has been filed against the city by a bike rider who injured there. 

Update 2: In a comment below, Joseph Pagulo says that he was riding with Gabat, and that his fall came in the middle of a descent, so it did not occur at a slow speed.  

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Edgardo Gabat and all his loved ones.

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Update: Mountain biker dies from solo fall at Snow Summit

July 6, 2014 / / 5 comments

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.

 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , , ,

Former Pasadena councilman Sid Tyler dies after bicycling fall

March 30, 2014 / / One comment

Sad news this morning, as word broke yesterday that a longtime Pasadena city council member died after falling from his bike on Thursday.

Sid Tyler, who served on the council from 1997 to 2009, was disconnected from life support on Friday after family members arrived from around the country to be at his side. According to the Pasadena Star-News, he was in his early 80s.

Unfortunately, few details are available, and there are conflicting reports about just what happened.

The Star-News reports he was riding on California Blvd when he signaled for a left turn, lost his balance and fell into the street. He reportedly suffered a severe neck injury as a result.

The paper notes witnesses said he was wearing a helmet; unfortunately, a helmet offers no protection against a neck injury, and may exacerbate it under certain circumstances.

However, the Pasadena Now website suggests he may have suffered a heart attack and fallen into the path of an oncoming car. They place the site of the fall as California Blvd near Morengo Ave.

Tyler was a former Marine, and long-time employee of Tenet Healthcare, retiring in 1994 as executive vice president. He leaves behind his wife of 60 years, as well as four grown children.

According to Pasadena Now, flags were lowered to half staff at Pasadena City Hall in his honor.

This is the 27th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 12th in Los Angeles County. He is also the third Pasadena bike rider to lose his life in the last nine months.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for Sid Tyler and all his family. 

Category: Bicycle Safety, Injuries and Fatalities / Tags: , , , ,
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