More bad news, as if we haven’t had enough already.
According to Zackary Rynew, a group of motorists came upon a bike rider lying unconscious in the roadway on Angeles Crest Highway around 8 am this morning.
Rynew later placed the crash just before the fire station on Highway 2; unfortunately, I can’t locate it on a map.
The victim was described only as a man with a mustache, who appeared to be in his 60s, and wearing an orange bicycle helmet.
Several people attempted CPR, but he was unconscious with no signs of life when paramedics arrived.
Terrible news: My friend came up on an unconscious cyclist at 8am in his 60s, orange helmet & mustached, on Hwy 2 (near Lukens TT) & no signs of a collision. Her sister (nurse practitioner) and others used CPR, but did not have a heartbeat when the ambulance came. @bikinginla
— Zachary Rynew (@Ciclavalley) July 17, 2021
It’s not clear at this time whether he was a victim of hit-and-run, or if he died in a solo fall.
A brief report from My News LA confirms the death, placing the crash at 8:19 am at Mile Marker 27.5, though they don’t identify the victim as someone on a bicycle.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hopefully we’ll get more details soon.
This is at least the 35th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the eleventh that I’m aware of already this year in Los Angeles County.
Update: My News LA has identified the victim as 62-year old Glendale resident Steve Gerdes.
He apparently suffered some sort of medical emergency while riding his Cervelo east on Angeles Crest, and collapsed on the spot.
Update 2: A comment from Mary Smith clarifies that all the people who discovered and attempted to revive Gerdes were motorists, and the only people who rode by on bicycles continued without stopping or offering to help.
Something to remember when the next time someone tries to assign motorists and bicyclists into irreconcilably conflicting camps.
My deepest sympathy and prayers Steve Gerdes and his loved ones.
Thanks to Zachary Rynew and Tim Rutt for the heads-up.
