Please, not again.
For the second time in less than a week, a cyclist in his 70s has been killed on the streets of Southern California. And the fifth area cyclist to die in the last two weeks, after going over three weeks without a single fatality — four in traffic incidents and one by shooting.
According in the Southwest Riverside News Network, as well as a other sources which published identical stories, 74-year old Vernon Slade of Moreno Valley was killed early Sunday morning when he was hit by a truck on the 13100 block of Heacock Street.
Detail are sparse.
The collision was reported at 3:27 am, and Slade was pronounced dead at Riverside county Medical Center at 3:56 am. The driver who hit him was traveling north on Heacock Street in a Dodge Ram truck; no information on where Slade was positioned on the roadway or if he was using lights, or anything else that might help make sense of his death.
The story reports that the driver of the truck was cooperative. And not surprisingly, was not injured in the collision.
Slade represents the 56th traffic-related cycling fatality in Southern California since the start of the year — one more than the annual total for the last two years on record. He is also the 10th cyclist killed in Riverside County, and the second in Moreno Valley; that number matches the annual average for the county.
And it’s only October.
Another seven cyclists have died in shootings since the first of the year, one in San Diego and six in L.A. County.
My deepest sympathy for Slade’s family and loved ones.
And thanks to Rex Reese and an anonymous source for the links.
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A few other quick notes.
The bike rider killed in the shooting in Long Beach on Saturday night has been identified as 29-year old Reynard Lionell Fulton of Palmdale.
Sam Ollinger of Bike San Diego offers more information about the dooring death of Justin Newman.
KPCC remembers extended station family member, and fallen cyclist, Alan Deane. Meanwhile, the recent deaths have Pasadena officials concerned; I should certainly hope so. Although a Whittier writer says it’s still safe to ride in the L.A. area, despite recent events.
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Come back later for a little good news, for a change, as my dog sled racing big brother offers his perspective on taking up cycling many decades after he set his bike aside at 16.
