Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

A 12-year-old boy has suffered serious personal injuries in a Westminster bicycle accident after he was struck by an 83-year-old driver in a Mercedes sedan the morning of May 30, 2009, The Orange County Register reports. The boy was riding his bike on Westminster Boulevard when he was struck by the driver. Westminster police officials said the boy has suffered major head injuries and was taken to an area hospital. The driver was uninjured. Initial investigations show the boy was crossing Hoover Street on Westminster Boulevard. However, officials are still looking into the circumstances of the California bicycle accident and who had the right-of-way.

My heart goes out to this boy and his family. No matter whose fault this Westminster bicycle accident was, what a horrible time for this 12-year-old boy, his family and friends! I hope and pray that this boy makes it through his serious head injuries and has a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep him in your prayers.

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there was one fatality and 31 injuries reported in Westminster as a result of bicycle accidents. In Orange County as a whole, in 2007, there were 16 fatalities and 1,020 injuries reported as a result of bicycle accidents.
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A 44-year-old bicyclist was struck and killed in an Los Angeles car accident the morning of April 19, 2009, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The victim, whose name has not yet been released, was hit early morning by 22-year-old Alejandro Hidalgo of Panorama City. Hidalgo was in a 2003 Mitsubishi Galant with a passenger, driving south in the 1200 block of North Glendale Boulevard near Park Street when he hit the victim, who was riding a 10-speed bicycle south on Glendale Boulevard. Police said Hidalgo fled the scene of the accident.

An individual, who witnessed the fatal car accident was, however, able to jot down the hit-and-run vehicle’s license plate number. Los Angeles Police Department detectives tracked Hidalgo down at a Panorama City home. The passenger, who was riding with Hidalgo, provided a statement and was released. Police arrested Hidalgo on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony drunk driving.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family of the victim, who was tragically killed because of this driver’s negligence and lack of concern for human life. Please keep the victim’s family and friends in your prayers.
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King County officials have agreed to pay $3.5 million to Jeffrey Totten, a Seattle resident who was injured in a bicycle accident on a county bike route. According to an article in the Seattle Times, Totten’s injuries have left him with a permanent brain injury so severe that he needs full-time care. The county has agreed to pay $3.5 million for Totten’s care for the rest of his life.

Totten, 31, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and an endurance athlete, was biking with friends down Novelty Hill Road on Sept. 4, 2006 when the front wheel of his bicycle dipped into a depression abruptly stopping the bike and throwing him headfirst onto the pavement. Totten has since spent time in a hospital, a nursing home, a rehabilitation center and is now in a group home. His wife, Danielle Leavell, says she has “lost her husband”. Totten will never work again and will need 24/7 professional care for the rest of his life.

Totten’s personal injury lawyers argued that King County was at fault because it showed Novelty Hill Road as a bike route on printed and online maps, but failed to maintain it in safe condition. Totten’s bicycle struck a hole surrounding a survey marker that had grown deeper with successive paving jobs. Totten was wearing a helmet, but his fall was so bad that it didn’t help.
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San Diego Bicycle Accident Injures Man

A bicyclist suffered head injuries in a San Diego bicycle accident after he was struck by a drunk driver, 10 news reports. The accident occurred on March 30, 2009 on Balboa Avenue near Charger Boulevard and Interstate 805, San Diego police officials said. Paramedics took the bicyclist to an area hospital where he is said to be recovering. Officers arrested the 42-year-old motorist, Jeffrey Althoff, on suspicion of driving under influence of alcohol.

It is indeed a miracle that this bicyclist survived this horrific crash apparently caused by a negligent and drunk driver. I wish the injured victim the very best for a quick and complete recovery and hope his head injuries were not severe.

According to the 2007 California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were four fatal bicycle accidents and 392 injuries related to bicycle accidents in San Diego. In San Diego County as a whole, 11 deaths and 797 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of bicycle accidents.
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A man suffered serious head injuries after the bicycle he was riding was struck by a pickup truck on Sea World Drive, ABC News reports in this article. The accident occurred the morning of February 16, 2009 near Friars Road when the eastbound pickup driver apparently looked down to pick up something and then drifted into the bike lane, hitting the cyclist from behind. Officials have not arrested the driver of the pickup driver but say that he may be cited for not paying attention.

My heart goes out to the injured bicyclist who is suffering now and possibly fighting for his life because someone else was negligent and not paying attention to his surroundings and the road. I wish the injured victim the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2006 statistics, in the city of San Diego, there were three fatalities and 390 injuries as a result of bicycle accidents. In San Diego County as a whole, there were seven deaths and 800 injuries as a result of bicycle accidents during the same period. Bicycle accidents are hardly ever solo accidents. Almost all bicycle accidents involve a collision either with a passenger vehicle, bus, big rig or some other type of moving vehicle. In most cases, the accident occurs because the bigger vehicle fails to see the bicyclist for whatever reason – inattention, negligence, impaired driving or dangerous roadway condition.
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The Tour of California is apparently drawing thousands of cycling fans who are getting to see some world-class riders such as Lance Armstrong. The seven-time Tour de France victor is carrying on in spite of a personal bicycle accident injury involving more than a dozen riders. Andy Jacques-Maynes, a Watsonville native, had to drop out of the race after he was injured and hospitalized as a result of the accident. The roads were slippery and dangerous because of the recent rain. Our source for this blog was this news report in the San Jose Mercury News.

Riders and race organizers had to deal with flooded streets and mud on the roadway – even rock slides on Highway 1. Caltrans supervisor Russell Ellingworth said that he and his crew cleaned up a long stretch of the highway to prevent riders from having more accidents. I’m glad to see that Caltrans is concerned with the safety of these bicycle riders. Hopefully Caltrans efforts for the cyclists will improve the safety for the rest of California’s motoring and cycling public as well.
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A Rancho Cucamonga boy was killed in a bicycle accident February 15, 2009 after he was run over by a suspected drunk driver, according to this news report. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested 40-year-old Sandra Kent on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter. Kent apparently ran over the teenager as he rode his bike across the intersection of Jasper and 19th streets. The boy was transported to a local hospital where he died.

My heart goes out to the boy’s family for their tragic and untimely loss. Here was a young boy out on his bike when he gets struck and killed by a negligent driver. Heartbreaking! I offer my deepest sympathies to his grieving parents, family members and friends. Please keep them in your prayers. The boy’s family has spoke to me personally and requested that his name be removed from this article.

I hope that our judicial system does its job with regard to Sandra Kent, the arrested driver. If she in fact is responsible for this tragic accident, I hope that our justice system treats her accordingly. Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a crime under California law.
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A 19-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run the morning of February 7, 2009 after officials say, she struck and seriously injured a bicyclist. According to this news blog in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the car versus bicycle collision occurred in Mira Mesa and the 51-year-old bicycle accident victim suffered serious head injuries as well as injuries to his back and sides. The injured victim’s name has not yet been released.

The hit-and-run driver, who was also not indentified, was apparently driving a Volvo on Calle Cristobal near Camino Miranda when she drifted into the bike lane and struck the bicyclist from behind. The driver did not stop, but left the scene of the accident. She returned to the scene 30 minutes later when officials arrested her. Police say alcohol does not appear to be a factor in this crash.

I’m relieved that this San Diego County bicyclist was not catastrophically or fatally injured. I wish the injured victim the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. He will certainly be in my prayers.
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Jon M. Robins of San Diego suffered severe injuries in a bicycle accident on November 8, 2008 because his bicycle hit an uneven pavement on North Torrey Pines Road, according to this news column titled “Just Fix It” in the San Diego Union-Tribune. The bicycle accident occurred between Torrey Pines Scenic Drive and Northpoint Drive when Robins’ front bicycle tire caught a deep but hard-to-see groove in the bicycle lane where the street had sunk about an inch.

Robins suffered 13 rib fractures and a shattered clavicle as he fell to the ground. He is still facing more surgery on his collarbone. Apparently, Robins’ wife Stephanie was trying to bring the city’s attention to this dangerous roadway condition. So she approached the Union-Tribune columnist to help fix those rough patches on Torrey Pines. The city took swift action after being contacted by the newspaper. The city’s street division immediately sent a crew to inspect the rough patches and almost instantly temporary repairs were made in the form of an asphalt coat.
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