Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

A 15-year-old boy riding a bicycle suffered life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck him. According to a City News Service report, the crash occurred the morning of March 20, 2014 at the intersection of Bushard Street and Rose Avenue. Police say a Volvo sedan was southbound on Bushard when the bicyclist entered the street from the west curb line of Bushard north of Rose Avenue. The driver of the Volvo remained at the scene and the boy was transported to an area hospital where he remains in critical condition.

Officials do not believe alcohol or drugs played a part. Anyone who saw this incident is asked to contact police at 714-593-4484. Our thoughts and prayers are with this critically injured teenager who is apparently fighting for his life. We wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Continue reading →

James Mitchell Waller, a former Westminster police chief and city manager, was killed in a bicycle accident in Laguna Beach June 28, 2013. According to The Laguna Beach Patch, Waller and his friend, Kevin Beach, were riding southbound toward the city on Laguna Canyon Road. California Highway Patrol officials say the collision occurred in the long, open stretch of the highway south of the 405 Freeway and north of the 73 toll road when a 25-year-old woman driving a Toyota Corolla swerved and struck them.
Continue reading →

Michael Valenzuela, 18, was killed in a bicycle crash in Palmdale after a school bus struck his bike. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, the fatal collision occurred the afternoon of March 25, 2013 at the intersection of East Avenue R and 55th Street East in Palmdale. Officials say Valenzuela was riding his bike across the street to soccer practice when he was hit by the school bus carrying 47 kindergarten through eighth grade children from a local school. Valenzuela was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. No one in the bus was injured. Friends described Valenzuela as a soccer aficionado who was friendly and funny.

Bicycle Crashes

The California Highway Patrol’s 2010 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) data shows that were no fatalities, but 23 injuries reported as a result of bicycle accidents in Palmdale. In Los Angeles County, 25 people died and 4,201 were injured due to bicycle collisions during the same year.

Eric Billings, 54, was killed in an Orange County bicycle crash after, officials say, a car struck him while he was riding in the bike lane. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal collision occurred the evening of March 15, 2013 on Santa Margarita Parkway between El Toro Road and Los Alisos Boulevard in Mission Viejo.

Police say Hast Fakhrai-Bayrooti, 39, was driving the 2003 Acura that struck Billings who was riding in the bike lane. It is not known if any citations were issued. Billings has been described as a beloved member of the community, a deeply spiritual man and a mentor to teens and young adults in the community.

Bicycle Collisions

A 20-year-old man was fatally injured in a bicycle accident after he was struck by a vehicle at a street intersection. According to a news article in The Orange County Register, the incident occurred at the intersection of Knott and La Palma avenues, the evening of November 5, 2012. Police say the man died from his injuries at a local hospital. The male driver of the vehicle that hit the bicyclist was also transported to a hospital with minor injuries. Investigators are looking into whether the driver or the bicyclist had the right-of-way. Anyone who saw this accident is asked to contact Buena Park police at 714-562-3940.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family members and friends of this deceased victim. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved this man.

Bicycle Accident Statistics

September 25, 2012–San Diego, CA–According to CBS News, a triathlete was riding his bicycle last Sunday when he was struck by a vehicle and subsequently died of the injuries sustained. The bicycle accident threw the victim to the ground and caused him to sustain significant trauma.
Continue reading →

Catherine Ritz, 57, of Irvine, was killed in a Newport Beach car accident after she was struck by a pickup truck whose driver fled the scene. According to a news account in The Newport Beach Patch, the fatal bicycle accident occurred the morning of September 15, 2012 on Newport Coast Drive, between Ocean Vista Drive and Vista Ridge Drive. Police say Ritz was riding her bike north on Newport Coast Drive when a black pickup truck hit her from behind. The driver of the truck did not stop and was last seen going northbound on Newport Coast Drive. Ritz was taken to an area hospital in critical condition and succumbed to her injuries.

Police are still looking for the hit-and-run driver. The suspect vehicle has been described as a black, full-sized pickup truck, possibly a 2001 to 2004 Toyota Tacoma with significant damage to the right front area of the vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to contact Newport Beach Traffic Investigator Eric Little at 949-644-3746 or email him at elittle@nbpd.org.
Continue reading →