California Injury Blog

A Newport Beach car accident that occurred the morning of December 9, 2009 has injured a bicyclist, according to The Orange County Register. The accident was reportedly caused by a hit-and-run driver near the street intersection of Jamboree Road and Bison Avenue. The bicycle rider, who was identified only as a man in his mid-40s, has been transported to a local trauma unit, shortly after the bicycle-car collision. The woman motorist involved in this injury crash has since been located by Newport Beach police and arrested for fleeing the scene of the accident. It is not known yet, if other charges have been filed, as the investigation is ongoing.

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Donald Murphy, 49, died as a result of injuries he sustained in a Newport Beach car accident, when he was struck by a driver while riding his bike on northbound Jamboree Road near Ford Road. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, 37-year-old Patricia Ann Izquieta made an "unsafe turning maneuver" before hitting Murphy the morning of December 9, 2009. She then fled the scene of the accident. However, Newport Beach police located Izquieta minutes after the collision and arrested her on suspicion of hit-and-run.

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A man was hospitalized with injuries in a Los Angeles car accident after his bicycle was struck by a vehicle in West Hollywood. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the cyclist was riding south on La Cienega Boulevard after midnight on December 1, 2009, when a vehicle ran into him at Holloway Drive. The extent of the bicyclist's injuries is not known yet. He was taken to an area hospital following the collision. The driver of the vehicle, however, did not stop and fled the scene. Anyone with information about this hit-and-run collision is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at 310-855-8850.

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Miguel Ledezma, 37, was killed in a Riverside car accident after a U.S. Postal Service truck hit the bicycle he was riding. According to a news report in The Press Enterprise, the two vehicles were involved in a head-on crash, which occurred in a left-turn lane that was being shared by traffic from both directions along Florida Avenue. The fatal bicycle accident occurred the night of November 30, 2009 and Ledezma was pronounced dead later that night. Hemet police say the bicycle did have a light, but it was a small flashlight taped to the bike's frame and pointed backward. The mail truck was apparently traveling at about 20 mph.

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Dalia Albert, 26, was seriously injured in an Orange County truck accident after her bicycle crashed into a semi-trailer the afternoon of November 19, 2009. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the big rig, driven by 29-year-old Juan Soto, was in the right lane of eastbound Edinger Avenue in Huntington Beach. He was apparently waiting at the light to turn right on Gothard Street. Albert was riding her bike east in the bike lane when the light turned green. Albert kept riding as the big rig turned right in front of her, Huntington Beach police said. She sustained several cuts and broken bones in her legs, but is said to be in stable condition. Police are still investigating this injury collision. Anyone who saw this accident is asked to call Huntington Beach Police at 714-536-5666.

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Douglas Justin James Willison, 56, was killed in a San Bernardino car accident after he was hit from behind by a pickup truck in Yucca Valley, The Press Enterprise reports. Willison was riding his bike along the 8100 block of Palomar Avenue the night of November 2, 2009 when he was rear-ended by the pickup truck. Willison died at the scene. San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies are investigating this fatal collision.

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Brock Warmuth, 22, was seriously injured in a Ventura County car accident after his bicycle was struck by a car the morning of October 6, 2009. According to a news report in the Ventura County Star, Warmuth was riding his bicycle east along Bristol Road when a car driven by 48-year-old Cynthia Ginn hit him from behind. Warmuth was thrown off his bike. Ginn did not stop at the scene of the crash. A witness to the hit-and-run car accident followed Ginn while another person stopped and called 911 to help the injured bicyclist. Police arrested Ginn after they saw her passed out behind the wheel of her vehicle. She was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence and felony hit-and-run. Warmuth, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered major injuries and was taken to an area hospital.

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Joseph Novotny, 43, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after he was struck on his bicycle by an alleged drunk driver on Bouquet Canyon Road in the Angeles National Forest, The Signal reports. Two other bicyclists Rigoberto Himenez Jr. and George Munana Jr. sustained injuries that required hospitalization while two other suffered minor injuries. The fatal bicycle accident occurred July 11, 2009 when Marco Valencia, 20, traveling north on Bouquet Canyon, crossed the double yellow lines while making a left turn in the canyon roadway, California Highway Patrol officials said. Valencia's pickup then struck a group of bicyclists including Novotny. After that, he apparently fled the scene of the collision. He also allegedly sideswiped a Hyundai, but the car's driver was uninjured.

Novotny was pronounced dead at the scene. Himenez and Munana were taken to an area hospital. Los Angeles Sheriff's Department officials located Valencia in his 2001 Ford F-150 pickup truck further north along Bouquet Canyon. Valencia is facing several felony charges including murder, driving under the influence causing death and hit-and-run causing death.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Joseph Novotny, who was tragically killed in this bicycle accident. I offer my deepest condolences to them. I also wish the two injured bicyclists the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep them in your prayers. Here was a group of bicyclists doing what they loved to do and they get hit by a guy who was apparently drunk on a Saturday morning. Tragic!

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Car Accident Caused by Drunk Driver Kills Bicycle Rider" »

Rodrigo "Rod" Armas, 45, died in a Los Angeles County bicycle accident after both he and his son were struck by a truck while cycling east along Pacific Coast Highway, the Ventura County Star reports. The hit-and-run bicycle-car crash occurred early morning on June 28, 2009 near the 34000 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Armas and his 14-year-old son were hit by a suspected drunk driver while riding on the shoulder of the highway. Armas died at the scene while his teenage son was taken to the hospital with several broken bones.

The truck driver, 30-year-old Robert Sam Sanchez, fled the scene, but was arrested a short distance away from the accident scene. He was still displaying signs of alcohol intoxication, officials said. Sanchez apparently works for the city of Malibu and lives in Oxnard. It is not clear whether he was on the job or returning from a city event at the time of the fatal Los Angeles car accident. Armas and his son were on their way back to Malibu during the annual 200-mile Los Angeles Wheelmen "Grand Tour" event.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Rod Armas and his young son who is in the hospital with serious injuries. I offer my deepest condolences to Armas' surviving family members, his wife Shelly Armas, his son and two daughters. Please keep this family in your prayers as they go through this difficult time.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Bicycle Accident Kills Dad, Injures Son" »

Local residents in the Tamalpais Valley in the San Francisco area are crying out for better bicycle safety after 26-year-old Claire Diepenbrock suffered horrific injuries in a bicycle accident on May 26, 2009. According to a news report in the Marin Independent Journal, Diepenbrock was injured after she was hit by two cars while riding her bicycle in the busy stretch of Highway 1 near Tam junction. This roadway has apparently been the subject of numerous calls for speed limit signs and wider shoulders by community members over the years who believe a dangerous roadway condition exists on this roadway.

Community activists and local groups have been re-energized by Claire Diepenbrock's bicycle accident and resulting injuries. Many have sent out letters seeking changes to local politicians as well the as the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Diepenbrock suffered multiple fractures to her skull, jaw, cheekbones and ribs, a broken clavicle and punctured lung. Doctors are still assessing the extent of her brain injuries and possible brain damage. However, she is said to be improving.

My heart goes out to the injured victim Claire Diepenbrock and her family members who are reeling from the shock of her terrible injuries. I hope and pray that she makes a complete recovery.

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David Sotelo, 41, who suffered major personal injuries in a Whittier bicycle accident May 28, 2009, still remains in critical condition, the Whittier Daily News reports. California Highway Patrol officials recently contradicted an earlier report that had assigned fault for the car collision and are still looking into who may have been at fault for this bicycle accident. Sotelo was personally injured in the bicycle crash on Norwalk Boulevard north of Wadell Street. He was taken to an area hospital where he remains in critical condition.

CHP officials say the car-bike crash occurred as Sotelo was traveling southbound on Norwalk Boulevard in the northbound lane. He was traveling the wrong way. Sotelo then veered into the path of a Toyota RAV4 heading north. There were parked cars on the street and it seemed as if the bicyclist was trying to maneuver his way around the parked cars, officials said. The 56-year-old Whittier woman who was driving the SUV was not injured or cited.

My heart goes out to David Sotelo, who suffered critical injuries in this Los Angeles SUV-bicycle accident. I'm relieved that he did not suffer fatal injuries. I hope and pray that he makes a speedy and complete recovery.

According to California Highway Patrol's 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there was one fatal bicycle accident and 26 injuries involving bicycle accidents reported in Whittier. In Los Angeles County, in 2007, 27 deaths and 2,902 injuries were reported as a result of bicycle accidents.

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A Buena Park bicycle accident took the life of a young bicycle rider. Heather Elizabeth Azkoul, 31, of Anaheim who had two prior drunk driving convictions, has been found guilty of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit-and-run for crashing into and killing bicyclist, 41-year-old Virginia Cordier on January 23, 2007. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, Azkoul had a blood alcohol level of 0.18 -- more than twice the legal limit -- almost 90 minutes after the Buena Park car-bike accident that killed Cordier.

Azkoul was apparently speeding in her 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass in the southbound lanes of Beach Boulevard near Knott's Berry Farm when she rear-ended Cordier's bicycle. Azkoul reportedly had two drunk driving convictions prior to this accident -- in 2002 and 2004. She drove away after striking Cordier, but was apprehended by police after a tow truck driver spotted her. Personal injury attorneys defending Azkoul argued that Cordier was riding her bicycle in the darkness without lights or reflectors and that Azkoul did not cause the bike-car accident. But the jury didn't buy it. Azkoul faces 20 years to life in state prison.

I'm glad that Cordier's family has received the justice they deserve after waiting for three years in this case. I'm also glad the jury did not believe the defense's argument that Azkoul, who was speeding and driving under the influence (at more than twice the legal limit), did not cause this fatal Orange County bicycle accident. I hope Azkoul is also held civilly responsible for Cordier's death.

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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.

Continue reading "Orange County Bicycle Accident Critically Injures 12-year-old Boy" »

An anonymous donor has apparently offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a hit-and-run driver who struck and killed 55-year-old Patrick Shannon in a Anaheim car-bicycle accident the afternoon of April 24, 2009. Shannon was a 10-year employee of the Anaheim Marriott and had been riding north on South West Street when he was struck from behind by a Chevrolet El Camino. The driver left the scene of the car accident leaving Shannon unconscious and on the street with severe head injuries.

Shannon was taken to an area hospital where he died of his personal injuries two days after the Anaheim bicycle accident. Minutes after that fatal bicycle accident, Anaheim police found the El Camino with a shattered front windshield abandoned in bushes not far from the scene of the car-bike accident. Like many Orange County residents Shannon had just started commuting to work by bicycle because his doctor had told him to get more exercise. If you have any information about the hit-and-run driver or this accident, please call Anaheim police investigators at 714-765-1900.

I offer my deepest sympathies to everybody who knew and loved Patrick Shannon. I can only imagine the grief they must be going through not only because they have lost a loved one but because the hit-and-run driver who struck him is still at large. It's hard to understand how someone could seriously injure a person and then leave him or her for dead on the street. I hope this hit-and-run suspect is apprehended and brought to justice.

Continue reading "Anaheim Car-Bicycle Accident Kills Man in Hit-and-Run Incident" »

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.

Continue reading "Los Angeles County Bicycle Accident Caused By Drunk Driver" »

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.

Continue reading "Seattle Washington Bicycle Accident Attorneys: King County Will Pay $3.5 Million to Brain-Injured Bicyclist " »

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.

Continue reading "Tour of California Continues After Initial Crash and Rough Start" »

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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