A 29-year-old man was killed earlier this month on an overpass above I-805 in San Diego, California, while riding his bicycle. The first of three cars that hit him, a Ford Expedition, fled the scene. The third car that made contact with the bicyclist ended up on top of him.
The details of the accident are still sketchy. The section of the road where the bicycle accident occurred does not have a bike line. The bicyclist’s body was in the area of the road where he was supposed to be riding; however, police said they do not know if that’s where he had been when the first car hit him or if his body ended up there after the accident.
Regardless of the man’s exact location on the road, drivers have a responsibility to be aware of bicycles on the road. Weather conditions were good at the time of the accident, so right now police do not know why the SUV would have hit the man. It could have been due to inattentive driving on the part of the SUV driver, but until he or she comes forward with information, it will be a mystery.
For his part, the cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. However, the impact was so severe that the helmet was destroyed as a result of the impact. Bicyclists are common in the San Diego area, and should take safety precautions as best they can. However, when injuries occur as a result of negligent drivers, an experienced attorney can help to seek compensation on behalf of an injured bicyclist.
Source: NBC San Diego, “Witnesses Sought in Fatal Hit-and-Run Bike Accident,” Lauren Steussy, March 28, 2012
