Tag: cyclist fatality

PHX bike ambassador dies after getting hit by drunk driver

Aug 20, 2021

Hans Hughes was very seriously injured last month after being struck at a downtown Phoenix intersection (1st and Filmore). He subsequently succumbed to injuries. Police say a drunk driver ran a red light, striking the bicyclist, and then fled the scene. He was later arrested…

This is fishy; where is the media and why don’t they ask questions?? “The identity of the suspect was not released” (KTAR). As of late September 24th??!! wtf? These are very serious criminal accusations, felony hit-and-run and (likely) manslaughter (blowing a red light and kill someone is also a misdemeanor);  someone has been arrested, why the secrecy? Continue reading “PHX bike ambassador dies after getting hit by drunk driver”

Hit and run driver kills bicyclist in West Phoenix

8/31/2021 6pm hit and run driver kills bicyclist Mark Tohe in laveen (west Phoenix). Baseline road near 75th Ave. For whatever reason, police have released virtually no details. No descriptions… “Phoenix police said they are conducting an investigation into the incident and are looking for the driver, who fled before police arrived.”

Azcentral

Bicyclist dead along Alma School; pickup driver arrested

6/9/2021 ~ 2:30AM Alma School near Galveston, Chandler, AZ

Police say that the hit-and-run suspect vehicle is a Dodge Ram, found nearby, and arrested 48-year-old Ryan Sean Pereira. The dead bicyclist was identified as 40-year-old Joseph Theodore Kowalczyk

Continue reading “Bicyclist dead along Alma School; pickup driver arrested”

Police ID truck driver accused of killing 1 bicyclist, injuring 4 more in Flagstaff

5/28/2021 ~ 7PM. The driver of a tow truck struck a group of six cyclists at the intersection of Butler and Beaver, Flagstaff. The driver was arrested; presumably because police say at the time he ran a red light, while the group of bicyclists was proceeding on a green. One bicyclist, Joanne Wheaton, was killed, and four or five others were injured. Continue reading “Police ID truck driver accused of killing 1 bicyclist, injuring 4 more in Flagstaff”

Cyclist killed on McDowell Mnt Rd; driver flees; suspect arrested

5/25/2021 6:30AM. McDowell Mountain Road near milepost 2 (here is a random spot on that road). Bicyclist killed after being struck by a driver who fled the scene. Suspect vehicle is this heavily damaged Toyota pickup truck; and the driver was arrested. Continue reading “Cyclist killed on McDowell Mnt Rd; driver flees; suspect arrested”

Man on bicycle killed in hit-and-run CC Drive in Mesa

5/4/2021 “shortly after midnight”. Not much to go on here. No vehicle description…

A driver southbound on Country Club near Eighth Ave, Mesa struck and killed a bicyclist. The driver left the scene. Continue reading “Man on bicycle killed in hit-and-run CC Drive in Mesa”

Tempe woman killed at Mill and Baseline in hit-run; suspect arrested

Crash Friday evening around 7:30PM, 4/2/2021. Tempe police say a driver of a pickup towing a trailer made a left northbound Mill turning onto westbound Baseline collided with a 41 y.o. female bicycle. She was dragged to her death, and the driver fled the scene. Police arrested a suspect, Raul Meza Portillo, around 1AM at his home. That he was held on suspicion of 2nd degree murder, as well as leaving the scene indicate police believe he both was intoxicated at the time, and caused the crash.

Continue reading “Tempe woman killed at Mill and Baseline in hit-run; suspect arrested”

Bicyclist killed in crosswalk collision w/motorcyclist

3/27/2021 (?) (time?) occurred at a crosswalk NEAR of 24th and Thomas, that is a signalized intersection.  Interesting choice of language police say the bicyclist was in a crosswalk at the time of the collision, “but it is unknown if the crosswalk was activated“.

I was wrong about it being at the intersection, now the “activated” term makes sense: the crash happened at the crosswalk at the western canal crossing of 24th Street,(the street views are presently out of date, showing construction which has since been competed) which has some sort of bike/ped signal that is activated by pushing a button; see comment below.

Continue reading “Bicyclist killed in crosswalk collision w/motorcyclist”

Driver veers into Scottsdale Bike Lane; kills woman and injures man

2/18/2021 One bicyclist was killed and another injured and taken to hospital when a driver “veered” into a BL along Legacy Blvd, near scottsdale Road,  Scottsdale (here’s a sample google street view of the area; location not exact). Continue reading “Driver veers into Scottsdale Bike Lane; kills woman and injures man”

Fatal Bicycle collision mid-town Tucson

8/8/2020 ~ 10PM. Fatal collision along the 3300 block of E Grant Road near Northway (east of Country Club Road). The name of the bicyclist was not released.

“…it was determined the bicyclist was traveling eastbound on Grant Road in the middle multi-use turn lane.It appears the bicyclist veered into the eastbound median lane and was struck from behind by a …”

For crash categorization purposes in FARS, this will likely be  an unsafe lane change by bicyclist (in other words, it’s not a motorist overtaking / strike from behind).

Tangentially related, in the footer of the TPD press release, they always place a traffic fatality summary for City of Tucson comparing current year to previous year period. The number of vehicle (so enclosed vehicle occupants) and motorcyclist is shockingly high year-over-year. Up 200% … can that be? (11 vs. 36). Peds fatals are down a good bit, bicyclist fatals are flat.

Continue reading “Fatal Bicycle collision mid-town Tucson”

Double fatality in Glendale on Thunderbird

Sunday 7/12/2020 ~ 7:30pm, Near 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road double bicyclist fatality in a crash.

In a news report nearly devoid of any details other than approximate time and location; no updates as of mid-day.   Glendale Police apparently released some details, including the names of the persons killed, that were reported MOnday afternoon. This describes a right-angle collision at the intersection of 52nd and Thunderbird, the bicycle was southbound on 52nd and was struck after presumably failing to yield by a westbound motorist on Thunderbird.

This area is near ASU West campus; that corner is heavily commercial. Sunset was 7:39PM.

Continue reading “Double fatality in Glendale on Thunderbird”

Bicyclist dies while “crossing midblock” 19th ave / Bethany Home

5/27/2020 ~ 4AM. A male bicyclist was “crossing midblock” on Bethany Home Road near 19th Ave, Phoenix when he was struck by a west bound driver.

I-17 is about a mile west of there. It’s a heavily commercial area. “Crossing midblock” implies pedestrian behavior.

Continue reading “Bicyclist dies while “crossing midblock” 19th ave / Bethany Home”

3 y.o. Glendale boy killed by hit and run driver

5/21/2020 ~ 1PM Hit and run driver of Jeep killed 3 y.o. Carson, who was riding in a trailer pulled by father. Carson’s mother was also injured.

Collin Jones arrested by Glendale PD

The family was north on the eastside (that’s an odd way to describe it; it appears to describe the group was cycling “in the direction of traffic”) of 70th Avenue, just north of Villa Theresa Drive, when a vehicle heading south ran over the bike trailer.

This is a wholly residential area.

Continue reading “3 y.o. Glendale boy killed by hit and run driver”

Female bicyclist killed in Picture Rocks crash

4/1/2020 6:37pm According to a tucson.com news report, a female bicyclist was seriously injured in a  crash. (The datafile lists it as a fatal collision meaning she died sometime later; i was unaware of the crash at the time, although it was briefly reported on in the news media. It showed up quickly in the crashfile,  only 1 week after the incident which is somewhat unusual for a fatality / serious injury crash. Continue reading “Female bicyclist killed in Picture Rocks crash”

Killed in bike lane by distracted driver

Stock photo of distracted driver in Chandler who caused death (photo: Sky12)

5/9/2020 victim Ed Rockland

According to a public post on Ed Rockland’s facebook , Ed’s wife Carole made this announcement “This morning Ed and I were riding our bikes safely in a bike lane when he was struck from behind by a driver checking his cellphone”.

I’m guessing from the post that there were no other serious injuries. Continue reading “Killed in bike lane by distracted driver”