# Santa Clarita Velo fatality



## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

A morning drunk driver ran into today's club ride. Unbelievable. 

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/15474/


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

FUBAR.

I've been wanting to ride up there, too.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Terrible.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

DrRoebuck said:


> FUBAR.
> 
> I've been wanting to ride up there, too.


I'd recommend driving out there to ride. Riding up over the Old Road / Sierra Hwy (near 5 & 14 junction) is one of the more terrifying experiences I've ever had on a bike; cars hauling ass and a white line for a shoulder. 

That said, I'd go do some Little T / Bear Divide / Camp 9 climbing with ya :thumbsup: 

HW

// grew up in SCV.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Hollywood said:


> I'd recommend driving out there to ride. Riding up over the Old Road / Sierra Hwy (near 5 & 14 junction) is one of the more terrifying experiences I've ever had on a bike; cars hauling ass and a white line for a shoulder.
> 
> That said, I'd go do some Little T / Bear Divide / Camp 9 climbing with ya :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


I've done Old Road/Sierra Highway a few times with the SFVBC. It's dicey, but honestly not as bad as PCH south of Malibu. On one ride, we actually made it out to Vasquez Rocks (or was it Red Rocks?). 

Santiago Canyon(?)...yeah I'm full of question marks....is a beautiful, wild desert ride above the railroad tracks. Little Tujunga can get mega-hot, but Bear Divide (try sayin' that Slim Pickens style) has a fantabulous view when the weather is clear. If there's a relatively cool weekend...say with the highs in the low 90's, I'd be willing to give it a go with you.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Man, this totally bites.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

*more info*

updated:

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/15532/


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## grrlyrida (Aug 3, 2006)

This is so sad. I say it on Channel 7 news. I was up riding there in April. Perfect for cycling. Not a lot of vehicle traffic when I was there on a Saturday.

We just had a cycling fatality involving a drunk driver in Malibu last month. I hate @#$% drunk drivers.


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## grrlyrida (Aug 3, 2006)

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6913321


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

grrlyrida said:


> We just had a cycling fatality involving a drunk driver in Malibu last month. I hate @#$% drunk drivers.


It makes me crazy that the focus still reverts to "cyclists on the roads", and drunk driving is kinda shrugged off by our society. Where's the outrage? The changing laws? The death penalty? Scare the sh*t out of people and these incidents will start to disappear. Hopefully.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Hollywood said:


> updated:
> 
> http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/15532/


that's just awful.

in my last two rides I have had three drivers almost sideswipe me. you saw the first two on saturday. I had another one today. what's with these people!


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

grrlyrida said:


> http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6913321


Excellent report by KABC! Very moving interviews, facts as to bike v motor vehicle accidents, cyclists treated deferentially.

JSR


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## grrlyrida (Aug 3, 2006)

Hollywood said:


> It makes me crazy that the focus still reverts to "cyclists on the roads", and drunk driving is kinda shrugged off by our society. Where's the outrage? The changing laws? The death penalty? Scare the sh*t out of people and these incidents will start to disappear. Hopefully.


I know what you're saying. After last month's fatality, the comments in latimes blamed the victim for being out on a bike at 1:30 am. They even accused him of being a poor parent for having his kid out there too, even though they had lights and were riding on the shoulder. They forgot to show any outrage for the drunk who left the scene.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

this just in - 

the driver had a prior. And he's still not legally old enough to drink. Awesome.

http://scvtalk.com/2009/07/13/not-the-first-time-accused-murderer-struck-in-the-scv/


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

grrlyrida said:


> I know what you're saying. After last month's fatality, the comments in latimes blamed the victim for being out on a bike at 1:30 am. They even accused him of being a poor parent for having his kid out there too, even though they had lights and were riding on the shoulder. They forgot to show any outrage for the drunk who left the scene.


A few years ago a couple of LaGrange cyclists were killed by a food truck driver on PCH. He plowed them because he didn't want to risk injuring his wife, who was cooking in the back while he was driving (illegal).

The response by the Sheriff's Dept? Crack down on cyclists riding two abreast.

Unfvckingbelievable.

Meanwhile, I went for one of my late-night rides last night; PCH to Sunset and back to Brentwood. I was definitely more jittery than usual.


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## grrlyrida (Aug 3, 2006)

DrRoebuck said:


> A few years ago a couple of LaGrange cyclists were killed by a food truck driver on PCH. He plowed them because he didn't want to risk injuring his wife, who was cooking in the back while he was driving (illegal).
> 
> The response by the Sheriff's Dept? Crack down on cyclists riding two abreast.
> 
> ...


Be careful out there Dr. Roe. That's pretty good mileage in a busy section of town. I was jittery in broad daylight on PCH I can only imagine what it's like a night when people are leaving bars.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

grrlyrida said:


> Be careful out there Dr. Roe. That's pretty good mileage in a busy section of town. I was jittery in broad daylight on PCH I can only imagine what it's like a night when people are leaving bars.


The good thing is I go late enough that there are few cars on the road, and I can hear them from a mile away.

The bad thing is that of the cars on the road, there's probably a higher percentage of shitfaced drivers.

Seriously, if they made first offense for DUI a mandatory 5-year prison sentence, with an extra year tacked on for every 1/10th of over the limit the driver is, wouldn't that pretty much eliminate the 90% of the problem?


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## nagatahawk (Jun 14, 2007)

This is sad news, I also saw it on KABC news. It took several broadcast before I allowed myself to watch the segment. 

Our managing partner was also killed on his early AM Saturday ride by a drunken driver on the wrong side of the road head on. He was a bicycle advocate and promoted rides at firm functions. It appears we are losing our best best and the drunks continue on killing people. Our society tolerates drinking because almost everyone drinks. Its a scarey thought.


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## nagatahawk (Jun 14, 2007)

I have had so many close calls that I now drive to the bike path then ride. Most of my friends have either been hit and almost killed or been very close to being hit. I also try to go with group on Sunday rides, sadly drunks can plow into groups and take everyone out at one time.

I may start mt. biking again. No cars on the trials are a good thing.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

*update: arraigned*

27 years to life, held on $1.3 mil bail.

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/15592/ 

a sweet bit of justice amid the tragedy.


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Hollywood said:


> 27 years to life, held on $1.3 mil bail.
> 
> http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/15592/
> 
> a sweet bit of justice amid the tragedy.


Charged only. Hasn't been convicted yet.

They always charge with the highest possible crimes; the defense can (and no doubt will) plea it down.

(Or even plead not guilty.)


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## FatGut1 (Dec 16, 2008)

Well the state can't take care of their own problems let alone the drunk drivers. I live in Silver Lake and see them all the time. The only way LAPD will stop is if you TC your car into a building.

The police would rather give rolling stop tickets to cyclists than enforce the drunk drivers.
It is absolutley mind numbing that bs that goes on out there towards cyclists, like the one's that got shot at last week. God forbid a rider aggressively pursues the driver you are now the one charged with assault.


My prayers to the family and the Santa Clarita riding community.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

Okay, I'm on the verge of losing faith in all motorists. I am also one and a cyclist. I have a share the road frame on my van as a reminder to other motorists and I love driving by cyclist when cycthere are cars behind me. It seems that the motorist behind me may actually be showing courtesy to riders after reading it. Whether or not it's the frame or the fact these could just be motorist who normally show courtesy to cyclists, it doesn't matter. I'm seeing them showing courtesy at that moment. That sways meback to the possibility that thjeir are caring considerate people. Then you hear about something like this. It's a tragedy and noone can deny that, but the comments on the LA Times article are simply outrageous!


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## 7.62 (Oct 13, 2006)

That was really sad to hear. That @ss should get tortured.

I've ridden to Elizabeth Lake Rd a number of times, but by way of San Francisquito.. Bouquet looked a bit too sketchy for me with the traffic.


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## 7.62 (Oct 13, 2006)

Mapei said:


> Little Tujunga can get mega-hot, but Bear Divide (try sayin' that Slim Pickens style) has a fantabulous view when the weather is clear. If there's a relatively cool weekend...say with the highs in the low 90's, I'd be willing to give it a go with you.


That's a nice rice ride. I agree it can get pretty hot..


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