Chula Vista Bicycle Rider Killed While on Nationwide Bike Trek

A memorial service is scheduled on Saturday for a Chula Vista man killed on June 21, 2009, during a cross-country bike tour in order to protest government bailouts. The suspect thought to have killed the biker was a drunk driver in Illinois who left the scene of the car crash and was later arrested.

The fatal bicycle accident of Chula Vista resident Jim Gafney, 65, is mourned by his wife Nancy, three daughters, and a large extended family, who had asked him not to take part in the tour, although he was a seasoned bike rider. Gafney was apparently incredibly determined to make his voice heard on the bailouts, which he worries will affect his future generations in a very negative way, and his family hopes that his mission will not be lost but instead, that his death would help carry on his mission and echo his voice.

Gafney was a former Navy man and retired computer engineer who had worked at Camp Pendleton. He had left Chula Vista for his bike across the country on April 27 and was on U.S. Route 50, about 60 miles east of St Louis when, just before 1 a.m. he was struck from behind by a 1997 Nissan Altima being driven by a 27-year-old man suspected to be drunk, according to Illinois State Police. The driver was arrested shortly thereafter by an officer for speeding when they noticed the damage to his car. He told state troopers that he had been driving over a hill and saw Gafney but was not able to stop or avoid hitting him, according to Master Sgt. Chris Trame. Trame notes that the road on which the Chula Vista biker died was just a two-lane roadway with no shoulder, an area that was very isolated and not well lit. The driver is facing charges that include aggravated driving under the influence and leaving the scene of the accident.…

Bicyclist Killed in San Diego Bike Accident

A 22-year-old man was killed late on the night of June 19, 2009, while riding his bicycle in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. The county’s Medical Examiner’s Office identified 22-year-old Jonathon R. Ramirez as the victim in this tragic San Diego fatal bike accident.

After being hit, Ramirez was rushed to a hospital where he died from head and neck injuries on Saturday morning, as reported by the Medical Examiner’s Office.…

Teen Bicyclist Struck in Escondido Bicyclist Accident

An Escondido teenage boy was struck and injured in a North San Diego County car accident on June 15, 2011, around 12:36 p.m. at Grand Avenue and Rose Street. According to Escondido Police Officials, an 84-year-old elderly man, driving a Chrysler Town & Country van, made a wide turn into Grand Avenue, climbed the sidewalk, hit a traffic pole, and finally came to halt after slamming into the side of the building. The boy was waiting on his bicycle next to the pole when he was hit.

The bicyclist suffered serious injuries and was immediately transported to Rady Children’s Hospital for treatment. From the available information, it is clear that the 84-year-old driver made too wide of a turn and caused this bicycle accident. This leads us to question his driving abilities.

The investigating officers need to determine whether the driver was speeding, distracted, or was talking on the cell phone when this accident occurred. It would be in the best interest of bicyclist’s family members to seek counsel from a North San Diego County bike accident lawyer to know about their legal rights and options.

The bicyclist crash attorney would assure that the at-fault is held liable for the damage and help the victim’s family members obtain timely compensation to cover treatment, medical costs, hospitalization expenses, and other accident-related expenses.

Our personal injury law office sincerely hopes that the injuries suffered by the boy heal soon.…

Hit and Run Driver Injures Encinitas Bicycle Rider

A woman on a bicycle coming home from a bar on the morning of June 12, 2009, in Encinitas was severely injured when she was hit by a van. The victim and her girlfriend were riding their bikes home on southbound Pacific Coast Highway 101 near Chesterfield Drive when the victim was struck.

The van’s driver was driving an older tan colored box-shaped van. He initially got out of his vehicle and told the victim’s girlfriend that he would move his van to a safer location and return to help, but he never did. The sergeant reports that the man was last seen driving towards Solana Beach. Paramedics that arrived on the scene took the victim to Scripps La Jolla Hospital for treatment.…

Ventura County Bicycle Accident Involving SUV Leaves Camarillo Man Dead

76-year-old Camarillo resident John H. Dillingham Jr. was killed in a Ventura County bicycle accident that occurred on June 11, 2011, around 1:15 p.m. on Pleasant Valley Road. According to California Highway Patrol Sgt. Bob Granieri, Dillingham was attempting to make a turn onto Freedom Park Drive when he accidentally veered into the eastbound lane and was struck by an SUV driven by 63-year-old Oxnard local Eva Labrador.

Dillingham was immediately transported to Ventura County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead two hours later. An investigation is under process. Though the victim mistakenly rode into the wrong lane, the driver failed to see the victim and safely move her car away. The investigating officers need to determine whether Labrador was speeding or distracted. If Labrador is at fault, then she may be held liable for Dillingham’s wrongful death.

Dillingham’s family members should immediately seek counsel from a Ventura County bicycle accident lawyer to obtain timely compensation to cover funeral and burial expenses, loss of love and companionship, and other accident-related damages.

Our law office offers sincere condolences to all those who knew and loved John H. Dillingham for such a heart breaking loss.…

Boy Hit in Encinitas Bicycle Accident Dies from Injuries

An Encinitas boy who was struck by a motor vehicle while riding his bicycle more than two weeks ago is now dead, as reported by the Medical Examiner’s Office. The 11-year-old boy, Robert Franklin Thompson, had been on life support since his May 6 accident at Rady’s Children’s Hospital, and passed away Friday at 3:30 p.m.

The boy had been on a motorized “pocket bike”, which resembles a small scooter but can go up to 15 mph. He had been crossing the 1000 block of Double LL Ranch Road, a private, gated road in Olivenhain, when this fatal San Diego area accident took place. Witnesses reported to San Diego police that the boy was coming out of a driveway and went directly into the path on the oncoming car. The sheriff’s report had no indication of excessive speed or alcohol being involved with the accident.…

Boy Killed in Encinitas Bicycle Accident

An 11 year-old boy in Encinitas was hospitilized with serious injuries after being hit by a car while riding an electric pocket bike, according to authorities.

According to witnesses, the child rode into the path of a car from a driveway, onto the 1000 block of Double LL Ranch Road on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after 4:30 p.m., as informed by Sgt. Randy Webb of San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. While the child’s name and medical condition have not been released, it is known that he was flown to Rady’s Children’s Hospital. There is no evidence supporting the idea that drugs or alcohol played a role in the San Diego bicycle accident.…

Teen Suffers Head Injury After Del Mar Bicycle Crash

Sgt. Jack Reynolds of the Encinitas Sheriff’s Station reported that a 14-year-old child was flown to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego as a precaution after crashing his bicycle into a car in Del Mar. The accident happened this last Saturday morning when the bicyclist T-boned his head and hit his head on the ground. He was not wearing a helmet and as a consequence suffered a laceration to the back of the head. You can read more about this Del Mar bicycle accident in this North County Times story.

The bicyclist was unconscious after the crash but was speaking and moving his hands and feet as he was being prepared for the flight to the hospital by paramedics. No information was reported from the hospital but according to the Encinitas Sheriff’s station, the incident was listed as a minor injury accident. The driver of the car was not found to be at fault.…

SDSU Students Create “Ghost Bike” In Honor of Slain Cyclist

Members of San Diego State University’s student organization The Bike Stand and fellow students recently created a “ghost bike” in memory of a bicyclist killed in a car-bicycle crash at the intersection of Collwood and Montezuma streets near campus, not far from where the fatal accident occurred.

A “ghost bike” is a bicycle painted white and chained near the area in which a bicyclist lost his or her life in an accident. Along with flowers and other markers, it serves as a memorial, as well as a visible warning to motorists to pay attention, share the road, and avoid injuring or killing another person on a bicycle.

The ghost bike honors the memory of a man killed in a bicycle accident on Montezuma earlier this month. Although the SDSU students did not know the man personally, they rallied to create a memorial because they have first-hand experience with the dangers of navigating the area on bicycle and the need to remind drivers to share the road and take care around bicyclists. Students and other area bicyclists have also begun lobbying City Hall and taking other steps to get traffic-quieting measures implementing on Montezuma and surrounding streets.

Our skilled San Diego bicycle accident attorneys have represented many injured cyclists and their families after an accident. We have the legal resources and courtroom experience to help you get the compensation you need. For a free, confidential consultation by telephone, call our office today.…

Teen Bicyclist Dies In Los Angeles Hit-And-Run Auto Accident

Alex Romero, 17, suffered fatal injuries in a Los Angeles bicycle accident that occurred on April 20, 2011, about 9 p.m. in the right lane of De Soto Avenue. According to Officer Rosario Herrera, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department, Alex Romero was riding his bike on the far right lane of De Soto when a gray Toyota Corolla rear-ended his bicycle. Romero was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

The death of a young member of the family is devastating. If I were a member of his family, I would want to know how this accident took place. Who was at fault? Did the Toyota driver do enough to prevent the accident? Was he driving under influence of drugs or alcohol? If my daughter or brother had lost his life due to someone else’s negligence, I would go to any extent to ensure that the guilty were punished and that my family received maximum compensation for the loss of life—money that could be used to help family members grieve or fulfill something positive.

It would be wise for Romero’s family to seek counsel from an experienced Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer to learn about their legal right and options, even if they ultimately decide not to file a claim. As family members of the deceased, they might be able to obtain compensation to pay for funeral and burial costs, loss of future earnings, loss of love and companionship, and other accident-related damages.

Our law office offers our sincere condolences to all those who knew and loved Romero for their tragic loss.…