Bicyclist from Whittier badly injured in collision with bus in Azusa


AZUSA >> A bicyclist from Whittier suffered major injuries in a collision involving a Foothill Transit Bus in Azusa on Friday, officials said.
The collision took place about 6 p.m. in the 300 block of South Azusa Avenue, just south of the 210 Freeway, Azusa police Sgt. Robert Landeros said in a written statement.
Rescuers flew the injured bicyclist, a 33-year-old Whittier man, to a trauma center by helicopter for treatment, he said. He was listed in “critical-but-stable” condition.
“The cause of this collision is still under investigation by the Azusa Police Department Traffic Bureau,” Landeros said.
No further details were available Saturday.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Azusa police at 626-812-3200.

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Deputies team up to replace bike stolen from man with Down Syndrome in San Dimas

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SAN DIMAS >> Joel “Joey” Gutierrez has been riding the same bicycle through the streets of San Dimas every day for 20 years.
Each morning, he dons his headphones, sings his favorite songs and goes for a ride around the neighborhood, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Andy Berg said.
“Riding his bike and singing is his daily routine and it brings him great joy,” Berg said of Gutierrez, 41, who has Down Syndrome. “The victim is well liked by everyone in the neighborhood.
So when two opportunistic thieves stole Gutierrez’s black and white BMX-style bicycle from his garage in the 1000 block of Sherwood Court about 10 a.m. Saturday following his daily ride, that didn’t sit well with the deputy who took the report, or his colleagues.
“Once the handling deputy realized the significance of the stolen bike, he and his
patrol partners from San Dimas Station jumped into action,” Berg said. “Within two hours deputies pooled their money, contacted Incycle (Bicycles), San Dimas, and purchased a new bike.”
Deputies cheerfully presented the new bike to Gutierrez and his father Saturday afternoon in the lobby of the sheriff’s station.
Neighbors reported seeing two male thieves leave Gutierrez garage with his bike and flee the neighborhood in a newer-model, white car.
Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s San Dimas Station at 909-450-2700.

PHOTOS courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

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Baldwin Park man fatally struck by car near home identified


BALDWIN PARK >> Coroner’s officials Friday released the identity of a 30-year-old Baldwin Park man who was fatally struck by a car while riding his bike near his home late Thursday.
James Hernandez died in the 9:23 p.m. collision at Baldwin Park Boulevard and La Rica Avenue, according to Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations at the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. He lived just around the corner from the crash scene on La Rica Avenue.
He was riding a bicycle across Baldwin Park Boulevard when he was struck by a northbound BMW sedan, Baldwin Park police Lt. Mark Adams said.
Paramedics pronounced Hernandez dead at the scene.
The driver of the BMW, a 19-year-old man, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, Adams said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Baldwin Park Police Department’s Traffic Bureau.

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Whittier police plan bike safety crackdown

WHITTIER >> Police are planning a special enforcement campaign Tuesday focused on improving safety for bicyclist, officials said.
During the bicycle safety enforcement operation, officers will conduct special patrols seeking both drivers and bicyclists who make traffic violations, Whittier police officials said in a written statement.
Officials will focus, in particular, on areas that have seen the highest number of bicycle-involved collisions.
Whittier police have investigated 113 bicycle collisions involving injury or death over the past three years, according to the statement.
Funding for the campaign is being provided by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, through the California Office of Traffic Safety.

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Bicyclist fatally struck by bus on 10 Freeway in Alhambra identified


ALHAMBRA >> Coroner’s officials Thursday released the name of a 40-year-old man fatally struck by a bus while riding his bike in the carpool lane of the 10 Freeway in Alhambra over the weekend.
Eduardo Castillo died at the scene of the collision, which took place about 4:30 a.m. Sunday on the eastbound 10 Freeway, just west of Garfield Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Medical-Examiner officials said. He was listed as transient, and no hometown was known.
For unknown reasons, Castillo was riding a bicycle in the carpool lane of the freeway when he was struck by a Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority Bus, according to Officer I. Vivas of the California Highway Patrol’s East Los Angeles area office.
No other injuries were reported, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP’s East Los Angeles area office at 323-980-4600.

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Two arrested in Whittier bicycle theft sting

WHITTIER >> In an effort to combat the issue all-too-common crime of bicycle theft, police arrested to alleged thieves who tried to pedal away on bait bicycles left in front of Whittier convenience stores Thursday as part of a sting operation, officials said.
A teenage boy and a man were each arrested without a struggle after they hopped on the seemingly unattended bikes and began riding off, Whittier police Lt. Jay Tatman said.
The first arrest took place about 11:40 a.m. at Circle K, at Beverly Boulevard and Pickering Avenue, Whittier police Lt. Jay Tatman said. The suspect was described as a teenage Whittier boy.
Police arrested a second suspect in the same manner about 4:50 p.m. in front of a 7-Eleven, 12515 Philadelphia Street, the lieutenant said. Arrested was Joseph Martin, 24, of Whittier.
Both suspects were booked on suspicion of possession of stolen property, Tatman said. Martin was released from custody after posting $1,000 bail, records show.

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Torrance man killed in suspect mountain biking accident in forest north of Altadena


ALTADENA >> A 49-year-old Torrance man reported missing while mountain biking in the Angeles National Forest north of Altadena was found dead from an apparent fall Saturday following a 13-hour search, authorities said.
The man’s name was not released Sunday pending notification of his family, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner officials said.
Search and rescue teams searching for the missing man found about 10:30 a.m. Saturday along the Brown Mountain Truck Trail, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Kim Shelton said.
The body was discovered a short distance from the man’s bicycle, and showed signs of trauma consistent with taking a fall from his bike, she said. No crime was initially suspected.
Sheriff’s officials received notification from Torrance police about 9 p.m. Friday that the cell phone of a missing Torrance man had been traces to a popular hiking trailhead north of Altadena, sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
The missing man’s SUV was found in the parking lot of the Millard Canyon Campground, Shelton said.
Officials from the Altadena, Montrose, Sierra Madre, San Dimas, Santa Clarita and Malibu search-and-rescue teams joined in the search, along with Sheriff’s Department helicopters, according to the statement. Additional resources from the California Air National Guard were requested, however the search concluded before they joined the search.
Investigators determined the missing man had started out for a mountain bike ride Friday morning.
Although the missing person was an experienced mountain biker, he was reported to have limited supplies with him, a storm was predicted to come in and there is over 30 miles of trail to search,” according to the sheriff’s department statement.
Searchers handed out fliers with pictures of the missing man and his bicycle, Shelton said.
A hiker told authorities about 10 a.m. that he had seen the bicycle pictured on the flier in a remote area about three miles up the trail, officials said.
Officials quickly located the bike.
“After further searching, a body of a male was discovered,” according to the statement. “Sheriff’s Air Rescue 5 lowered a paramedic and the person was pronounced deceased at approximately 10:30 a.m.”
The investigation is ongoing.

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Mountain biker critically injured in fall in Angeles National Forest

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ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST >> Rescuers rushed a mountain biker to a hospital in critical condition after he was found unconscious after taking a fall in the Angeles National Forest north of La Canada Flintridge Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Members of the Montrose Search and Rescue Team, along with a Los Angeles MTNBIKE2County Sheriff’s Department helicopter, responded after an unconscious bicyclist was discovered about 50 feet over the side of the road near Josephine Saddle shortly after 2 p.m., sheriff’s officials said.
An update on the cyclists condition was not available late Sunday.

PHOTOS: Courtesy, Montrose Search & Rescue Team

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Bicyclist critically injured in fall in Altadena

ALTADENA >> Rescuers rushed a mountain biker to a hospital in critical condition after he took a bad fall and struck his head on a mountain road in Altadena, fire officials said.
The crash was reported about 12:15 p.m. the Brown Mountain Truck Trail, atop Rising Hill Road at Altadena’s northern boundary, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Ed Pickett said.
The victim, initially described only as male, took a fall as he was riding with a group of bicyclists, Pickett said. He suffered major head trauma.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopter happened to be nearby, Pickett said. The airship arrived at the scene within four minutes and took the badly injured cyclist to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena for treatment, Pickett said.
No further details were available.

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