Gustavo Ramirez
Gustavo Ramirez
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Age: 30
Location:
Shore Line Drive and Shoreline Village Drive
Long Beach , CA 90802
United States
Gustavo Ramirez was killed after colliding with a semi-truck on East Shore Line Drive in Long Beach around 10:30am. According to police, Gustavo was in the crosswalk and collided with the right side of the truck as it turned. According to news articles, the driver of the truck had missed his exit and was attempting to turn around by turning onto Shoreline Village Drive. There are no bike lanes on Shore Line Drive, and riding on the sidewalk is (reportedly) legal and a popular choice for cyclists traveling this stretch of road.
Friends described Gustavo as an experienced cyclist. The driver was not cited.
Gustavo worked at the Manhattan Beach REI, and was well-known in the local cycling community. Friends gathered on the Midnight Ridazz forum to organize a ghost bike installation and memorial rides in his memory. The first ride took place Friday January 15, at 8pm, with the second ride following the next morning at 8am.
Excerpted from Biking in LA blog:
Some of the comments online suggest that proves he was at fault. But as Will’s video clearly shows, when a driver turns in front of you without warning, there’s not much you can do except jam on your brakes and pray. If there’s time.
The fact that Ramirez hit the truck just behind the cab suggests that the driver was just beginning his turn when the collision occurred, so there probably wasn’t enough time to react. It also implies that he was probably already alongside the truck when it turned, so he might not have been in a position to see its turn signal, assuming the driver used it.
And even if he was wearing earphones, as a friend of his suggested, it’s highly unlikely that any experienced cyclist would be unaware of such a large truck on the roadway right next to him.
It’s more likely that the driver failed to see Ramirez before turning in front of him; a classic right hook. And a heartbreaking tragedy for his family and friends.
Press:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14134646?nclick_check=1
http://www.lbpost.com/ryan/7880
http://bikinginla.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/a-cyclist-is-killed-ignorance-abounds/
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Age: 30
Location:
Shore Line Drive and Shoreline Village Drive
Long Beach , CA 90802
United States
Gustavo Ramirez was killed after colliding with a semi-truck on East Shore Line Drive in Long Beach around 10:30am. According to police, Gustavo was in the crosswalk and collided with the right side of the truck as it turned. According to news articles, the driver of the truck had missed his exit and was attempting to turn around by turning onto Shoreline Village Drive. There are no bike lanes on Shore Line Drive, and riding on the sidewalk is (reportedly) legal and a popular choice for cyclists traveling this stretch of road.
Friends described Gustavo as an experienced cyclist. The driver was not cited.
Gustavo worked at the Manhattan Beach REI, and was well-known in the local cycling community. Friends gathered on the Midnight Ridazz forum to organize a ghost bike installation and memorial rides in his memory. The first ride took place Friday January 15, at 8pm, with the second ride following the next morning at 8am.
Excerpted from Biking in LA blog:
Some of the comments online suggest that proves he was at fault. But as Will’s video clearly shows, when a driver turns in front of you without warning, there’s not much you can do except jam on your brakes and pray. If there’s time.
The fact that Ramirez hit the truck just behind the cab suggests that the driver was just beginning his turn when the collision occurred, so there probably wasn’t enough time to react. It also implies that he was probably already alongside the truck when it turned, so he might not have been in a position to see its turn signal, assuming the driver used it.
And even if he was wearing earphones, as a friend of his suggested, it’s highly unlikely that any experienced cyclist would be unaware of such a large truck on the roadway right next to him.
It’s more likely that the driver failed to see Ramirez before turning in front of him; a classic right hook. And a heartbreaking tragedy for his family and friends.
Press:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14134646?nclick_check=1
http://www.lbpost.com/ryan/7880
http://bikinginla.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/a-cyclist-is-killed-ignorance-abounds/