Last night, a bicyclist from Santa Clara died after a car struck him when he crossed the road against the light. The accident, which occurred around 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, involved a Toyota Camry, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
According to California Highway Patrol, the 18-year-old man was riding his bicycle on Monroe Street, heading eastbound within the south crosswalk. The driver of a Toyota Camry was traveling northbound on San Tomas Expressway at roughly 50 miles per hour. The driver was approaching a green traffic light when he saw the man on a bicycle in the crosswalk. The Mercury News reports that according to CHP, the 32-year-old man driving the Toyota hit the brakes, but he couldn’t stop in time or miss colliding with the bicyclist. The bicyclist, who was reported as not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, suffered severe injuries. Responders took him to Valley Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. The victim was identified as Daniel Arreola by the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office.
The Mercury News’ story says that alcohol is not considered to have been a factor that contributed to the collision.
Several bicycle and car collisions have occurred in recent memory that have left the bicyclist seriously injured. In an incident near San Diego’s college area, a bicyclist died when he was hit by an SUV. The driver remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Another teenage bicyclist was almost killed by a vehicle that later fled the scene in Orange County recently. The teenager was riding along the side of the road at dusk and was hit by a vehicle, before the vehicle sped away.
Leaving the scene of an accident is punishable by fines or years in prison if convicted, and it is essential that the driver remain at the scene. The first thing to do is to pull a safe distance away from the roadway and go to the bicyclist. See if they are hurt, before calling paramedics to the scene. The bicyclist is entitled to know all of your information including your name, address, and insurance information, even if they are not injured. The laws regarding bicycle accidents allow bicyclists to pursue a case for $100 worth of damage or over in some states, so it is essential that you cooperate with them.
If you need a San Jose bicycle accident lawyer, please call AA-Accident Attorneys. We can evaluate your case and help you cope with the difficulties that you face following your accident. Our bicycle accident lawyer has more than 20 years’ experience fighting with insurance companies and the negligent parties responsible for your accident. They will make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve. We have many locations throughout California including offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield, Fresno, Sacramento, San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento.
