Category: accident

Remembering Bahram Saghari

Richard MasonerFebruary 5, 20143 Comments on Remembering Bahram Saghari

In May of 2011, Bahram Saghari was biking to work as a lecturer in Operations and Management Systems in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University when he was left-crossed by the unlicensed driver of a Ford Explorer SUV in Los Gatos, California.

The collision resulted in a serious head injury for Mr. Saghari. It’s been reported to me that Saghari succumbed to the injuries from his crash last week.

My sincere condolences to the Saghari’s family and others who were close to him. I have no idea if the driver of the SUV was charged with a crime other than driving without a license.

Posted In accident

California legislation proposes suspended license for hit and run

Richard MasonerJanuary 23, 20141 Comment on California legislation proposes suspended license for hit and run

Mike Gatto (D – Los Angeles) introduced legislation in the California Assembly this week to mandate an administrative six month suspension of driving privileges for those convicted of misdemeanor hit and run. Misdemeanor hit and runs are property-damage-only collisions. The penalty for felony hit and run — anywhere from 90 days in jail to five years in the Big House, or a fine ranging from $1000 to $10,000 depending on the circumstances — remains unchanged.

In Gatto’s home district, 48% of all reported collisions in recent years involve a driver who leaves the scene. About half of all such cases remain unsolved.

(more…)

Posted In accident | california | law

Midweek carnage

Richard MasonerDecember 11, 20135 Comments on Midweek carnage

This morning, we receive news from Palo Alto, CA of a mother who was seriously injured after she was hit by a juvenile driving a car in a residential neighborhood.

Elsewhere today: Sedan into the back of a big rig on I-5 near Orland, CA results in driver fatality.

Tuesday:

  • Very confusing set of dispatches of a crash on Highway 1 near the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA is coded as a fatality, but I can’t find a news report of this one. If you’d like to try to decode the dispatches, the chronology is bottom to top and begins “XRAY IS CLIMBING OO VEH” which is cop slang for “women is climbing out of vehicle.” From there, we have reports of tow trucks and fire engines stuck in traffic and, eventually, a request for evidence tow.
  • Rollover crash in Half Moon Bay claims a life. This is the third automobile fatality on Highway 1 between Half Moon Bay and Devil’s Slide in two weeks.

Sunday: Oakland man fatally struck in Gilroy, CA.

Saturday: Car vs tree on San Tomas Expressway near Moorpark in San Jose, CA last Saturday results in driver fatality.

Friday:

ETC:

  • Monterey County attorney seeks witnesses in their investigation of a man who ran over and killed two women on foot on East Laurel Drive last November. This was a hit and run with suspected DUI.
  • Can you obey traffic laws better than a fifth grader? Tell me if this makes any sense. The city of Berkeley plans to reduce speed limits around school zones to improve safety. Berkeley police say this won’t work because adult drivers are an unruly, unmanageable lot who don’t obey speed limits. They claim instead that children should learn how to behave better around cars.
  • We have these “Drive like your kids live here” signs in Santa Cruz, too. Watch this outstanding report from walnut Creek by Stanley Roberts:



  • Nobody seems to know about this so I’ll repeat it: Santa Cruz DA investigating the Highway 1 fatality of cyclist Joshua Alper. “High priority case,” says county attorney Bob Lee.
  • Let’s wrap things up with this unbelievable story of a teen who killed four pedestrians and was let go because of “affluenza.”

    Sixteen-year-old Ethan Couch admitted to four counts of manslaughter after he and seven other boys stole alcohol from Walmart, piled into his car and struck and killed four pedestrians while going 70 miles per hour in a 40 zone. One of his passengers remains in the hospital with severe brain damage, and nine other bystanders were also injured.

    Couch’s defense was that he was a victim of his parents’ wealth and privilege; in that he never had to face consequences.

    The judge — with no apparent irony — agreed with the boy’s defense.

Posted In accident | Quick news
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Milton Olin RIP, and a San Jose memorial ride

Richard MasonerDecember 9, 20131 Comment on Milton Olin RIP, and a San Jose memorial ride

Entertainment attorney Milton Olin (and one time COO for Napster) was Just Riding Along when he was hit and killed by an LA County Sheriff’s deputy who apparently swerved into the bike lane.

Do LA sheriff cars have video cameras running during routine patrols?

Discussion over at Biking In LA’s new website.

Friends of Anthony Garcia have organized a memorial ride and ghost bike dedication tonight for the teen who was killed while riding his bike on December 3, 2013.

All are invited to ride in memory of Anthony and the other 25 pedestrians and cyclists who have lost their lives to automobiles this year in San Jose.

Starting point is Oak and Vine, where 3 year old Elijah Alvitre was struck and killed as he was being pushed in a stroller on November 24th. The group will ride 8 miles to Branham Lane and Vistapark Drive where the group will dedicate a ghost bike in Anthony’s memory.

Time is tentatively set to gather at 7pm and ride no later than 7:15, but time may change to accommodate the Garcia family. This is a night ride so bring lights and dress for 40 degree weather.

A memorial page and fundraiser for the Garcia family has been established at Go Fund Me if you would like to help the family with their expenses in the wake of their very personal tragedy.

Event information on this Facebook page.

Posted In accident | san jose