los angeles

On Sunday, more than 100,000 cyclists and pedestrians participated in the CicLAvia festival where the city shut down 10 miles of streets in and around downtown Los Angeles so people could participate in family friendly cycling and walking. This event was organized by CicLAvia to inspire people to get out of their cars, explore the city as they walk and ride their bikes. As bicycle accident attorneys in Los Angeles we wholeheartedly support such events. The recent Los Angeles CicLAvia was inspired by the Ciclovia event in Bogota, Colombia, which began almost four years ago. The word “ciclovia” is Spanish for “bike path.” Bogota, along with Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin and Barcelona, ranks among the top five bicycle-friendly cities in the world.

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Susanna Schick, 42, was injured in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say involved a hit-and-run driver. According to an NBC Los Angeles news report, the hit-and-run car accident occurred on Spring Street between 3rd and 4th streets in Los Angeles. Officials say a late-model Lexus with tinted windows swerved into the bike lane and almost hit Schick. She yelled out at the vehicle’s driver and was struck by the same vehicle shortly afterward. Schick was left on the roadway, bloody and unconscious with a broken collarbone, six broken ribs and a shattered pelvis. Investigators are looking into the bicycle accident as a potential road rage incident.

My heart goes out to Susanna Schick following this hit-and-run car accident. I wish her the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

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Rosalinda “Rosie” Manzanares, 26, was fatally injured in a Whittier car accident after her bicycle was hit by an elderly driver in a parking lot. According to a report in the Whittier Daily News, Manzanares was riding her bicycle the afternoon of April 4, 2012 in the parking lot behind Celebrity Burgers at 11270 Whittier Boulevard. The elderly female driver identified as 78-year-old Angelica Cuevas was backing her vehicle from a parking stall at a beauty salon when Manzanares rode by. Cuevas, when she was halfway out of the parking stall, for an unknown reason, rapidly accelerated. Manzanares, who was directly behind Cuevas’s Toyota was hit and became pinned under the vehicle. Manzanares was pronounced dead at the scene. Cuevas has not been arrested pending an official investigation.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Rosie Manzanares for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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Ashley Sandau, 24, of Canyon Country, was fatally injured in a Los Angeles car accident after a vehicle struck her while she was crossing the street. According to a news report in The Echo Park Patch, the crash occurred in the 2800 block of Rowena Avenue near West Silver Lake Drive in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, the night of March 30, 2012. Police say Sandau was trying to cross the roadway outside a crosswalk when she was hit and that poor visibility may have also caused the collision. An investigation is ongoing.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Ashley Sandau for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

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A 36-year-old man was injured on the job after an accident involving a chemical explosion, the afternoon of March 24, 2012. According to a news report in The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the chemical fire occurred at a pottery company on Lomitas Avenue in Industry. Officials say the man was cutting an old metal barrel with a torch when it exploded. The barrel apparently contained residue of an unknown flammable material. The worker was hospitalized in critical condition. Officials are investigating the cause of this industrial accident.

My heart goes out to this injured worker and his family. I wish him the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

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Elba Elizabeth Escobar, 55, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after her lunch truck collided with a car, which officials say made a left turn in front of her. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the fatal car accident occurred the afternoon of March 20, 2012 at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Union Avenue in the Pico-Union neighborhood. Police say Escobar along with another family member were eastbound on Washington at the time of the incident.

A Mercedes traveling in the opposite direction, attempted a left onto Union and hit the lunch truck. Escobar was trapped inside the overturned truck. She was extricated and transported to an area hospital where she died. Escobar’s passenger and the driver of the Mercedes were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police are still investigating the cause of the collision. Officials suspect that one of the drivers ran a red light. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be factors in this car accident.

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A man was fatally injured in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say involved a hit-and-run driver, the early morning of March 17, 2012. According to an NBC Los Angeles news report, the hit-and-run accident occurred at the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Kester Avenue in Van Nuys. The male pedestrian, who was between 50 and 60 years of age, was crossing Victory when a dark-colored eastbound sedan hit him.

The victim was pronounced dead at the collision site. The driver left without waiting for the authorities. The vehicle, which had a missing left-side mirror was last seen driving east on Victory. The driver turned himself in at the LAPD’s West Valley Station about two hours after the incident. He faces felony hit-and-run and gross vehicular manslaughter charges. Officials are looking into whether alcohol or drugs played a part in this fatal crash.

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Actress Lindsay Lohan was involved in yet another Los Angeles car accident, this time in the parking lot of a hookah lounge in Hollywood. According to TMZ, Lohan was trying to make a three-point turn in her Porsche when she struck the 26-year-old club manager who was standing by his car, the morning of March 14, 2012. The man initially said he was not hurt, but later complained of pain. There are conflicting reports about whether this incident was a hit-and-run.

While eyewitnesses say Lohan struck the man and left the scene, others say she left to get away from the paparazzi. TMZ reports that Lohan may have actually called police to report the incident. At this point, officials have closed the case determining that the man was not injured and there was no hit-and-run. However, they could re-open the case if the victim reports that he was injured, TMZ states.

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A 12-year-old girl was severely injured in a Los Angeles car accident, which officials say was caused by a hit-and-run driver, the afternoon of January 27, 2012. According to a report in The Pasadena Star-News, the collision occurred at the intersection of Huntington Avenue and Canyon Boulevard in Monrovia, when the young victim was walking with some other children. A 1995 Infiniti J30 struck the girl and left the scene. The pedestrian was hospitalized in critical condition, but is said to be improving. Police arrested 23-year-old Emma Tapia-Gonzalez a few hours after the incident. She has been charged with felony hit-and-run and driving without a valid license. An investigation is ongoing.

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A motorcyclist was severely injured in aLos Angeles car accident that may have involved a rear-end collision. According to a news report in The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the motorcycle accident occurred on Harbor Boulevard near Dublin Way in Rowland Heights, the morning of January 25, 2012. Officials say the motorcycle may have rear-ended a vehicle. The victim suffered serious injuries including a broken leg. It is unclear how the collision occurred or if anyone will be cited for the crash.

My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this Los Angeles motorcycle accident. I wish the motorcyclist the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

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