Category Archives: Cycling Accidents

Information about cycling accidents in and around San Diego with emphasis on bike law and bicycle safety from an experienced cyclist and bicycle crash attorney.

San Francisco Embraces Cycling Community

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Dudek Law Firm

Last March, a cyclist traveling at high speeds through San Francisco crashed into a 71-year old pedestrian and killed him. Ever since the tragic accident, the city of San Francisco has been trying to find ways to increase safety for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists as the local cycling community continues to grow. Much debate sparked following the accident; many were angry at the cyclist, who was trying to beat his personal speed record when he lost his brakes. Regardless, the larger debate became how to prevent all bicycle accidents in the future in San Francisco. The number of cyclists in San Francisco has increased 71 percent over the last five years, according to the Los Angeles Times. San Francisco city officials embrace the cycling community and are attempting to reduce the number of motorists over the next several years. Officials plan to make 50 percent of all travel within the…
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Victim and Victim’s Family File Wrongful Death Suit Following Fatal Bike Accident

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Dudek Law Firm

A lawsuit was filed in June stemming from a fatal bicycle accident that occurred on May 31, 2011 near San Diego, according to Fox News in San Diego. A sport utility vehicle lost control and veered off State Route 56 in Rancho Peñasquitos and onto a bike path, killing 40-year-old cyclist Nick Ventuo, and injuring a second, Baron Herdelin-Doherty. Accident investigators determined the crash to be an accident and did not cite the driver. Ventuo’s family and Herdelin-Doherty have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the city, San Diego County, the State of California and the driver of the SUV, claiming both the road and bike path are unsafe for cyclists and motorists. Only a chain link fence provided a barrier between the car and the path, and the suit claims a more substantial barrier was necessary. The distance between the path and the street (40 feet) met the legal requirement,…
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Bay Area Cyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Dudek Law Firm

On May 15, a cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run car accident in the San Francisco area, according to Claude Wyle at InjuryBoard.com. Bo Hu, a 57-year-old cyclist from Dublin, California, was struck by a Mercedes-Benz while cycling on Dougherty Road. The driver proceeded to leave the scene of the accident. The alleged suspect is a San Francisco attorney, according to Dublin Police Lt. Herb Walters. Hu is a Chinese citizen who was visiting the Bay Area. A passerby called 911 and Hu was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect was arrested and identified as 32-year-old Spencer Freeman Smith of San Ramon, California. Investigators used debris from the scene to identify the car as a 2012 Mercedes-Benz and found other clues to identify Smith. There is never an excuse for fleeing the scene of an accident. If Smith was not at fault in the bicycle accident, he may not…
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