A nighttime ride on the San Gabriel River Trail turned deadly Friday when a motorcyclist collided head-on with a bicyclist in Long Beach, according to police. The crash happened at about 8:12 p.m., just south of where the trail crosses the 405 Freeway. Both riders were thrown from their vehicles and suffered critical injuries. Bystanders jumped in to provide first aid before Long Beach Fire Department crews arrived and took both to a hospital, where the motorcyclist later died.
Police account
According to the Long Beach Post, witnesses told officers the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed without a helmet or lights. Authorities have not yet publicly identified the rider and have not said what type of motorcycle was involved.
Trail context and past crashes
The San Gabriel River Trail is a 28-mile multi-use bike and pedestrian path that runs from Seal Beach inland, with the lower sections maintained by Los Angeles County and the City of Long Beach, according to Wikipedia. Long Beach police have investigated other deadly incidents along the riverbed before, including a high-speed ATV fatality at Wardlow Road in 2021, detailed in a press release from the Long Beach Police Department.
Investigation underway
Investigators told the Long Beach Post they do not believe distracted driving or driving under the influence were factors in the crash. Detectives are continuing to examine what led up to the collision and are asking anyone with additional information to contact the department.
Calls for safer trails
Trail users and local watchdogs have long complained about unauthorized motorized riders and speeders on stretches of the San Gabriel River Trail, a pattern that critics say makes a tragedy like this feel less like a fluke and more like a matter of time, according to the local advocacy group LAAG. The city’s GoActiveLB program has previously closed segments of the path for scheduled maintenance and has promoted signage and resurfacing projects along the river trail, according to the city’s GoActiveLB page.
