An early morning bike ride in Long Beach ended in tragedy Monday when a driver struck a bicyclist near Cowles Street and South Santa Fe Avenue, then sped away without stopping, police said. Responding officers found the rider lying in the roadway, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives with the Long Beach Police Department's Collision Investigation Detail are now working to track down the vehicle and the driver who left him behind.
According to MyNewsLA, the crash happened at about 2:35 a.m. The bicyclist was traveling west on Cowles Street when he was hit by an unknown vehicle that had just turned east onto Cowles from South Santa Fe Avenue. The driver took off without offering help, police said. Anyone with information is urged to contact the LBPD Collision Investigation Detail at 562-570-7355; the city's Long Beach Police Department site lists that number for collision investigators.
How to help
Detectives are asking anyone who saw the crash or may have captured it on video to come forward. Anonymous tips can be submitted to LA Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS. Witnesses are often asked to save any phone, dashcam or doorbell footage that might show the moments before or after the collision, since clips like that can be critical in hit-and-run cases.
Why this matters
Long Beach's Safe Streets program is part of a Vision Zero pledge to eliminate traffic deaths by 2026, yet officials and local reporting have said that fatalities remain a stubborn problem. The city highlights engineering, enforcement and education work on its Safe Streets LB page, while reporting by the Long Beach Post has noted traffic deaths continuing to rise even as those projects move forward.
Legal note
Under California law, leaving the scene of a crash that injures or kills someone can bring charges under Vehicle Code section 20001, which can be filed as a felony and can carry prison time and fines. State law also treats bicyclists as vehicle operators under Vehicle Code section 21200, so investigators will apply the same duties and reporting requirements as they determine whether charges are warranted.
