A 38-year-old Colton woman riding an electric bicycle was struck and killed by a Volvo SUV near the intersection of 12th and F streets Friday evening, according to police. Asandria Jacobo died from her injuries after emergency responders provided care at the scene of the crash, which happened at approximately 6:50 p.m.
Colton Police Department officers and paramedics responded to the crash and took Jacobo to a hospital, where she later died, according to KTLA. Police say the driver of the Volvo remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and it is not yet clear who had the right of way at the intersection or how fast either vehicle was traveling.
Colton PD Cpl. E. Wickman is asking anyone with information about the crash to come forward. He can be reached by phone at (909) 370-5000 or by email at [email protected].
A City Already Near the Top of the State's Worst Traffic Rankings
The fatal crash lands in a city that already carries one of California's more troubling traffic safety records. Colton logged 382 total fatal and injury traffic victims in 2023, ranking third worst out of 103 California cities of comparable size for total casualties and second worst for nighttime fatal-and-injury collisions, according to 2023 state data reported by the Law Office of Jasminder Gill. The ranking reflects ongoing safety challenges along the city's arterial corridors, the kind of roadway where Friday's crash occurred.
San Bernardino County's broader numbers are similarly stark. The county maintains a traffic fatality rate of roughly 20 deaths per 100,000 residents, about double the California statewide average, driven by high-speed arterial roads and heavy freight traffic, according to data cited by Solum Space Law APC. The county also ranked second among all California counties in total bicyclist fatalities, with 18 deaths, according to 2025 traffic safety data from UC Berkeley's SafeTREC — trailing only Los Angeles County statewide.
What the Law Says About E-Bike Riders' Rights on the Road
Under California Vehicle Code § 21200, e-bike and traditional bicycle riders hold the same rights and responsibilities on public roads as motor vehicle drivers, including the right to occupy a full travel lane when moving as fast as traffic or when a lane is too narrow to share safely, according to CalBike. California's OmniBike Safety Act, also known as AB 1909, along with Vehicle Code § 21760, further requires motorists to change lanes when passing a bicyclist or e-bike on multi-lane roads whenever it is safe to do so, or otherwise maintain at least a three-foot buffer, according to Banker's Hill Law Firm.
Separately, California's Senate Bill 1271, which took effect at the start of this year, requires all new e-bikes and batteries sold in the state to meet UL 2849 safety standards and enforces a 750-watt motor power limit. Helmet rules also vary by e-bike class: riders under 18 must wear helmets on any e-bike, and all riders of Class 3 e-bikes must wear helmets regardless of age, but adult riders of Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are not required by state law to wear one, per Banker's Hill Law Firm. It has not been reported which class of e-bike Jacobo was riding.
Part of a Wider Pattern Across the Inland Empire
E-bike crashes can involve collisions with motor vehicles. Jacobo's death adds to a string of recent Inland Empire e-bike crashes that Hoodline has covered in recent weeks. Separately, Hoodline covered a rider badly hurt in a crash near East Williams Street in Apex, North Carolina. Another recent e-bike crash has also been reported in the region.
Local governments across the region have been examining responses to e-bike crashes. Those broader concerns, combined with San Bernardino County's elevated fatality numbers and Colton's own high casualty ranking, help explain why street safety and e-bike regulation are drawing renewed scrutiny in the wake of Jacobo's death.
Anyone with information about the crash that killed Jacobo is urged to contact Colton PD Cpl. E. Wickman.
