Several sources report that Susanna Schick, also known as Pinkyracer, was chased down and apparently struck by a white Lexus while riding in Downtown L.A. around 11:30 Friday night. Details are still sketchy, but it appears to have been road rage attack; the driver fled the scene following the collision.

The car is described as a recent model, white midsize Lexus, either two or four doors, with tinted windows. The driver is described as a well-dressed, olive-complected man around 6′ tall, with a well-dressed female passenger.

If you see a car that matches the description, do not attempt to stop him yourself. Call the LAPD Central Traffic Division at 1-213-972-1853 and let them handle it. Or if you witnessed any part of the incident or have any pertinent information…

bikinginla, 08.04.12.

late friday night — seems more like some drunk rich guy showing off to his girlfriend than regular road rage.

Local San Diego cyclists are organizing an advocacy ride in memory of David Ortiz, a local cyclist who was killed while lawfully riding his bike on his way to work last week.

The death of David Ortiz highlights the quintessential problems faced by San Diego cyclists on a daily basis: inattentive drivers, poorly designed roadway infrastructure, and a societal mindset that cyclists always ride recklessly.

Contrary to initial information provided by the San Diego Police Department, Mr. Ortiz was riding in the same direction of traffic, was properly positioned on the roadway, was wearing a helmet, and one of the motorists appears to have fled the scene prior to police arrival.

The ride will take place Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 4pm. The ride will begin at the fountain in Balboa Park and conclude at 202 C Street. in front of the City Administration Building. At the conclusion of the ride, cyclists will lay down on the ground with their bikes to represent the thousands of cyclists and pedestrians struck by motor vehicles every year in San Diego.

This is what we want from the City and the SDPD:

1. A public apology from the police department to the victim’s family & the cycling community for jumping to conclusions and immediately blaming the cyclist before fully completing the investigation.
2. A stronger commitment (from City) to safer infrastructure and roadway design.
3. A stronger commitment from PD to enforce traffic laws that have an adverse impact on cyclists/pedestrians (failure to stop/yield, distracted driving, etc.)
4. The City immediately become a NACTO affiliate.

more info: bikesd.org, 31.03.12.

how many people need to be hit and killed by cars in order for people to rise up and demand justice and bicycle infrastructure?

A protest of cyclists after the death of Wanderson Pereira dos Santos. The sign reads “We are all Wanderson,” in Portuguese.

Thor Batista, the 20-year-old son of Brazil’s richest man, was driving back one night in March from a meal at a steakhouse in the mountains above Rio. He was on a highway at the steering wheel of his father’s $1.3 million sports car, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

Wanderson Pereira dos Santos, 30, who lived in a shack at the highway’s edge and worked unloading trailer trucks, was on his bicycle, on an errand to buy flour. His wife was preparing to bake a cake. They were celebrating her birthday.

When Mr. Batista’s McLaren suddenly smashed into Mr. Pereira dos Santos, killing him instantly, it was clear that more than the two men collided on that stretch of highway…

Just on the highway where Mr. Pereira dos Santos was killed on March 17, at least 391 people were hit by cars in last five years, a police spokeswoman said.

But the crash that killed Mr. Pereira dos Santos has awakened a debate over wealth, influence and traffic deaths, similar to a Chinese case in 2010 in which the son of a powerful official struck a poor farm girl, stirring an outcry.

Brazil has made strides in reducing its income inequality, lifting 40 million people into its middle class in recent years, but it still ranks among the most unequal of nations.

“I don’t understand why rich parents encourage their young and inexperienced children to drive machines incompatible with our roads,” said Ruth de Aquino, a columnist at the magazine Época, in an essay about Thor Batista. “We’re not in Germany; we don’t have autobahns.”

nytimes, 31.03.12.

A bicyclist who may have been riding against traffic was run over and killed Thursday morning in Clairemont near Interstate 805.

The man was struck in the eastbound lanes of Balboa Avenue near the ramp to northbound I-805 just after 7 a.m., San Diego police said.

It appears that the man was first hit by a black Ford Expedition and thrown forward several yards, then struck by a black Toyota Camry and knocked forward several more yards before being hit by a gray Toyota Camry, San Diego police Lt. Jerry Hara said.

His body ended up lying on the roadway directly in front of the second Camry several yards away from his crushed and mangled bicycle.

“From witness statements and evidence it seems at this point that the bicyclist was possibly westbound in the eastbound lanes,“ Hara said.

The eastbound lanes of Balboa were shut down from Charger Boulevard to the freeway as was the southbound I-805 off-ramp to Balboa as authorities investigated.

Traffic rapidly backed up in the area. The California Highway Patrol issued a traffic alert that was expected to last until noon…

sd u-t, 22.03.12.

dangerous suburb-y/sprawl area. I would never bike there.