Bicycle Accidents Archives

Bicyclist killed in Phoenix area hit-and-run accident

A deadly Arizona bike accident has resulted in the death of a Colorado resident, according to KJ CT8.com. The bike rider was fatally struck in a hit-and-run crash in Avondale, AZ on May 16.

The exact facts as to how the accident occurred were not reported.

After the collision, an accident witness followed the motorist and notified police of their location. Avondale police tried to pull the driver over a short time later, but he then crossed over the center line and drove up onto a sidewalk.

Officers finally stopped the 37-year-old driver by blocking him in with their squad cars. He still refused to cooperate until police released a K-9 on him, and only then did he cooperate.

The defendant was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and aggravated assault of a police officer. It was not reported if the motorist was impaired.

The article did not state whether a civil lawsuit has been filed or if a Phoenix bicycle accident attorney is involved in the case.

Phoenix bicycle accident claims life of 58-year-old man

by Dave Abels

An Arizona bike accident has resulted in the death of a 58-year-old man whose name has not been released, according to AZCentral.com. The bicyclist was struck by one car and then dragged under a second car in the area of 7th Street and Purdue Avenue last Saturday.

The victim was riding a mountain bike headed northeast when he was hit by a 46-year-old motorist who was driving a 1991 Nissan Pathfinder moving northbound.

The bicyclist landed in the path of a 2005 Ford escape being driven by a 33-year-old man that was also moving northbound. The bike rider was dragged by the Ford until the vehicle stopped.

Neither driver was impaired and no traffic tickets have yet been issued.

It is not been reported if an Arizona injury lawyer is involved in the case.

Read the story as reported by AZFamily.com and ABC news here.

Man sentenced to one year in jail for his involvement in deadly Arizona bicycle accident

by Dave Abels

As our Phoenix bicycle accident lawyers previously reported, a hit-and-run accident in Tempe, Arizona last July resulted in the death of a 32-year-old man from Mesa. A 22-year-old driver convicted for hitting the bicyclist and then fleeing the scene has been sentenced to one year in jail and three years probation, according to ABC news.

Police alleged that the bike rider was legally traveling with the flow of traffic near Southern Avenue and Rural Road when he was hit by the defendant around 12 AM on July 10, 2010. After the collision, the motorist did not stop fled the scene.

Several people in vehicles nearby called 911 and went to the bicyclist’s aid as he was lying in the street. The victim was taken by ambulance to an area hospital where he later passed away.

The defendant had been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He pled guilty last Wednesday.

Initially after the accident occurred, police released video of the accident in an attempt to locate the driver. Click here to watch the video on Phoenix New Times Blogs.

It has not been reported if a civil lawsuit has been filed or if an Arizona bike crash lawyer is involved in the case.

Phoenix car crashes, pedestrian collisions, and bicycle accidents down in 2009

by Dave Abels

Arizona injury lawyers are taking note that the City of Phoenix recently released 2009 car crash statistics which showed a 13% drop from 2008, AZCentral is reporting. Further, the total number of accidents were 22,713, the lowest in 20 years. The rate of accidents per every 1000 people went from 17 down to 14.

Injuries from auto accidents: The statistics state that there was an 8.9% drop for the number of people injured in accidents, and 136 deaths, which is down from 143 in the year 2008.

Pedestrian accidents: Phoenix pedestrian accidents went from 589 in 2008 down to 525 in 2009. 36 pedestrians were hit and killed by vehicles in 2009, down from 41 2008. In 2009 pedestrian deaths accounted for 26.3% of all traffic fatalities.

Bicycle collisions: Phoenix bicycle accidents also saw a reduction 2009. There were 467 collisions, down from 478 and 2008. 423 bicycle riders were injured and nine were killed.

Statistics showed April had the greatest amount of accidents, while September was the most deadly. Friday was the worst day for accidents, and 12 PM to 3 PM was the worst time.

Alcohol only played a role in 6% of accidents, but was involved in 44% of crash related deaths, showing again how dangerous drinking and driving can be.

If you’ve been involved in an Arizona car crash , Phoenix bike accident or Mesa pedestrian collision, call the personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes for free consultation. Call 866-99-ABELS to speak directly to an attorney now.

Phoenix hit-and-run bicycle accident – suspect arrested

by Dave Abels

An Arizona bike accident that occurred on Sunday, November 14th around 4:30 AM has resulted in the death of the 53-year-old man, according to Fox news. A 54-year-old female motorist who hit the bicycle rider and then fled the scene has been arrested by the Phoenix Police Department.

The accident occurred in the area of 48th St. and Van Buren when the driver hit a bicyclist moving westbound. The driver was traveling in a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier and she attempted to flee the scene after the accident. Police officers were able to apprehend her within blocks of the accident scene and they now believe she was driving while impaired.

The bicyclist died at the scene.

The driver was arrested and charged with manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident causing death. Additional charges reportedly could be made after toxicology reports are reviewed.

Read the story as reported by CBS news and ABC news here.

There is no word as to whether a Phoenix bike accident lawyer is involved in the case yet. Click here to read more about Arizona hit-and-run claims.

Teenage driver causes fatal Arizona bicycle accident

by Dave Abels

On Tuesday night a deadly Mesa bike accident claimed the life of 11-year-old girl, according to azfamily.com. The accident took place around 6 PM at the intersection of Brown Road and Lindsay Road.

A 16-year-old driver of the pickup truck was reportedly passing a vehicle in front of him, and he failed to observe the bicyclist and struck her. The 11-year-old victim was out for bicycle ride with her family at the time of the accident. The name of the girl has not been released.

The Mesa Police Department is handling the accident investigation. No charges have yet been filed, and it appears that drugs or alcohol did not play a role in the accident.

As the weather cools off in the Phoenix area, more and more bicyclists will be on the streets. Arizona drivers have to diligently lookout for bikes on the roadway, especially children.

ADOT reports that in the year 2008 there were nearly 2000 bicycle accidents in our state. In those accidents,113 children between the ages of 10 – 14 were injured, and two were killed. Statistics for 2009 have not yet been released.

Phoenix area bike accident critically injures 11-year-old boy

by Dave Abels

An 11-year-old child is been seriously injured after being involved in an Arizona SUV vs. bicycle accident, according to azfamily.com. The collision took place in Maricopa just after 1 PM on Wednesday in the Rancho El Dorado subdivision.

When Maricopa police officers responded to the accident, they located the boy sitting on the side of the road with his bicycle. A witness at the scene saw the child get hit by the SUV as he was crossing the street.

Around 10 minutes after police arrived the child started showing signs of trauma and head injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Maricopa Medical Center. Upon arrival at the hospital treating physicians discovered internal bleeding in his head and emergency surgery was performed. The child reportedly is still in critical condition.

It was not reported if the bicyclist crossed in the middle of a block or at an intersection.

It has also not been reported if a Phoenix bicycle accident attorney is involved in the case yet. With injuries this serious, it is likely that the boy’s family will have an Arizona injury lawyer investigate a possible civil claim.

Motorist in deadly Arizona car versus bicycle accident admits to driving too fast

by Dave Abels

The Arizona Republic is reporting that a driver that was involved in a deadly bicycle accident in Tempe Arizona has pleaded guilty in court to failing to drive at a speed to exercise reasonable care for others.

The accident happened back on May 17, 2010 when a 36-year-old Tempe bicycle rider was headed home from work when he was hit by a car at the intersection of Alameda Drive and McClintock Drive. The Arizona bicycle rider died later the same evening.

The driver claimed in the police report that as he went through the intersection he had a green light, however a witness at the scene (who was also riding a bicycle) stated that the bike rider had the green light.

The victim’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the at fault driver. The newspaper report did not name the Phoenix bicycle accident attorney that is working on the case.

More than 300 Arizona car accidents a day cost the state $2.7 billion in 2009

by Dave Abels

Nearly 300 Arizona traffic accidents a day injured more than 50,000 motorists and claimed 806 lives in 2009, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Our Phoenix car accident attorneys reported earlier this month on our Injury Lawyer Blog, that fatal traffic accidents hit a 16-year low last year, in part because of the struggling economy.

But all totaled, the state reported more than 100,000 car accidents. Among the highlights of Arizona’s 2009 traffic report:Number of crashes
Drunk Driving Accidents: 5,854 Pedestrian Accidents; 1,523 Bicycle Accidents: 1,995 Motorcycle Accidents: 2,958
Serious an fatal injuries

Total: 806 fatalities/50,610 injuries Drunk Driving accidents: 261 fatalities/4,142 injuries Pedestrian accidents: 122 fatalities/1,304 injuries Bicycle accidents: 25 fatalities/1,643 injuries

Months and Days
December: Most crashes February: Most fatal crashes Friday: Most crashes Saturday: Most fatal crashes
At a glance

-More than two motorists a day died in Arizona traffic accidents.
-One person was killed every 10.88 hours.
-138.56 injuries were reported per day.
-Drunk driving was involved in more than 5 percent of all crashes and more than one-third of all traffic fatalities.
-Single-vehicle accidents accounted for less than 20 percent of all accidents but almost half of all fatalities.
-Three-quarters of all accidents occurred during daylight hours.

The most common type of collision was rear-end accidents while driving too fast for conditions was the most common driving violation. The total cost of the state’s traffic fatalities was estimated at more than $1 billion, while overall cost of traffic accidents in Arizona in 2009 was $2.7 billion.
Continue reading “More than 300 Arizona car accidents a day cost the state $2.7 billion in 2009”

Phoenix car vs. bike accident leaves rider in critical condition

by Dave Abels

An Arizona bicycle accident that occurred on Saturday in North Phoenix has resulted in four people being injured, according to ABC news. The injuries to the Phoenix bicyclist are reportedly critical.

A representative the Phoenix Fire Department is stating that the accident occurred when a vehicle was traveling in an easterly direction on Bell Road around 8 PM. At that time a 49-year-old man on a motorized bicycle crossed in front of the vehicle at 21st St. and the car hit the bike. The bicycle rider ended up on the car’s windshield. The car carried the bike rider around hundred yards until the vehicle hit a short brick wall and the bicyclist was thrown off.

The injured Phoenix bike rider was rushed by ambulance to Valley Hospital in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Three occupants of the car, a 26-year-old woman and children ages 8 and 5, were also seriously injured and taken to John C. Lincoln North Mountain Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.

The Phoenix Police Department is still investigating who was at fault, according to Fox news. However, as a Phoenix bike accident lawyer, I can tell you at first glance that the police will most likely put the bicyclist at fault. At the accident location, E. Bell Rd. has two eastbound and two westbound lanes, plus left turn lanes in each direction and no traffic signal. 21st Street is more of a side street that has a stop sign at E. Bell Rd. The bicyclist likely had a duty to yield to oncoming traffic when crossing Bell Road.

That being said, until the final police report is in, you never know what it is going to say. For example, there could have been independent witnesses at the scene who tell a different story.

Click here to read the accident story as reported by CBS news.