A 73-year-old Manhattan Beach man has died after sustaining head injuries in a bike accident on the Redondo Beach Esplanade on Sept. 10. Redondo Beach Police Department investigators are searching for witnesses to the accident.
According to Redondo Beach Police Department reports, at 7:44 a.m. on Sept. 10, Eldon Johansen fell from his bike after colliding with a woman walking her dog at Avenue F and the Esplanade. The woman sustained no injuries.
Johansen never regained consciousness and subsequently passed away on Sept. 13 at Harbor General Hospital.
“At 73, having a head injury, many times it turns out poorly,” said RBPD Sgt. Phil Keenan.
Johansen was apparently not wearing a helmet.
“With a helmet, it likely would have been just a minor issue,” Keenan said.
By law, only minors are required to wear helmets while bicycling. Police suggest, however, that anyone bicycling wear a helmet.
“I ride my bike all the time, and I wear a helmet,” Keenan said. “Because just riding around the block, the bicycle can slide out from under you and you can’t get your hands down and before you know it, you are bouncing off the cement.”
Due to the nature of the investigation, police are asking for the public’s help in locating any other people who witnessed the collision or events subsequent to the collision. According to reports, at the time of the accident there were numerous people present at the location that were not interviewed by investigators.
Anyone with information is urged to contact RBPD Traffic Investigator Jeff Mendence at (310) 379-2477, ext. 2721.
