Car kills man sitting at bus stop
Flowers mark the spot where 58-year-old Richard Alkire died early Saturday morning while waiting for the bus. Photo
The city bus stop bench on the corner of Artesia Blvd and Mackay Lane adjacent to Yanagi Japanese Bistro has been removed. Instead of sitting, bus passengers wait under the shade of the awning or lean against the bus stop poles while waiting for their buses. Surrounding one part of the bus stop is a cluster of flowers and candles. “Richard, your friends at Bogey’s will miss you,” is written on one candle. A bunch of roses and a homemade bundle of daises and bougainvilleas cover orange spray paint on the cement.
If you look closely, the gray scratches and indented metal tell a story of an accident that ended one man’s life early Saturday morning.
Around 9:15 a.m., 58-year-old Richard Alkire was killed in that spot while waiting in his wheelchair for the bus. According to Redondo Beach police, witnesses have come forward with different views of the accident. Some say Alkire was sitting in his wheelchair when a car came careening towards him, others say he was on the bench with his wheelchair next to him.
Richard Alkire was killed Saturday morning while waiting for the bus. Photo
According to the police, two cars, a Hyundai four-door sedan and a Toyota Scion, collided after one of the vehicles attempted to turn left, and the second car traveling east on Artesia clipped the turning car.
“The vehicles collided and ricocheted off of each other and the Scion continued to travel east, out of control, up onto the sidewalk and struck the gentleman,” said Investigator Bill Turner.
Alkire suffered a broken leg and head trauma injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where he later died due to the injuries sustained, police said.
Phillip Lee, 24, who works at Yanagi Japanese Bistro, was working the morning of the accident. Lee said that he has often seen Alkire waiting at the stop and thinks that he lives in the area. Lee also remembers Alkire sitting in his wheelchair that morning.
“The wheelchair question is debatable,” said Turner. “We’ve had people say no, he was out of the wheelchair and on the bus bench, and we just had a gentleman call who said he saw him in the wheelchair prior to the collision.”
The collision is still under investigation and police urge anyone with information to contact Investigator Bill Turner at 310-379-2477, ext. 2721 or email Bill.Turner@redondo.org