Cyclist dies after being struck by truck in Palos Verdes Estates; driver ID’d

pv police

A cyclist was struck by a truck in Palos Verdes Estates and later succumbed to his injuries in late May. Police have identified and interviewed the driver, but have not placed the man under arrest.

On May 18, officers with the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department were called to the 1100 block of Granvia Altamira about 9:45 a.m., according to Detective Sgt. Luke Hellinga. That stretch of Granvia is part of a lengthy descent from the hills toward the ocean. Once there, they found an injured man lying on the street, and a dark-colored road bike lying nearby.

The man was unconscious and appeared to be suffering from a head injury, according to a statement from the PVE police department. Paramedics transported him to Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

The man arrived at the hospital in critical condition and, despite treatment, succumbed to his injuries, Hellinga said. The victim was later identified as John William Bacon III, a 68-year-old Torrance resident.

The driver of the car did not immediately come forward, but in the investigation that followed, police received a tip from a resident in the area of the crash, Hellinga said. Officers focused on security camera footage that appears to show a white truck travelling behind a cyclist heading down Granvia Altamira.

Police contacted the driver of that car, a man, and interviewed him about the case, Hellinga said. The driver has so far cooperated, and has not been put in custody.

Police are not releasing the name of the motorist so as to avoid compromising the investigation, Hellinga said. He remains a person of interest in the case.

Bacon is the third person to die in a cycling accident on the Palos Verdes peninsula so far this year, and the second in Palos Verdes Estates. In March, attorney Peter Krichman died following a collision in the 100 block of Palos Verdes Drive West. Jim Hannon, president of the Beach Cities Bicycle Club, has previously said that the lack of dedicated bike lanes in Palos Verdes estates was a factor in Krichman’s death.

Hellinga said that while he was not sure whether there had been other collisions in the immediate area, he acknowledged that other accidents had occurred it in the city.

“We have a lot of bicyclists up here, and it’s not uncommon,” he said. “It’s just like any other traffic collision.”

Hellinga urged cyclists in the area to observe all applicable laws, and to pay attention to their surroundings. For their part, motorists should slow down when approaching cyclists, and obey the recently enacted California law requiring cars and trucks to remain at least three feet away from cyclists.

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