A bicyclist was killed by a hit-and-run drunk driver in Huntington Beach Wednesday night.
The accident happened about 10:55 p.m. The bicyclist and the driver were both southbound on Edwards St., in the 18600 block, near the intersection of Edwards St. and Ellis St. The cyclist was in the bike lane when he was struck by the driver as the driver was passing from behind.
The motorist fled the scene and was caught about one mile from the scene of the accident, at the intersection of Golden West St. and Garfield Ave. His vehicle suffered extensive damage to the front end, including a carved in windshield. According to Sergeant Julio Mendez of the Huntington Beach Police Department, the driver, 29-year-old Antonio Magdaleno of Oxnard, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and felony hit-and-run.
The name of the bicyclist, a 37-year-old Huntington Beach resident, has not been released. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
If you or someone you love has suffered injury or death as the result of a car accident or bicycle accident, you should seek the advice of a personal injury lawyer.
Passing-from-behind bicycle accidents are one of the most common types of accidents involving bicyclists and cars. Drivers often don't give bike riders enough space as the motorist is passing the bicyclist on the left. Add alcohol to the mix and you have a deadly combination.
McGee, Lerer & Associates is a Long Beach personal injury law firm that specializes in serious injury and wrongful death. We have five office locations to serve our clients. In addition to our Long Beach office, we also have offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena and Santa Monica. A lawyer at our firm is available 24/7 for a free consultation. Se habla español.
Often times, hit-and-driver drivers are uninsured. If that was the case here, then the bicyclist's family could make a claim under the bicyclist's own auto insurance, if the bicyclist had auto insurance, and specifically, uninsured motorist coverage. Learn more about uninsured motorist coverage, as it applies to bicyclists, by clicking here.