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Eric Ringdahl (inset) was riding in the bike lane when he was struck and killed by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel in Carlsbad. (Photo inset; DMV)

Fatal bicycle accident: Police investigators believe a driver fell asleep at the wheel Sunday morning before he struck and killed a cyclist riding in the bike lane on El CaminoReal in Carlsbad.

•   A bicyclist was riding with a friend in the bike lane when he was struck and killed by a car.

•   The driver of the car said he was returning home from a graveyard shift and fell asleep at the wheel.

•   Investigators are checking phone records to find out if the driver was talking or texting when the accident happened.

The deadly accident occurred at 7:40 a.m. in the 7400 block of El Camino Real, according to a report in the San Diego Union Tribune.

Carlsbad police Lt. Kelly Cain said 45-year-old Carlsbad resident Eric Ringdahl was properly riding in the bike lane with a fellow rider when he was struck and killed by a car north of La Costa Avenue.

Ringdahl was married with children.

The motorist, whose identity was not immediately released, told investigators he was heading home after a working a night shift and fell asleep at the wheel. The motorist said that was when his car drifted into the bike lane.

Cain said police have no evidence to the contrary, but are checking the driver’s cell phone records to see if he was talking or texting at the time of the fatal bicycle accident. Police do not suspect that drugs or alcohol were involved.

Cain said police do not believe the driver intended to strike Ringdahl. Investigators are waiting for the medical examiner’s report, which could take more than a month. After that, the District Attorney’s Office will review the case and decide if the driver will be charged. He could face charges of  misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

Carlsbad Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Police arrested a teen driver for a hit-and-run accident that killed another teen in Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego County).

A 19-year-old driver was arrested Sunday night for a hit-and-run accident that killed an 18-year-old bicyclist Friday morning in the North San Diego community of Rancho Santa Fe.

•   A 19-year-old driver drifted off the side of the road into the bike lane and struck an 18-year-old bicyclist. 

•   The bicyclist died. The driver fled the scene.

•   Neighbors alerted police to the car with damage matching the description of the accident, and police arrested the 19-year-old.

The fatal bicycle accident occurred at about 1 a.m., according to a report in the North County Times.

California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Parent told the Times that 18-year-old Angel Bojorquez of Escondido was riding his bicycle northbound on Via de la Valle toward Paseo Delicias when a vehicle drove up behind him, drifted onto the right shoulder (the bike lane) and struck him.

Bojorquez had been riding home from his job as a grocery clerk at an Albertson’s grocery store in Del Mar. The driver of the vehicle that fatally struck Bojorquez fled the scene and left him to die. A private Rancho Santa Fe security officer discovered Bojorquez’s body at about 2 a.m. by the side of the road.

Neighbors of 19-year-old San Diego resident Jin Jyuk Byun tipped off police that Byun’s car, a black 2008 Chevy Avalanche, had damage consistent with reports of the deadly hit-and-run crash.

Parent said an investigator spoke with Byun at his home on Sunday night, but he refused to cooperate. Officers obtained a  search warrant, arrested him on felony hit-and-run charges, and booked him into the county jail.

UPDATE:

At Byun’s arraignment on Wednesday, prosecutors said that Byun pulled off the road after he hit Bojorquez and tried to hide evidence, according to a Fox 5 News report. Prosecutors further alleged that Byun tried to cover up some of the damage to his Chevy Avalanche and then drove to his parents’ house on a flat tire and tried to hide the Avalanche in their garage.

Byun pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at $1 million.

San Diego Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented hit-and-run accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A bicyclist who was wearing a helmet suffered a fatal injury in a Malibu bicycle crash.

A helmet was not enough protection against a fatal head injury in a Malibu bicycle crash that killed a Laguna Beach man on Saturday.

•   Two brothers were cycling down a steep, curvy road in the Malibu mountains when one of them was unable to negotiate a sharp curve.

•   The bicycle veered into the opposite lane and crashed into a guardrail. The cyclist was thrown head-first onto the pavement and suffered severe head injuries. 

•   He was rushed to UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounce dead less than an hour after the accident.

The tragic accident occurred at about 11:45 a.m., according to a report in the Santa Monica Mirror.

The California Highway Patrol said 51-year-old Robert Eugene Hyndman of Laguna Beach was riding with his brother in the Malibu mountains at the time of the crash.

They were riding down Las Flores Canyon Road, which has many sharp curves and is challenging for even experienced riders, the CHP said.

As Hyndman attempted to negotiate a sharp curve north of Hume Road, his bicycle veered into the wrong side of the road and crashed into a guardrail. The cyclist was ejected from his bicycle and hurled head-first onto the pavement.

Hyndman suffered severe head injuries in spite of his helmet. Hyndman was to UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 12:38 p.m., according to the CHP.

This is the 60th traffic-related cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 20th in Los Angeles County.

Hydman’s brother Carl, who was riding with him, said the victim “never took unnecessary risks” and always rode well within his control and abilities.

“This one was of those unfortunate accidents that we don’t see coming in our lives,” Carl said. “Only seconds before, I was riding in front of him laughing and having the time of our lives. We marveled at the surrounding and embraced it. The terrain wasn’t unusual, too risky or unfamiliar. We had ridden this kind of terrain and far harder many times before. It could have happened just as easily on PCH or a curb across the street. He died in my arms and went doing what he loved to do.”

Ted Rogers, who writes the Biking in L.A. blog, told Laguna Beach Patch that most bicycle helmets do not offer adequate protection in catastrophic crashes.

“Bike helmets are only designed to protect in an impact up to 14 miles per hour,” Rogers said. “Hyndman was probably traveling at a minimum of 25 or 30, far exceeding the helmet’s capabilities. While I am a firm advocate for helmet use, too many people seem to think they are magic devices which will protect the rider in any collision, no matter how severe, which is simply not true.”

Robert Hyndman’s death was the 60th traffic-related cycling fatality in Southern California this year, and the 20th in Los Angeles County.

Malibu Bicycle Crash Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented bicycle accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.