A 55-year-old Laguna Beach bicyclist died Tuesday, June 17, in a Santa Ana hospital due to injuries suffered in a 6:56 p.m. accident with a vehicle near Emerald Bay, police said.
Cyclist John Greg Colvin was traveling northbound on the right side of Coast Highway when for an unknown reason he was struck by a Toyota Prius headed in the same direction in the outside lane, police Capt. Jason Kravetz said in a statement Wednesday.
With more than 60 minutes of daylight remaining before Tuesday’s 8:05 p.m. sunset, Northbound Coast Highway was shut down for two hours as police investigated the accident, which remains the subject of further inquiry. The 19-year-old driver involved, who was not identified, was neither cited nor arrested, Kravetz said.
Initially, witnesses reported that a white Prius fled the scene of the accident, but a motorist followed the vehicle, which stopped in the El Morro Elementary School parking lot. Arriving officers detained the driver, who was brought to the police department for questioning, Kravetz said.
The rider of the bicycle received major injuries and was transported to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach and then transferred to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, Kravetz said. Colvin died at 11:32 p.m.
To reach El Morro Elementary, the driver proceeded more than 1 mile north after the collision. There are numerous roadside locations to pull to the roadside.
How does the lack of arrest or citation of this motorist compare to similar behavior by other drivers in other jurisdictions?
Very sad – I ride this route 3 times a week. Shoulder is plenty wide – driver had to be distracted.
This is a crash, not an “accident”.
And yes, even if the driver stopped, it might be considered hit and run. The law requires more than stopping. It requires rendering assistance to the victim. Leaving an injured cyclist in the roadway is not rendering assistance.
Based on photographs of the car that struck the cyclist (in the O.C. Register), there is no way the driver could not know he had grievously injured the cyclist. The roof of the car was caved in.
[…] to the Laguna Beach Independent, 55-year old John Greg Colvin has died of the injuries he suffered when he was hit while riding on […]
As a volunteer with the Laguna Beach Police Department I have every confidence this incident will be thoroughly and completely investigated and appropriately concluded.
Another cyclist was hit from behind by a motorist at Thalia and PCH today 1:45pm condition unknown. Watch for news alerts.
Thats in North Laguna where conditions for cyclists just start to improve, Laguna Beach in general is SOOO Dangerous for cyclists and I believe it is unfair to just start blaming the drivers… I dont think all drivers that had being on this kind of accidents are irresponsable or insensible drivers.
Please consider in this case how vegetation (big bushes from Emerald Bay walls reduce the biker vision/line space) and the age of the driver (that girl sure had thousand scary thoughts before stoping) she sure stop after a panic attack.
I was on the traffic when this happened and I’m soooo sorry for the biker, his family & the driver.
[…] a certain extent, I agree with what Michael Hoag (who has pushed for adoption of traffic calming devices in Laguna) said: “The reason people […]