We are devastated to announce that three people have been killed while using their bikes in San Diego County within the last week. All of these are unimaginable tragedies, and our hearts go out to the loved ones of both victims.
At 5:45 PM on Sunday, August 7th, Christine Hawk Embree was riding her E-Bike in Carlsbad with her 16 month-old daughter, when she was struck by the driver of a Toyota Forerunner at the intersection of Basswood Avenue and Valley Street. She was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she passed away on Monday. She leaves behind a husband and her daughter, who was miraculously uninjured. Her friends are raising money for her family here.
Just four days later, at 6:15 AM on Wednesday, August 10th, another woman was struck and killed by a driver while walking her bike across Highland Avenue in National City. We do not know the woman’s name or any further details about the crash at this time.
Then on Thursday, August 11th, after I wrote the initial version of this post, a man was struck and killed by a driver while riding his bike on Del Norte Parkway in Escondido. We do not yet have information about his name of the details of the crash.
These deaths represent the fifth, sixth, and seventh bicycle fatalities in San Diego County this year. Although we do not yet know the details of each crash, these fatalities will only add onto San Diego’s disproportionally high bicycle fatality rate. As of 2019, San Diego had the sixth highest rate of bicycle fatalities of all major cities in the United States. We know that it is possible to prevent the vast majority of traffic fatalities through safer street design, and we will keep working every day to get those safety upgrades built and ultimately end this relentless cycle of tragedies.
If you have lost a loved one to traffic violence or have been seriously injured yourself, consider joining Safe Streets San Diego, a group of traffic violence survivors who meet monthly to offer mutual support and advocate for safer streets for all. Learn more here
