Motorcyclist & Passenger Crushed by Big Rig During Sunday's Love Ride
Sunday's Love Ride was unfortunately not-so-lovely for four of the participants. Two separate traffic incidents occurred on the 5 Freeway during the event. Two people were injured in the first accident, and two others were killed in the second. Yesterday marked the 28th annual Love Ride as well as the first fatalities associated with the event.
The first crash occurred at approximately 10:24am on the northbound 5 Freeway near the 170 Freeway. Two motorcyclists, who were both part of the Love Ride, collided and were taken to a local hospital. The accident blocked three of five traffic lanes, prompting authorities to issue a SigAlert. Traffic was backed up for several hours. Spokeswoman Susan Morrison said both motorcyclists appeared to be doing well on Sunday night, according to L.A. Now.
The second crash happened in the same location about one hour after the first accident. A male biker, Romarino Zeri, and his female passenger, Julie Cameron, were killed when they were run over by a big rig. "I don't know if they were trying to catch up with the pack," said CHP Officer Christian Cracraft. "They were splitting traffic on the 3 and 4 lane and got tangled by a big rig and got run over."
Love Ride posted on their Facebook wall this afternoon, "A Message from Oliver Shokouh: We, along with our family of riders, mourn the loss of our friends, Romarino Zeri and his passenger, Julie Cameron. Our heartfelt condolences and sympathies go to their family and friends. We will keep you posted as we learn more information - together we will honor our fallen."
This year's Love Ride, which is a motorcycle ride to raise money for children's charities, benefited Autism Speaks and directed motorcyclists to ride from Glendale to Castaic Lake. Shokouh founded the nonprofit Love Ride Foundation in 1984.
