One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
SUV + Bicycle Incident Leaves All Parties Not-Guilty
Photo by Matt Stilline
Photo by Matt Stilline
Early Friday morning in downtown one bicyclist was sent to the hospital overnight after he had an incursion with a Hummer. That same vehicle ran over three bicycles a few minutes later. What happened? Well, that depends on who you ask. The police say, via an unsolicited witness, that a cyclist, possibly drunk, crashed into the Hummer when he approached the passenger side door (apparently, he wanted to confront the occupants, but was going too fast). The group of cyclists say the Hummer purposely came up from behind and took one of their own out (full description of cyclist side of story here).
Basically, here's what both sides can agree on: something happened between the hummer and a cyclist, who got injured. Other cyclists surrounded the Hummer to ensure the driver didn't leave the scene. Well, he did leave the scene and in the process, ran over three bicycles dropped by riders moving out of the way. The police arrived, talked to each party, interview witnesses and call it a day, arresting no one, or as Sgt. Kevin Moore told LAist, they "split the baby." That's because to the police, it seemed that the Hummer driver had begun the incident by obnoxiously honking his horn at the cyclists rather than driving around them--it was 2 a.m. with zero traffic. They said he probably had feared for his and the passengers' safety when his car was surrounded by cyclists, making it okay to leave the scene of a hit and run.
As for the injured cyclist, he made it home Friday afternoon from the hospital, luckily with minor injuries. "It was so fast, i don't believe what happened," he explained to LAist. "The next thing you know, I'm in the air. I'm really lucky nothing is broken." Details were fuzzy to him, but one thing was for sure: he didn't hit or even approach the Hummer--it came out of nowhere sideswiping him.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
