Thursday afternoon a 56-year-old cyclist in Perris was rear-ended and killed while riding his bike on Perris Boulevard in Moreno Valley. According to the Press Enterprise, the victim, Tracy Gage, was struck from behind by a Toyota while riding northbound and suffered major injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident happened between Krameria Avenue and Northern Dancer Drive at about 3:40 p.m. The driver of the car, 19-year-old Steven Gomez, was also heading the same direction on Perris Blvd. when the accident occurred. Neither drugs nor alcohol appear to have been a factor in this tragic accident. Anyone with information regarding the happening of the accident is urged to call the Moreno Valley Police Department Traffic Division at 951-486-6900 during regular business hours or 951-776-1099 after hours and on weekends.
Area of the Accident and Its Cause
The stretch of Perris Boulevard where the accident occurred is in a residential area. The road is flat, straight and the speed limit is a somewhat surprising 50 miles per hour. Any driver traveling through the area might reasonably expect to encounter a cyclist since there are so many homes nearby. The speed limit, however, would seem to make the roadway particularly dangerous for someone on a bicycle who could not keep up with the flow of 50 mph traffic. It is unknown why Gomez struck Gage, but it is possible he was not expecting to encounter a vehicle (the bike) traveling so much slower than traffic. While this would appear to be a possibility, it certainly would not excuse this rear-end accident.
If you have been injured or a loved one killed in a bicycle accident, contacting an auto accident attorney may be the most important step toward finding out about your right to compensation for the injuries and damages sustained.
SOURCE: MORENO VALLEY: Bicyclist killed by car is identified (UPDATE), The Press Enterprise, September 12, 2013, by Richard K. De Atley
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