Home Antioch Antioch: Bicyclist Critically Injured on James Donlon After Being Struck by Vehicle

Antioch: Bicyclist Critically Injured on James Donlon After Being Struck by Vehicle

by ECT

Antioch Bike Accident

At roughly 1:19 pm Monday, emergency crews responded to a report of an vehicle versus bicycle that shut down James Donlon Blvd near G Street in Antioch that left one man critically injured an airlifted to a local hospital.

Engine 82 was first on scene and immediately stated via radio traffic the injuries were critical and requested an air ambulance and the roads be shut down. Antioch Police and additional CONFIRE units arrived on scene to assist with shutting down the roads and assisting the helicopter land. The subject was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

According to Steve Aubert, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Public Information Officer, he says the bicyclist was in his 60’s and had several injuries from the accident and they were deemed critical. He did not have additional information on the mans injuries.

According to one of our readers, the drivers windshield was smashed in and the accident occurred in the cross walk.

Update via Antioch Police Press Release (4:00 pm):

The driver of the vehicle was also on scene and cooperated fully with the investigation. It appears, based on witness statements that the bicyclist was at fault in the collision. There were no indications that there was any impairment on the part of the driver of the

The investigation into this collision is still on-going. During the investigation, both directions of James Donlon Blvd were closed to through traffic.

Photo provided by Julie Becerra

 

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20 comments

Local Yokel Feb 24, 2014 - 5:37 pm

Bicycle at fault? Sketchy, very sketchy. That section of JDB is a freeway and speeds average far above the posted 40mph. Just last week there was a roll over less than a quarter mile east of this site. I have seen or have been part of people REFUSING to stop for people in and around this crosswalk. More often than not, one car will stop and those behind will impatiently swing out accelerate and then blow passed those attempting to cross the street. APD once told me that they cannot enforce the speed limit in this stretch of roadway as there is no safe place to pull the offenders over. Next time you drive JDB, go a bit slower and look at the many memorials that decorate this road.

jennifer Feb 24, 2014 - 10:06 pm

Not true my boyfriend got a ticket on this street when the speed limit was 35…..If they can pull you over on a freeway they can pull you over any where you can always pull onto a side street. The speed limit should only be 30 on this street and people will go 35-40 but as it stands now they go 45-50. Not good since there is a lot of pedestrian traffic.

LLAB Feb 24, 2014 - 6:04 pm

How is the bicyclist at fault if he is in the cross walk crossing the road? The trail crosses there doesn’t it? I do have to say that cars drive in the bike lanes all the time and drive to fast all around Antioch ;(

Yoda I am Feb 24, 2014 - 7:40 pm

Crosswalks are not force fields.

LLAB Feb 25, 2014 - 9:30 am

Still doesn’t make it the bicyclist’s fault…

Sharky Feb 24, 2014 - 8:51 pm

Bicycles have to follow the same rules of the road as vehicles….they are not pedestrians and do not automatically have any type of right of way. Sorry to burst your Tour De France bubble…

LLAB Feb 25, 2014 - 9:39 am

You are probably the same type of person that drives the bike lane and speeds close by a bicyclist just to be a tough person surrounded by steel. This does not have to do with a Tour De France bubble, as you put it. This has to do with somebodies life that is now unable to go home to his family. People walking or people riding a bike should be able to have the same safety as people driving a car. Bottom line is that we all know that drivers speed this stretch of the road.

Sharky Feb 25, 2014 - 4:22 pm

It has everything to do with you automatically assuming the driver of the car is at fault without knowing anything about what happened. Most bicyclists don’t know that they are required to follow all the same rules of the road as vehicles and instead ride anyway they want. They ride against the flow, they cut across all lanes of traffic, they don’t use hand signals, stop at stop signs, ride on the sidewalk….etc etc…. You shouldn’t just assume this bike rider was doing everything right cause maybe he wasn’t.

LLAB Feb 26, 2014 - 10:13 pm

I never assumed or accused…I stated an opinion! Thanks thou Sharky

Capt. Feb 24, 2014 - 6:43 pm

Every day bicyclist who need to respect traffic laws pay no attention to them. Traffic laws are almost identical for bikes and cars. How many times do you see a bike stop at a stop sign? How many times do you see bikes in a group side by side? Crosswalks are for pedestrians not bikes unless you get off of them and walk. Bike lanes are for bikes and cars that drive in them are subject to a citation. Tragic but that is why they call them accidents. Hope the bicyclist gets better.

Johanna Leiva Feb 24, 2014 - 7:17 pm

I take JDB everyday to and from work and seems so unsafe͵ everybody is always in a rush. Drivers are always driving over the speed limit..It is very scary. I´ve seen several accidents. It is very sad. Unforfunately people will never learn..:-(

teach kindness Feb 24, 2014 - 7:48 pm

As a bicyclist myself I have to say that the crosswalk does not give us the right to just go. We have to be very defensive and very alert while riding. Riders and pedestrians don’t always use common sense. So what you have the right of way, a car will kill you. I know that stretch of trail and I make sure both lanes are clear or both lanes of traffic are stopped before I go half way across the street.

T.F. Feb 24, 2014 - 8:44 pm

I witnessed this accident today and I can’t stop thinking about the guy and the driver. Some of these reports are inaccurate. He was not in the crosswalk when this took place, unfortunately that is just where he landed. I do agree people need to slow down on James Donlon but as an eye witness to this there was nothing the driver could have done to prevent this accident. It is a very unfortunate set of circumstances and I think it is important to not jump to conclusions. I feel so sorry for the driver, she was not in good shape when I left her and the 60 year old guy, my goodness I have been praying for him all day. Please pray for all parties involved, including us who witnessed this.

Matthew James Feb 26, 2014 - 2:07 am

I too saw this accident from my rear view mirror and the cyclist hit seemed to be at fault. I had passed this cyclist just as he came down onto the sidewalk on the right side of the roadway riding down from the adjacent hill. I slowed down below 40 mph because it seemed like he was going to ride his bike into the roadway. I made eye contact with him so I could be sure he saw my vehicle drive by. He appeared to be in his late 50’s or early 60’s. He appeared to be tired and his face was sweating profusely. He was riding on the right side of the roadway as my vehicle went on by him. A few seconds later I looked into my rear view mirror to check traffic behind me and it appeared this cyclist casually rode his bike into the right lane and then into the left lane of traffic. He was not riding in a crosswalk but was riding at an angle across the two lanes of traffic. I said to myself, doesn’t this guy see the cars coming up on him? There were multiple cars coming up in both lanes and this cyclist appeared to stay in the left lane without moving across the road and out of the way. The cyclist was not ridng fast and appeared to be almost coasting across the road. The two front cars in both lanes were upon him in about 3 seconds. The driver in the left lane that hit him had no time to react it appeared and no place to swerve to avoid him as there was a car next to it in the right lane. The cyclist was hit in the rear of his bike and flew up in the air rotating violently. His bike seemed to crumple and come apart. The cyclist came down and appeared to impact the windshield of the car that hit him. He was then thrown forward onto the the front hood of the car and then into the road. All cars stopped. I wondered as I turned my view back to the front of my car, did this cyclist not see these cars coming down the road? I just kept thinking he didn’t seem to hurry across the road but almost nonchalantly was riding in front of the car that eventually hit him.
I hope he survives. I wonder if he was dehydrated and not focusing on the immediate traffic. He really didn’t seem to act like he felt cars were coming up to him quickly. It was a pretty traumatic thing to view.

Barbara DuMont Feb 24, 2014 - 10:13 pm

Here is the California Law regarding crosswalks. Notice that while cars shall yield the right of way, Pedestrians also have some responsibility. Way too many people believe that if they are in the crosswalk, they can just march out into the street. And way too many of the kids crossing the street seem to think that they can screw around and take their ever living sweet time.

VC Section 21950 Right of Way at Crosswalks
Right-of-Way at Crosswalks

21950. (a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

(b) This section does not relieve a pedestrian from the duty of using due care for his or her safety. No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.

(c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.

(d) Subdivision (b) does not relieve a driver of a vehicle from the duty of exercising due care for the safety of any pedestrian within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
Amended Sec. 8, Ch. 833, Stats. 2000. Effective January 1, 2001.

dunefox Feb 25, 2014 - 8:28 pm

Why is it anyone’s fault an accident is just that an accident – I am sure neither one of the persons involved had any plans of this happening…however the fact that drivers have killed themselves along with innocent victims on this very dangerous road you would think people would slow down….I live off this road and I am reminded everyday of the lives lost….pay attention people – I have lived here over 13 years and in that time I have only seen one person pulled over for speeding its not enough….the police need to crack down on this stretch of road and bring the speed limit back down to a reasonable speed…..or it will just continue to take lives…….

Marie Feb 25, 2014 - 10:25 pm

I was there the accident didn’t occur in the crosswalk the bicyclist cut right in front of the car well before the crosswalk the bicyclist was propelled into the crosswalk where the pictures are taken

Tyler Feb 26, 2014 - 1:33 pm

Alright people knock it off and write trying to put blame one of the parties, the bicyclist is my uncle, it was a pure accident, neither party wanted or intended for this to happen. quit playing the blame game.

Tyler Feb 26, 2014 - 1:35 pm

Quit trying* not write trying

Stephanie Feb 26, 2014 - 8:08 pm

I’ve been trying to find out who the guy on the bike was. I have a friend that fit the age and bike route that he was on

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