Bike Legal-Lawyers for Injured Cyclists

09/04/2026

A CYCLIST KILLED IN A BIKE LANE: SAN JOSE FACES ANOTHER TRAFFIC FATALITY

A cyclist riding an electric bicycle was struck and killed Thursday morning, September 3, on Tully Road in San Jose—along a corridor the city has already identified as a priority for traffic safety.

According to San Jose Police, the man was traveling westbound in the marked bike lane near Lanai Avenue at approximately 7:45 a.m. A white 2012 Freightliner dump truck was traveling in the same direction, passing through Lanai Avenue and approaching the Highway 101 entrance when it struck the rider.

The cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not yet been publicly released by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner. The truck driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police say drugs and alcohol do not appear to have been factors. The investigation remains ongoing.

His death marks San Jose’s 32nd traffic fatality of 2026. At the same point in 2025, the city recorded 22 traffic deaths, according to KTVU.

The location raises additional concerns. Tully Road is designated as a Vision Zero Priority Safety Corridor, part of a network of major streets where a disproportionate number of deaths and severe injuries occur. San Jose’s current Vision Zero goals are to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 30% by 2030 and eliminate them by 2040.

The city has identified safety measures for Tully Road, including enhanced buffered bike lanes, green markings in conflict zones, high-visibility crosswalks, reduced turning speeds, and traffic-signal improvements. 46% of fatal and severe-injury crashes occur on Priority Safety Corridors. Tully Road from Monterey Road to Ruby Avenue appears on the city’s Priority Safety Corridor map.

Exactly how the truck and bicycle came into contact near the Highway 101 ramp has not yet been publicly determined.

Anyone with information is asked to contact SJPD Traffic Investigations at 408-277-4654.

Photo and video courtesy of: FOX-KTVU2

09/02/2026

MIAMI SURGEON FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE AFTER SUV DRIVER STRIKES HIM IN RICKENBACKER BIKE LANE

A weekend bicycle ride on Miami’s Rickenbacker Causeway turned devastating for Dr. Gilbert Beauperthuy-Rojas, a 63-year-old orthopedic surgeon at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital.

Miami police said Beauperthuy-Rojas was struck by a vehicle at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, near 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway in Virginia Key. Miami Fire Rescue rushed him to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. His brother-in-law, Carlos Mendia, told Local 10 that the doctor was riding alone in the designated bicycle lane when an SUV driver struck him.

As of the most recent public updates, Beauperthuy-Rojas remained hospitalized in critical condition and was fighting for his life. Mendia said he suffered lacerations to his liver and kidney, cuts across his body and a spinal cord injury. Early indications showed no movement or ability to move below the waist, the family said. No newer medical update has been publicly confirmed.

The physician is a longtime cyclist who has ridden the causeway most Saturday mornings for roughly 16 years with Mendia and a friend. Colleagues described him as both an admired doctor and person. HCA Florida Mercy Hospital asked the community to keep him and his loved ones in their prayers.

Miami police say the driver stayed at the scene and is cooperating. Authorities have not publicly released the driver’s name, age or gender, and reports have not identified the SUV’s make or model. Investigators have not announced charges or said whether speed, distraction or impairment played a role. The cause remains under review.

Photos courtesy of: NBC6 and WPLG10
Video courtesy of: NBC6

08/31/2026

TWO RIVERSIDE TEENS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN E-MOTO CRASH, FUELING ALARM OVER ILLEGAL E-MOTOS

Two 14-year-old boys suffered major injuries when an 88-year-old motorist in a silver Lexus struck them at Arlington and Mitchell avenues about 7:46 p.m. Aug. 25. Police said one teen was on an e-scooter and the other an e-moto as they traveled south on Mitchell and tried to cross Arlington; the Lexus was westbound.

The motorist was unhurt, stayed at the scene and was interviewed but not arrested. Riverside police’s Major Accident Investigation Team is examining the signal sequence and whether alcohol or drugs contributed. News reports described the boys as critical, though a police spokesman said their extensive injuries were not believed life-threatening. No newer condition report was public as of Aug. 31.

The e-moto was illegal for a 14-year-old to operate on public streets. A machine without pedals or with a motor above 750 watts is not a legal e-bike; motorcycle licensing, registration and safety rules apply. A 14-year-old also cannot legally operate an e-scooter without a permit or license.

The crash follows a grim regional pattern. Riverside County emergency-room visits for e-bike injuries among 10- to 14-year-olds more than doubled in 2025, with at least 416 incidents reported in 2026.

On Aug. 12, 15-year-old Koa Quintanilla was killed by a hit-and-run motorist while riding an off-road e-moto in Menifee. On Aug. 27, a 14-year-old e-moto rider was critically injured in a Fountain Valley collision with a turning car.

Authorities are stepping up enforcement. In Eastvale on Aug. 25, deputies towed 11 illegal electric motorcycles or scooters and issued 11 unlicensed-driving citations, three tampering citations, and one citation to an adult accused of allowing an unlicensed minor to ride.

Orange County prosecutors have more than two dozen parental-liability investigations open and have charged four parents.

Photos courtesy of: KTLA5 News

08/28/2026

One in three U.S. drivers is uninsured or underinsured. Learn why adding UM/UIM insurance can protect cyclists after a bicycle crash or hit-and-run.

08/27/2026

FATHER ORDERED TO STAND TRIAL AFTER 12-YEAR-OLD’S E-MOTO CRASH

A Yorba Linda father has been ordered to stand trial and is facing possible prison time after prosecutors say he helped modify an electric motorcycle for his 12-year-old son—despite an earlier citation and safety warning.

Richard John Eyssallenne, 39, has pleaded not guilty to felony child endangerment and abuse and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. If convicted, he faces up to six years in state prison.

The charges stem from a July 20, 2025 crash. Prosecutors say Eyssallenne’s 12-year-old son ran a red light at Via Lomas De Yorba West and La Palma Avenue while riding a modified 2024 Talaria ### and collided with a Honda Civic. The boy suffered a fractured skull, intracranial bleeding, fractured femur and other serious injuries.

At Eyssallenne’s preliminary hearing this week, prosecutors showed dash-camera video capturing the violent collision. An Orange County Sheriff’s deputy also testified that she contacted Child Protective Services after the crash because the same e-moto had been involved in two separate incidents. An Orange County judge ruled yesterday that the father will stand trial on criminal charges.

Investigators determined the Talaria was not a legal e-bike. Its pedals had been replaced with motorcycle pegs, its motor could produce approximately 5,000 watts at peak output, and its factory speed limiter had allegedly been cut and rerouted to a key switch—allowing speeds reportedly reaching 60 mph.

Perhaps most significant: the boy had already been cited for illegally riding the e-moto in December 2024. Less than a month later, Eyssallenne attended an e-bike safety presentation with his 12- and 10-year-old sons.

The case comes amid an unprecedented Orange County enforcement effort. The DA’s RIDE SAFELY unit currently has four open prosecutions involving parents and 26 additional parental investigations where criminal charges are being considered.

Photo courtesy of: Orange County Register

Video courtesy of: CBS-LA

08/26/2026

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) reports that a bicyclist was taken to an area hospital after being hit by an Elizabethton Police Department (EPD) cruiser on Monday e…

08/25/2026

4 CYCLISTS…3 STATES…LIVES LOST ON SOUTHERN ROADS

Within a matter of days, several cyclists have been killed on Southern roads—leaving families grieving and the cycling community once again asking what must change.

On August 21, Quentin Ratliff, 39, was riding his bicycle in Olive Branch, Mississippi, when he was struck by a southbound vehicle near Germantown Road and Cedar Crest Lane shortly after 6 a.m. Ratliff later died from his injuries. The driver remained at the scene, and the investigation is ongoing.

But Ratliff wasn’t just another name in a crash report. Known throughout Olive Branch as “The Dancing Man” and “Mr. Riverdale,” he became a local fixture for dancing, waving, and saluting passing motorists. Friends say his simple mission was making people smile.

His death came only two days after a devastating collision in Tennessee.
On August 19, eleven members of the Milligan University cycling team were on a morning training ride near Hampton when a driver struck the group. Sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers were killed and seven teammates were injured.

Authorities arrested 69-year-old John Benfield of North Carolina, charging him with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle. The Tennessee Highway Patrol continues investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.
And the losses extend beyond this one week.

In July, Samuel Ryár, 30, of Slovakia, was killed on U.S. Highway 280 in Alabama while attempting an extraordinary cross-country ride from San Diego to Savannah. The driver reportedly remained at the scene while authorities investigated.

Different riders. Different roads. Different circumstances. Yet every case underscores the same reality: a person on a bicycle has almost no protection when a driver makes a mistake.

What has to change?

Photos courtesy of: Milligan University and The Daily Memphian

08/21/2026

08/21/2026

Learn how California bicycle and e-bike bills become law, why some proposals fail or are vetoed, and how cyclists can participate in the legislative process.

08/20/2026