sparti

https://www.ocregister.com/articles/b...nt-police.html

I knew Matt. Really nice guy, full of life. My thoughts and prayers to his family.

TrojanHorse

)@#&*#$#, not again. And another *@&#^ drunk fled the scene - I'm glad the cops caught him - I hope they lock him up for a long time, but I think involuntary manslaughter is a 2 year max sentence in CA. I'm sorry for your friend's family too, what a shame.

OK, how on earth did the car sustain this kind of damage hitting a cyclist? Where did the tire go?

CbadRider

The car was found about a mile away in a parking lot. If the tire blew when he hit the cyclist and he drove on the rim for a mile, I imagine it would be shredded. Plus, you never know what else he drove over while he was fleeing the scene.

TrojanHorse

You're probably right... He probably hit the curb and maybe something else on the side of the road besides the cyclist. I'm pretty wary of riding at night for reasons of drunk drivers but that man who was killed on Santiago Canyon a few weeks ago at 8 am by a drunk freaks me out.

Rick@OCRR

I do ride at night but am off the roads by 8:00PM, usually, so not as many drunks as likely at 11:00PM when he was hit but you're right TrojanHorse, it can happen at any time of night or day . . . even 8:00AM. Tragic regardless of the time.

Rick / OCRR

Pamestique 

It really really sucks that these motorists have taken away from me something i love to do... I just can't ever see doing much road riding ever again, at least not here in So Cal. I still ride my road bike (even at night) but on the paved trails away from traffic. I am so glad I see more and more roadies using blinky lights and hi-viz clothing but really when someone is wasted, none of that matters. And with our laws, there really is no punishment for killing someone while under the influence...

You roadies... please stay safe... please; I am so sorry for this man's family and I am sorry for the cycling community on a whole...

furiousferret

I've always picked an chosen my routes; there are roads I will not go on because the propensity or either drunks or texters. I'm not going to say there is no risk, because many of these fatalities are on what I consider safe areas, which is disturbing.

Just bear in mind that every day in Socal roughly 5 people die in an automobile, and I don't see people shying away from driving.

TrojanHorse

Or those 6 people on the 60 driving home from wherever they were at 5 am on Feb 9.... when your time is up, it's up - but dying senselessly through somebody else's stupidity is particularly poignant.

Jed19

So sad to read again of another cyclist's death at the hands of a drunk. My condolences to Matthew Liechty's family and friends.

The real problem is that SoCal is just too crowded with motorists (drunk,sober,texting and absent-minded) to really have a safe road cycling experience here. I have had many close calls, and none was my fault, as I always try to be super careful. The last place I lived before coming to SoCal was Fort Collins, Colorado, and the road cycling was great in that area and the Rocky Mountains in general. I remember a 50Miler road ride I once did in New Mexico, and only counted seventeen cars. I'll still continue to ride in SoCal, but I am always aware that my next ride could be my last.

jimxyz

It's hard not to hesitate before heading out for a ride when we've had so many cyclists hit by cars. Night riding, day riding, drunks or not - the accidents still happen. Don't forget the biker that was hit by a Sheriff in the middle of the day on fairly wide street. There isn't really a safe time to be on the road - which really sucks if you want to climb hills or venture off the limited trails.

Garfield Cat

Edwards and Crosswind Drive intersection. That's between Elllis and Garfield. The street from curb to curb is maybe 60 feet wide. Very nice neighborhood, well groomed landscape.

Never rode there in the dark, day or night. But I would imagine the residential neighborhood has less lighting.

Drunk driving. Now how about under the influence of drugs like marijuana? I mean legalized recreational, would that just add more to incidents like "drunk driving" deaths?

Jed19

Of course it would. I mean, I smoked marijuana in college, and what I know is that it impairs your judgement. I definitely won't want to be on a bicycle while someone high on marijuana is trying hard to judge how far his/her car is from me.

This is the frustrating part with all this marijuana legalization push. I think it is a road down to perdition.

CommuteCommando

Too bad Huntington Beach seems to be such a hotbed for drunks. Cycling fatalities in HB don't seem to be limited to Friday nights. Sad to hear of yet another one.

Sorry to hear that you are letting this scare you off the roads, but it's your choice, and I respect it. I refuse to let @$$^'$ drive me off the roads.

Beachgrad05

Parts per million...5 out if how many million drivers? And really issue in my mind is drivers seem to get away with little to no punishment for hitting and injuring or killing cyclists. Police even are complicit in victim blaming and writing reports absolving drivers. Teammate was hit and driver and his friend lied to police and made it appear cyclist was at fault and did not do due diligence to verify veracity of their story. Guess fact they didn't run gave him a pass? Meanwhile my teammate is recovering from major injuries requiring surgery.

TrojanHorse

I'm starting to think I need a gaggle of these things: https://rideye.com/store/

And for my car too! Did any of you hear about the cops in Brooklyn that went the wrong way down a one-way street, side-swiped a parked car and then pinned the accident on the fellow sitting in the passenger seat of the parked car and arrested him for damaging city property & resisting arrest? Some body in one of the apartments above had a security camera that showed what the cops did, but they still threw the guy in jail for a night. https://nypost.com/2014/02/21/cops-hi...er-it-up-suit/

You just can't trust anybody these days, what a shame.

furiousferret

I'm sure its quite a few million, my point being perspective; very few people get in a car thinking they are going to die, yet I know many cyclists that think that way. The numbers will skew that cycling is more dangerous but not by much.

Unfortunately when dealing with the Police many times its who screams the loudest gets their way, and there are cops that do not like cyclists. Drivers are typically not hurt so its their story against an either traumatized or dead cyclist. We've had some pretty disgusting stories where drivers just walk after killing a cyclist when its clearly their fault.

ovoleg

Very sad to hear this...

But quitting something you love because of this fear is a little, bleh. You can get killed in a car just as easily(many people die in CA from car accidents).

Garfield Cat

There's 8.5 miles of beach front for public use in Huntington Beach. That makes it very attractive for out of town visitors. On weekends, weather permitting, the Pier area draws a big crowd. The two hotels on PCH, Hilton and Hyatt are usually very busy. And under construction is Pacific City, another development on PCH near the pier.

All this makes for more public activity. H.B. draws a different type of crowd than say, Corona del Mar.

Nikon Rep

America loves its alcohol.

reap what you sow.

TrojanHorse

So who exactly is reaping what he sowed?

MSLiechty

Matt was my brother and weekend riding partner. Tell me the pain eases soon.

ML

MSLiechty

Matts bike was lodged under the vehicle the suspect was found trying to remove it...

ML

MSLiechty

I have Matts Garmin track and can pinpoint speed location time etc... Hoping its of use to the investigation. Seeing how far he was launched in the air via teh elevation and the sudden speed drop is hard to look at The driver was charged with 4 felony counts but has bailed out of jail, pending arraignment in April. The investigators seems to think its pretty straight forward case.

ML

CommuteCommando

Per recommendation on another thread by Tom Stormcrow, share the details of that with a lawyer, and don't post a lot of those details here. Let the lawyer determine what is appropriate to share publicly. Getting this guy won't bring your bro back, but putting him away is still important.

eja_ bottecchia

You are closer to the truth than what you may even imagine.