A hit-and-run crash in South Lake Tahoe killed one bicyclist on June 27, 2018.
According to CBS Sacramento, this crash happened before 5:30AM on Highway 50. Allegedly, a car headed eastbound struck the bicyclist near Upper Truckee River. When safety crews arrived on the scene, they found one man dead on the road and a mangled bicycle by his side.
Although police are still investigating this accident, they don’t have any leads on what kind of car was involved in this crash. Anyone with information on this fatal accident is urged to call South Lake Tahoe’s Police Department.
Cyclist Fatalities & Hit-And-Runs In USA
A new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 1,000 American cyclists die and another 467,000 are injured annually in traffic accidents. These high fatalities are even more shocking when you consider cyclist trips only represent 1 percent of all trips in the USA.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, both cyclists and pedestrians are more likely to get involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash than a car driver. A disturbing study out of AAA revealed that hit-and-run deaths are increasing year-on-year in America. From 2009 to 2016, the number of traffic fatalities from hit-and-runs rose by a massive 60 percent. Well over half of all those killed in these hit-and-run crashes were either pedestrians or bicyclists.
While nobody can predict when or where these accidents will occur, bicyclists can take proactive steps to reduce their risk of dying in a traffic collision. The most effective safety strategies cyclists could put into practice include wearing a helmet, putting bright lights on your bike, and wearing bright clothing. According to California’s Vehicle Code 21212, everyone under the age of 18 must wear a helmet when traveling on a bicycle.