Here are more details from the local paper.
Cyclist dies in suspected hit-and-run
Colton man found on Barton Road was training for a triathlon
By C.L. LOPEZ
Staff Writer
LOMA LINDA A Tuesday morning bike ride turned tragic for a Colton man who was killed while training for a triathlon along Barton Road.
Alejandro Campos Gonzalez, 28, an emergency room and intensive care unit nurse from Community Hospital of San Bernardino, died from massive head injuries stemming from a suspected hit and run.
Investigators believe Gonzalez was riding his bicycle eastbound on Barton Road at Hillcrest Street when he was struck by an eastbound vehicle that fled.
A passing motorist saw Gonzalez lying in the street and alerted Loma Linda University security, who then called the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department at 10:27 a.m., said the department's public information officer, Robin Haynal.
Gonzalez, who was wearing full bike gear, including a helmet, still suffered massive head injuries. He was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center where he was died at 10:50 a.m.
A helmet and a mangled bicycle that lay along Barton Road offered investigators the only clues to his identity. He did not have a wallet or any other identification, said Randy Emon, supervising deputy coroner and public information officer.
Jim Baden, who owns Cycletek, a Loma Linda bicycle shop, said a detective called him around 2 p.m. Tuesday when Gonzalez's bicycle was traced back to his store. Though it was a relief to help detectives identify the then unknown dead man, Baden said there was a shocking realism that came with it being someone he knew, he said.
"It was an unbelievable tragedy," he said. "He (Gonzalez) was a good guy, friendly, outgoing and energetic."
Baden met Gonzalez a few months ago, when he sold him the bicycle. He said Gonzalez normally biked alone while training for a triathlon coming up in Lake Arrowhead in a few weeks, he said.
Gonzalez trained for triathlons often and was very well liked, said Tobey Robertson, the hospital's director of marketing.
"He was very popular and had a great sense of humor," she said. "We are all touched my this. It is so heartbreaking and sad we lost someone who was so caring and concerned in this way."
Tamre Delvalle, a former classmate, coworker and friend of Gonzalez, remembered her friend with laughter and tears.
"In one statement, he could make you laugh, cry and get upset and he would always leave you laughing," she said.
Gonzalez was engaged to be married next year. His fiance worked in the hospital's engineering department.
But instead of his wedding, his friends were left planning a memorial.
Hours after he helped identify him, Baden visited the scene of the accident.
His death highlighted the risk cyclists face each day.
Dozens of cyclists ride along Barton Road daily and the area is a major thoroughfare for cycling enthusiasts, Baden said.
"A cyclist on the road is always at a disadvantage," he said. "Drivers consider you to be an annoyance to them."
People don't realize how fast cyclists are going and sometimes think they can make it to intersections to make their turns faster than the cyclists, he said.
Baden said that Gonzalez, who lived off of Washington Street, had no reason to turn onto Hillcrest and would have continued along Barton Road. And given he was three or four miles from home, he was likely "still fresh" at the time of the accident.
Baden said he believes a car was involved in the accident that killed Gonzalez, causing him to hit the curb and lose control of his bicycle.
Perry Burton, a cyclist, visited the crash site with Baden. Close calls, especially at intersections, are not uncommon and sometimes drivers don't signal they are going to turn, he said.
"If a car doesn't see you (on your bicycle) and turns inward, they clip you and you get spun around," he said.
If that was the case with Gonzalez, his bike would have been spun around and he would likely have landed face down.
Most cyclists avoid riding next to the curb because there tends to be rocks or other debris and they prefer to ride on the left side of the bike lane, Burton said.
But bike lanes do not guarantee cyclists' safety.
As Burton stood with his bicycle in the bike lane feet away from where Gonzalez was found, a driver in a minivan made a right turn onto Hillcrest, cut across the bike lane and narrowly missed hitting him.
Burton, like Gonzalez, said he doesn't ride with a wallet or any other identification. When he rides his bike, his wallet gets full of sweat, he said. But now he says he will wear identification in the future and has ordered a tag with his name.
Anyone who was in the area at the time of the accident is asked to call Detective Gary Smith or Sgt. Michael Newcombe at (909) 387-3545.
E-mail Staff Writer C.L. Lopez at
clopez@redlandsdailyfacts.com
Gary Mc
Did I mention I did Kona