Last Wednesday at 3:52 p.m., an SUV driver struck 63-year-old bicyclist Charles Raymond Gilbreth on the 4500 block of Montezuma Road.
According to the County of San Diego’s press release, Gilbreth was thrown off his bicycle into the grass. Although Advanced Cardiac Life Support was started when the paramedics arrived after a 911 call was placed, it was too late.
The reasons why the SUV collided with Gilbreth are unknown and pending investigation.
According to Bike San Diego writer Sam Ollinger’s blog, one witness claimed the SUV driver became impatient and used the bike lane to go around the bus in front of him.
Gilbreth was a Caucasian male who resided with his wife in San Diego.
Ollinger said five years ago, KPBS’ Morning Edition Anchor, Tom Fudge , was struck in the same location. Luckily, he survived.
“It strikes me as unbelievably callous that the leaders in the city are unmoved and unwilling to take action to address this deadly problem,” Ollinger said.
San Diego State student Melanie Martinez said the San Diego Police Department could work to improve the safety on Montezuma Road.
“Many drivers speed not realizing it is a university area where people are always walking or bicycling,” Martinez said. “It would be helpful to have officers watch the streets during the day.”
SDPD is investigating the accident to determine the cause of the collision. For inquiries or information about the case, contact the SDPD.