73-Year-Old Man Charged with Bicycle Hit-And-Run

The driver, who fled after crashing into a bicyclist, has been arrested and faces felony hit-and-run charges

A 73-year-old man has been indicted by police after striking a bicyclist and fleeing from the accident. Despite the fact that the hit-and-run driver ran away, an investigation has identified the person who apparently struck the bicycle.

The victim of this severe hit-and-run was a 41-year-old Oakland resident. The incident occurred when the man was out riding his bike on a July 25 afternoon in Pinole, California.

The suspect, Joseph Kish, was driving in the 2100 block of Appian Way when he violently struck a bicyclist. The victim was left injured on the ground without any medical assistance. Still, the cyclist managed to get off the road and walk to a motel, where he called the police. 

The impact, in addition to causing extensive damage to the bike, resulted in serious injuries to the victim, including a fractured pelvis.

Although the incident occurred a month ago, the district attorney’s office has gathered evidence and witness information blaming Kish as the perpetrator of the accident. According to Ted Asregadoo, spokesman for the DA’s office, the driver’s behavior was irresponsible because “he did not stop after the collision.”

Photos and statements provided by a witness were key to solving this investigation. Police located the vehicle and confirmed that its owner, Kish, was the perpetrator.

The court will set an arraignment date for hit-and-run charges in the coming weeks. 

Bicyclists and Cars: Equal Rights?

The California Vehicle Code shows that both bicycles and vehicles have the same rights when riding on the road. However, it is not uncommon to see vehicles hitting bicyclists, or other cars, for not taking proper safety precautions or breaking traffic laws. What’s worse, seeing a hit-and-run on bicycles is becoming more and more common.

But what happens if a bicycle is struck by a car? The risk of head injuries in bicycle accidents is the highest. Up to 70% of the cases recorded in the state over the past year have involved some kind of brain damage. One of the suggested measures to decrease this number is the use of helmets, as it reduces the risk of brain injuries by 54%.

When it comes to deaths, at least 2% of fatal crashes in California are due to bicycle collisions. Since 2010, in some regions, the fatality rate has increased by 19%. In fact, in 2020 alone, 938 bicyclists died from traffic crashes, as reported by NHTSA on its website.

The conclusion is clear. NHTSA must promote the need for cyclists and cars to learn to coexist on the road. Otherwise, the number of fatal accidents will continue to increase.

Injured in a Hit-and-Run Accident? 

Hit-and-run accidents can cause tragic consequences for any family. As mentioned, it is not unusual to see drivers fleeing from an accident. In fact, KTLA cameras recently caught one such hit-and-run event while filming a live television broadcast.

Traffic accidents are on the rise across the state. The latest area to alarm its residents of the increase in roadway incidents has been Contra Costa County. According to the report conducted by Vision Zero, from 2014 to 2018 there were more than 2,000 injury collisions in the area. Of those, 252 were fatalities or devastating injuries. The average number of serious injury crashes is every five days.

We Can Help!

Affected by the increase in accidents? Involved in a hit-and-run? Contact the attorneys at Adamson Ahdoot today. Our team can provide you with the resources you need to bring the responsible party to justice. With more than 100 years of combined legal experience, we have achieved successful settlements for thousands of clients. One of them is a $615k claim for compensation for a rear-end hit-and-run accident involving severe injuries.

Call us today at (800) 310-1606 to schedule a no-obligation appointment. The first case evaluation is completely free.