LOS ANGELES, CA – An e-bike rider died after being struck by an SUV in Santa Ana Tuesday evening, marking the city’s second serious collision involving an e-bike rider in roughly 24 hours.
The fatal crash was reported around 6 p.m. near North Santiago Street and East Santa Ana Boulevard, close to the Metrolink station.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene and the injured rider was transported to a local hospital.
The victim, described only as a man, later died from his injuries, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
Authorities have not released his name or age.
Video from the aftermath showed a silver Mercedes-Benz SUV stopped in the roadway. Clothing and other items belonging to the victim could be seen scattered in front of the vehicle.
Unlike the previous night’s hit-and-run collision, police said the SUV driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
Authorities have not said what caused Tuesday’s collision.
Investigators also have not determined publicly whether speed, impairment, distraction, visibility or another factor contributed to the crash.
Police have not announced any arrest or citation involving the SUV driver.
Information reviewed by Street People indicates investigators are continuing to reconstruct the circumstances leading to the impact while awaiting additional information that could help establish how the collision occurred.
The case falls within the type of traffic investigation handled by the Santa Ana Police Department’s Traffic Division, which includes officers responsible for collision investigations and traffic enforcement throughout the city.
Tuesday’s death came approximately one day after another e-bike rider was violently struck at West Warner Avenue and South Raitt Street.
That earlier collision occurred around 10:15 p.m. Monday.
Video from that incident showed an e-bike rider waiting at the intersection before beginning to cross Warner Avenue after the traffic signal changed.
A sedan then appeared to enter the intersection against a red light and struck the rider from the side.
The force of the collision sent the rider through the air while pieces of the e-bike scattered across the roadway.
The driver fled without stopping to assist the injured man.
A passing pickup truck later pulled alongside the victim, helping shield him from approaching traffic while emergency assistance was summoned.
Despite the violent impact, that rider survived and was taken to a hospital with injuries authorities described as non-life-threatening.
Police continue searching for the driver involved in Monday’s hit-and-run.
Authorities have described the wanted vehicle only as a sedan and have not publicly released a description of the driver.
The two incidents are not known to be connected.
However, their proximity in time has placed renewed attention on the risks faced by e-bike riders and other vulnerable road users in Santa Ana.
Tuesday’s collision ended in a fatality, while Monday’s rider survived despite being thrown from his bike. In both cases, investigators have released only limited information about the precise sequence of events leading to impact.
Santa Ana has an existing citywide traffic-safety program aimed at reducing severe and fatal roadway collisions.
The city’s Vision Zero Plan establishes a long-term goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries and specifically includes improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists among its priorities.
City planning documents show why those users receive particular attention.
Between 2017 and 2021, Santa Ana recorded 40 fatalities and 149 serious injuries involving pedestrians and bicyclists. When occupants of motor vehicles were included, 603 roadway users were killed or seriously injured over the same period, according to the city’s Vision Zero planning material.
Those broader figures do not establish the cause of either of this week’s e-bike crashes, but they provide context for the city’s ongoing efforts to reduce serious collisions involving people traveling outside traditional passenger vehicles.
Santa Ana has also pursued street projects designed around multimodal safety.
For example, the city’s Raitt Street Improvements include proposed safety measures such as separated bicycle lanes, bicycle signals and changes to roadway configuration.
Monday’s hit-and-run occurred at South Raitt Street and West Warner Avenue, while Tuesday’s fatal collision happened several miles away near Santiago Street and Santa Ana Boulevard.
Police have not suggested that street design was responsible for either collision.
For Tuesday’s case, investigators have not disclosed the direction the e-bike or SUV was traveling, whether the rider was inside a traffic lane or crossing the roadway, or what the traffic signal showed immediately before impact.
It also remains unclear whether surveillance cameras in the area captured the collision itself.
The SUV remained at the scene after the crash, allowing investigators to examine the vehicle and speak with the driver as part of the investigation.
No information has been released about the driver’s identity.
Authorities also have not said whether drugs or alcohol have been ruled out.
The rider’s identity is expected to remain withheld until authorities complete the appropriate notification process.
Meanwhile, the investigation into Monday night’s separate hit-and-run remains active, with police still attempting to identify and locate the sedan and its driver.
The two crashes leave Santa Ana investigators handling one fatal e-bike collision and another serious hit-and-run case from consecutive evenings.
Anyone with information relevant to either incident is encouraged to contact the Santa Ana Police Department.
Tuesday’s fatal crash remains under investigation.
