A 44-year-old bicyclist from Davis died Friday morning when he was struck by a vehicle on County Road 99 — the third cyclist fatality to occur in the region since May.
Jorge Solorio-Arroyo was riding northbound on the county road about 200 yards north of West Covell Boulevard when, “due to circumstances still under investigation,” he was struck from behind by a Chevy Tahoe at about 6:35 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Pedro Leon said.
The Tahoe’s driver, Winters resident Carlos Mendoza, 45, immediately pulled over and called 911, but Solorio-Arroyo had sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Leon.
Conditions were dry but dark at the time of the collision, and information about any protective gear the bicyclist may have been wearing — such as a helmet, lights or reflective clothing — was not immediately made public.
“That’s all part of the investigation still,” said Leon, who added that Solorio-Arroyo had been commuting to work at the time of the crash.
Investigators said they had ruled out alcohol or drugs as factors in the incident, which occurred on the same stretch of roadway where another Davis bicyclist, 71-year-old Terry Tanner, died after being struck by a vehicle during a nighttime ride in July 2011.
Solorio-Arroyo is the third cyclist to die as a result of an auto-bike collision since May, when Ronald Cortez of Rocklin rode into the path of a big-rig during a leg of the Davis Double Century ride in Dixon.
On Sept. 27, Allen Brumm of Foster City was participating in the Esparto Time Trial race when he was fatally struck by a vehicle whose driver had changed lanes to pass another cyclist.
Several cyclists also have been injured in hit-and-run collisions — one on L Street in March, another on East Chiles Road in September, and three on South River Road in Clarksburg by a driver who now faces three counts of attempted murder.
Darell Dickey of the Davis Bike Club said the incidents highlight the importance of education and infrastructure when it comes to vehicles and bicycles sharing the roadways.
“We don’t teach drivers at all how to deal with other types of traffic on the road,” whether it’s bicyclists, farm equipment or other slower-moving travelers, Dickey said. He advises motorists to slow down and change lanes to pass when it’s safe to do so, and “don’t try to share the same lane with them.”
As for bicyclists, “all that a cyclist can do is be as visible as possible to approaching vehicles,” Dickey said, citing lights, reflective clothing and avoiding riding at the far right edge of the roadway as crucial elements in a safe bike ride. “Riding at the edge, you get lost in the foliage and approaching drivers can’t see you as soon.”
Roadway design also can be a bone of contention for the bicycling community, Dickey added.
“We are not designing our roads appropriately for the users,” he said. Streets are designed “for cars to get where they’re going as fast as possible, and we tuck some bicycle infrastructure around that when it’s convenient.”
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene