(San Diego, CA) An e-bike rider underwent surgery after colliding with a turning Ford F-650 truck on Miramar Road in Sorrento Valley.
On November 5, at 3:59 p.m., officers responded to a business driveway in the 6000 block of Miramar Road, according to Officer J. Perales of the San Diego Police Department. The truck and e-bike had both been traveling west, with the bicyclist riding in the bike lane.
As the 53-year-old truck driver turned right into the driveway, the vehicle blocked the bicycle lane, Perales said. The e-bike collided with the truck, and the rider fell beneath the vehicle.
Following the impact, the bicyclist was taken to a hospital with rib and chest injuries, including a collapsed lung. Police said he had stable vital signs after undergoing at least one surgery.
Understanding the Miramar Road Accident
The truck’s turn took it across the bicyclist’s reported path at a business entrance. California law addresses both the safety of that movement and how drivers approach turns across adjacent bicycle lanes.
California Vehicle Code 22107 requires drivers to make turns or lateral movements only when reasonably safe and to signal when another vehicle could be affected. Here, that safety requirement concerns the truck’s movement across an occupied bike lane into the driveway.
More specifically, California Vehicle Code 21717 requires a motorist who must cross an adjacent bicycle lane to make a turn to enter that lane before turning. The rule addresses the approach to the driveway, while the reasonable-safety requirement still governs movement into the cyclist’s path.
The fact that the e-bike struck the truck does not, by itself, resolve responsibility. The truck’s positioning and movement before contact must also be considered when evaluating the collision.
Help for the Family
You can ask San Diego police to seek any available surveillance footage from the business entrance involved in the Miramar Road accident. A recording could show the truck’s approach and the rider’s position before the turn; making that request promptly may help preserve footage before it is overwritten.
If you have any concerns about navigating the legal process surrounding this incident, call 888-888-9285 to speak with a lawyer.
