In Brea, friends and family gathered to remember Nicholas Vela Mortley, the 9-year-old fourth grader who was killed in an Anaheim bicycle accident on December 3. Nicholas was cycling home from school when he was struck by a pickup truck. The child bicyclist was transported to an Orange, California hospital where he later died.
According to Anaheim police, the driver of the Ford F250, a raised truck, had stopped at a stop sign. Nicholas proceeded to cross the street. The truck then moved forward, striking him. The driver says he never saw the child bicyclist. There is speculation that the truck's height may have prevented the motorist from being able to see Nicholas. So far, no charges have been filed.
Since the tragic Orange County, California bicycle accident, one person who witnessed the accident, a Garden Grove middle school student, has been having trouble sleeping.
Nicholas leaves behind his parents and Kayla, 4, and Leilani, 3.
Child Bicycle Accidents
Second to motor vehicles, Bicycles continue to be the consumer product most associated with child injuries. One reason for this is that so many children in the 5 - 14 age range are bicycle riders.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2008 Traffic Safety Facts, 12% of pedalcyclists that died in 2008 were kids between the ages 5 to 15. This age group's injury rate was 293/million population. The injury rate for all pedalcyclists is 172.3/million population. 109 California pedalcyclists died last year.
In 2007, the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital published a study in the journal Injury Prevention regarding young bicyclist injuries. Among the findings:
• About 10,700 young bicyclists a year spend about three days in the hospital for their bicycle injuries.
• 1/3 of child bicyclists injured sustained traumatic brain injuries during their bicycle accidents
Loved ones say goodbye to 9-year-old boy killed while riding bike, OC Register, December 9, 2009
Bicyclists and Other Cyclists, 2008 Traffic Safety Facts, NHTSA (PDF)
Related Web Resources:
Safe Kids USA
Getting hit by a motor vehicle can be catastrophic for a bicyclist or pedestrian. To determine whether you have grounds for filing an Orange County, California personal injury complaint or wrongful death lawsuit, contact our Anaheim bicycle accident lawyers today.
