Glendale woman charged with vehicular manslaughter in death of bicyclist

[Fewinhibitions]

May 14, 2010 | 7:09 am
In September 2008, Gerardo Ramos was struck by a car while riding his bike in Glendale.


Despite concerns at the time that he had only hours to live, he died of his injuries 13 months later.


Now prosecutors have charged a 48-year-old woman Thursday in his death.


Naira Margaryan of Glendale was charged with one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter in the death of Ramos, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.


Margaryan was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Glendale Superior Court, but the hearing was moved to June 2, court officials said.


Ramos, 51, had been riding his bicycle on a sidewalk on North Concord Street at about 6:46 a.m. on Sept. 23, 2008, heading to work at a steel company on State Street, Glendale Police Det. Ashraf Mankarios said.

Riding a bicycle on a sidewalk violates California vehicles codes, he said.


As he approached Milford Street, Margaryan, who was driving a Mercedes Benz, allegedly ran through a stop sign and struck him, he said.


Ramos’ head hit the windshield of the Mercedes, then Margaryan braked and he flew off the car and landed on the ground, Mankarios said.


http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2010/05/14/publicsafety/gnp-charges051410.txt

 

[moka]

Ramos, 51, had been riding his bicycle on a sidewalk on North Concord Street at about 6:46 a.m. on Sept. 23, 2008, heading to work at a steel company on State Street, Glendale Police Det. Ashraf Mankarios said.

Riding a bicycle on a sidewalk violates California vehicles codes, he said.

So does that mean it's partially the bikers fault?

 

[sasquatch9billion]

That's really sad for both parties involve. I still don't understand why people ride bikes on the sidewalk endangering pedestrians and themselves.

 

[Fewinhibitions]

It was at least half his own fault by being on the sidewalk. Sad and unnecessary, but true - as stated by the police.

But I have ridden on sidewalks at a slow pace and will still do it in certain areas where it's just too effin dangerous to be on the road. I avoid riding in urban areas as much as possible.

But if I get a ticket, so be it. It's worth it.

Concord Street has narrow lanes and really fast traffic that is consistently going well over the speed limit.

Had he been in the street he might have been more visible. Who knows?

 

[ManInAShed]

It's funny how it's against the law to ride bicycles on the sidewalk, and yet "you should ride your bike on the sidewalk, roads are for cars" are usually the first words out of any non-cyclists mouth whenever the subject of riding a bicycle pops up. When you point out that it's ten times as dangerous, and also against the law, you get incredulous looks and disbelief. They really need to teach this in drivers ed, because it's an ineffective law if the only people who know it are cyclists, and everyone else thinks the space is theirs alone.

 

[Stallion51]

i had no idea it was illegal to ride on the sidewalk. riding on the street freaks me out, i see people veer off the road for a split second all the time, atleast the curb would offer some sort of barrier.
ill just stick to mtns.