Bicycle Accidents

After slamming on his car brakes in front of two cyclists riding down a narrow stretch of Mandeville Canyon Road and injuring them, Christopher Thomas Thompson gave police the impression that the incident this summer was no accident. The 59-year-old physician said he stopped his red Infiniti sedan in front of the cyclists to "teach them a lesson," a police officer testified Thursday at Thompson's preliminary hearing.

A bicyclist was struck and killed Tuesday in Oceanside in what authorities say was an apparent attempt to beat a commuter train across the tracks. San Diego County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Munsey said a Coaster train struck the male bicyclist at a crossing at Wisconsin Avenue and South Coast Highway.

A hit-and-run incident early Thursday left a 52-year-old man hospitalized and fighting for his life, authorities said. Suha Assadullah of Irvine was found about 5:15 a.m. in a bicycle lane on Culver Drive south of Warner Avenue. He apparently was struck by a vehicle. There were no witnesses, and Assadullah was unconscious and unable to communicate. The vehicle would have sustained damage to its right front end. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Jonathan Cherney at (949) 724-7024.

Police on Tuesday were investigating the death of a 68-year-old Yorba Linda woman who was hit by a bicycle. Jung Yun Kim was walking on a trail along San Diego Creek near the intersection of Harvard Avenue and University Drive when she crossed the path of oncoming cyclists about 8:30 a.m. Monday. She was hit by a 46-year-old bicyclist from Huntington Beach, Irvine Police Lt. Rick Handfield said. The cyclist's name was not released. "It's just an unfortunate, very freak event," he said.

Police on Tuesday were investigating the death of a 68-year-old Yorba Linda woman who was hit by a bicycle. Jung Yun Kim was walking on a trail along San Diego Creek near Harvard Avenue when she crossed the path of cyclists about 8:30 a.m. Monday. She was hit by a bicyclist from Huntington Beach, Irvine Police Lt. Rick Handfield said. Kim was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead about 5 p.m.

The National Park Service on Wednesday announced the suspension of commercial bicycle tours within Haleakala National Park, one of the most popular tourist activities on Maui. Park Superintendent Marilyn H. Parris said the "safety stand-down" was effective Oct. 10 for at least 60 days and was needed after last week's fatal bicycle accident, the third in a year.

A bicyclist died early Saturday when he rode through a red light into an intersection and was hit by a car, police said. The accident, at 1st Street and Grand Avenue, was reported just before 5 a.m. Police did not release the victim's name.

A Laguna Beach youth riding a bicycle on South Coast Highway near Upland Road was struck by a hit-and-run driver early Saturday and left to die, police said. Max Caputo, 17, who would have been a senior at Laguna Beach High School in September, was pronounced dead at the scene after police found him just after 4 a.m. Investigators are looking for a black vehicle with minor to moderate front-end damage and a possible broken windshield, said Sgt. Jeff Calvert.

A 73-year-old man who fell off his bicycle has died of his injuries, police said Tuesday. Victor Antony Zovi of Costa Mesa was in the bike lane riding down a steep stretch of Newport Coast Drive about 10:30 a.m. Friday when he lost control and fell, police said. Zovi, who was wearing a helmet at the time, died at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, officials said.

"Today" host Matt Lauer is recovering from surgery to repair the shoulder he separated when he fell off his bike while avoiding a deer that jumped in his path. Lauer's fill-in, Lester Holt, said on Tuesday's show that Lauer hopes to be back later this week. Holt held up a headline in the New York Daily News that read: "Matt Goes Splat."