UPDATE | A 51-year-old Signal Hill motorcyclist has died from injuries he sustained when he collided with a delivery truck in Bixby Knolls last week, according to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD).
Authorities were notified on Saturday, September 17 that the victim, identified as William Skipper, died at a local hospital from his injuries, LBPD officials stated.
The collision took place just before noon on Thursday, September 15 at the intersection of Cherry Avenue and Bixby Road, according to officials.
Arriving officers found Skipper with major head and body trauma. He was transported to a local hospital by Long Beach paramedics.
According to a preliminary investigation, a delivery truck driver—identified as a 51-year-old Buena Park man—was traveling southbound on Cherry Avenue at Bixby Road on a green light and was intending to make a left turn onto eastbound Bixby Road.
Skipper, on his motorcycle, was traveling northbound on Cherry Avenue and approaching Bixby Road on a green light.
“Due to heavy traffic conditions, northbound traffic was gridlocked at Cherry Avenue and Bixby Road when the signal lights began to phase to yellow,” an LBPD release stated.
At that time the truck driver started making a left turn through a clear, but gridlocked intersection and the motorcyclist—who witnessed said had been lane splitting and weaving in and out of traffic—decided to enter the intersection as well and then collided with the delivery truck, officials stated.
Anyone who may have information regarding this incident is asked to call Long Beach Police Department Collision Investigation Detail Detective David Lauro at 562.570.7355.
PREVIOUSLY: Motorcyclist Hospitalized in Critical Condition Following Car Crash in Bixby Knolls
9/15/16 at 2:38PM | A motorcyclist was hospitalized in critical condition following a traffic collision in the city’s Bixby Knolls neighborhood on Thursday, authorities said.
Police were called to the intersection of Cherry Avenue and Bixby Road at 11:56AM regarding a collision between a motorcycle and vehicle, said Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) spokeswoman Marlene Arrona.
Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) personnel transported the motorcyclist to a local hospital in critical condition, she said.
Police reduced northbound Cherry Avenue to one lane at Bixby Road and closed Bixby Road, between Cherry Avenue and Industry Avenue, in both directions to investigate the collision.
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