Cerritos Sheriff's Detective Says Teen Bicyclist at Fault in Collision with Motorist

A teenage bicyclist who rode through a red light, causing the accident, a Cerritos sheriff's traffic detective said.

The 17-year-old boy from Los Angeles was cruising along on his "fixie" bike on Bloomfield Avenue at about 8:30 p.m. June 24 when he approached the eastbound Artesia (91) Freeway off-ramp and blew through a red light, crashing into a Cerritos woman driving a 2011 Toyota Camry, said Deputy Tim Britt of the .

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to learn more about the "fixie" bike craze in this Cerritos-Artesia Patch feature.
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Witnesses confirmed the motorist had a green light when the collision occurred, Britt said, adding that the bicyclist was at fault in the crash.

"Those riding bikes have to adhere to the same rules that motorists adhere to when it comes to traffic laws," he said.

The injured teen was reportedly unconscious following the accident and was taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital. But his injuries did not appear to be serious as he was released later that same evening, Britt added.

"He was on a Fixie bike -- with no brakes and no lights on the bike -- and he was not wearing a helmet," Britt said. "When you're on a bike with no brakes and you run a red light, obviously bad things can happen."

Britt said this recent accident was a reminder that all bicyclist should follow proper safety measures.

"You cannot operate a bike without brakes," Britt stressed. "We have deputies who monitor that throughout the city and have cited kids riding bikes without brakes. This is not the first accident we've had, and in a semi-urban area like Cerritos, to take the risk of riding a bike without brakes is just beyond me."