Bicyclist fatally struck by car in Rancho Peñasquitos – NBC 7 San Diego

Fatal Bicycle Accident in Rancho Peñasquitos: When Climate Goals Collide With Road Safety Reality

Grandfather Who Rode Across China and America Killed Steps From Family Home

SAN DIEGO — Yi Zhang, a 60-year-old retired Chinese government officer who had cycled across continents, was fatally struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle to the gym near his family's home in Rancho Peñasquitos on the evening of December 10, 2025. The tragic irony—a man who safely rode through China, Washington D.C., and across America killed on a quiet residential street while visiting his grandchildren—underscores a troubling pattern as San Diego aggressively promotes cycling to meet climate goals while fatal accidents persist on inadequately designed infrastructure.

"He's an outdoor fanatic, and he likes to travel," said his younger brother Fan Zhang. "We traveled together. We dreamed together."

A Life Cut Short

Yi Zhang had traveled from China to San Diego earlier in 2025 to help care for the family's 85-year-old mother and his two grandchildren, ages 4 and 8 months, who live in Rancho Peñasquitos. After recently retiring from government service, he was looking forward to spending more time with his family. The family recently celebrated birthdays together—cherished photos that now serve as final memories.

"It's really a pity that our kids—he couldn't see or be there with our kids," said his son-in-law Gary Yang, who along with his wife struggles with survivor's guilt. "I think both my wife and I blame ourselves for a lot of reasons. Like, why would we let him, you know, try to ride to the gym?"

But Yi Zhang was an experienced cyclist who had ridden thousands of miles safely across multiple continents. "He treated people with warmness and sincerity," Yang recalled. For this family, the question isn't why they let him ride—it's how a man who navigated busy streets in Beijing and Washington could be killed on a quiet San Diego suburban road just steps from his family's home.

The Accident

The collision occurred at approximately 5:35 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, at the intersection of Salmon River Road and Pipilo Street when a 51-year-old woman driving a northbound 2019 Toyota Camry struck the rear tire of Zhang's bicycle. According to the San Diego Police Department, the driver told officers she "did not see" the bicyclist. Zhang was pronounced dead at the scene.

Zhang had been cycling to the gym—a short trip from his family's home, along a route he had ridden many times during his months in San Diego. For an experienced cyclist who had safely navigated far more challenging routes around the world, it should have been a routine ride.

Alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the collision. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Police have not indicated whether charges will be filed. The SDPD Traffic Division has taken over the investigation.

Critical Lighting Conditions

The accident occurred during a particularly dangerous time of day. According to astronomical data, sunset in San Diego on December 10, 2025, was at 4:42 p.m., meaning the collision happened approximately 53 minutes after sunset. At 5:35 p.m., the area would have been in civil twilight, transitioning to darker conditions, with civil twilight ending at 5:10 p.m. This places the accident in a period of diminished natural light when visibility becomes critically compromised.

The timing is particularly significant given that residents describe Salmon River Road as having "blind curves, limited lighting and fast-moving traffic." Local resident Kari Morales, who has lived in the area for five years, stated that the stretch is "poorly lit and not designed for a mix of cars, pedestrians and bicycles," adding that they "no longer ride at night because we don't feel like some of the areas are lit properly."

Infrastructure Deficiencies Revealed

Google Street View imagery of the accident location reveals several critical infrastructure deficiencies that directly contributed to the dangerous conditions:

Inadequate Bicycle Facilities: While painted bicycle symbols (sharrows) are visible on the roadway, indicating this is a designated bicycle route, there are no dedicated bike lanes or physical separation. Cyclists must share the travel lane with motor vehicle traffic. However, even protected infrastructure cannot eliminate the fundamental vulnerability of cyclists, particularly in low-light conditions when driver visibility is compromised.

Speed-Oriented Road Design: The road features wide lanes and sweeping curves designed for vehicle throughput rather than safety in a mixed-use residential area. This design encourages higher vehicle speeds, particularly dangerous given the hilly terrain and limited sight lines created by curves and elevation changes.

Minimal Traffic Calming: Despite being a designated bicycle route adjacent to major civic facilities, there is no evidence of traffic calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds such as:

Speed tables or raised crossings
Chicanes or road narrowing
Enhanced warning signage
Radar speed feedback signs

Visibility Challenges: While street lights are present at intersections, the spacing between lights appears inadequate for twilight conditions. The combination of road curvature, elevation changes, and limited lighting creates multiple blind spots where drivers may not see cyclists until it is too late to react. During twilight hours (5:10-5:35 p.m. on December 10), ambient light makes it particularly difficult for drivers to see cyclists, even those with lights and reflective gear.

This represents what safety advocates call "painted infrastructure"—minimal accommodation for cyclists that designates routes without providing physical protection or traffic calming measures that would reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety margins.

Cyclist Visibility and Responsibility

Police reports have not indicated whether the victim was using lights or reflective equipment at the time of the collision. California Vehicle Code Section 21201 requires bicycles ridden at night to be equipped with:

A front lamp emitting white light visible from 300 feet
A rear red reflector visible from 500 feet
Reflectors on pedals and sides visible from 200 feet

However, compliance with these requirements does not guarantee safety. Even with proper lighting, cyclists remain vulnerable to inattentive drivers, particularly during twilight conditions when ambient light makes it difficult for vehicle headlights to illuminate cyclists effectively, and when drivers' eyes have not yet fully adjusted to darkness.

Many experienced cyclists choose not to ride after sunset regardless of lighting equipment, recognizing that the inherent vulnerability of being on a bicycle in low-light conditions with motor vehicle traffic creates unacceptable risk. As one local cyclist noted, the combination of curves, limited sight lines, and fast-moving traffic on Salmon River Road makes evening riding particularly dangerous even with full lighting compliance.

The "did not see" explanation offered by drivers in fatal bicycle collisions—whether the cyclist had lights or not—points to a more fundamental problem: the expectation that vulnerable road users will somehow make themselves visible enough to prevent inattentive drivers from striking them places an impossible burden on cyclists.

Location and Infrastructure Context

The accident occurred in a civic area of Rancho Peñasquitos. The Rancho Peñasquitos Branch Library is located at 13330 Salmon River Road, approximately 430 feet from the accident site at 12900 Salmon River Road. The San Diego Police Department's Northeastern Division station is located at 13396 Salmon River Road, and Fire Station 40 is at 13393 Salmon River Road—all within immediate proximity to where the fatal collision occurred.

Despite this location near major civic facilities in what should be a well-traveled pedestrian and cyclist corridor, the infrastructure appears inadequate for mixed traffic use. Morales noted that "it almost seems like on a daily basis I hear brakes screeching and people honking their horns," suggesting chronic near-miss incidents in the area.

While specific posted speed limits for this section of Salmon River Road could not be confirmed in available public records, residential streets in San Diego typically have speed limits of 25-35 mph unless otherwise posted. However, the road design—with its wide lanes and sweeping curves—may encourage speeds higher than posted limits.

The Climate Action Context: Ambitious Goals, Dangerous Reality

This fatality occurs against the backdrop of San Diego's aggressive push to dramatically increase bicycle ridership as part of its Climate Action Plan. The city's 2022 Climate Action Plan establishes a goal of net-zero emissions by 2035 and calls for 10% of all daily trips to be made by bicycle—up from current levels of less than 2%.

To meet these goals, the city has adopted a "Class IV first" approach, prioritizing protected bike lanes in new infrastructure projects. The 2013 Bicycle Master Plan is being updated, with implementation accelerating to support the climate goals. The city's Blueprint SD initiative, adopted in July 2024, calls for 50% of all trips to occur via walking, biking, or transit within the next 13 years.

Yet this aggressive promotion of cycling has proceeded faster than the infrastructure improvements needed to make it safe. As one bicycle advocate noted, "nearly a decade after the city adopted its bicycle master plan, most of the network still exists only on paper."

The data tells a troubling story:

California Bicycle Fatalities:

2018: 155 fatalities
2019: 160 fatalities
2020: 176 fatalities (12% increase)
2021: 125 fatalities (29% decrease)
2022: 177 fatalities (42% increase)
2023: 145 fatalities (18% decrease)
2024: ~105 fatalities (estimated, 28% decrease)

San Diego County Bicycle Fatalities:

2021: 16 fatalities
2022: 11 fatalities
2023: 12 fatalities
2024: ~10 fatalities (estimated)
Total since 2018: 60 deaths

While 2023 and 2024 show improvement, the years coinciding with the city's most aggressive climate action push (2019-2022) saw significant increases in fatalities. The pattern is concerning: as the city encourages more people to ride bicycles through policy initiatives and infrastructure designations like the sharrows on Salmon River Road, cyclists are being directed onto roads that remain fundamentally unsafe.

Bitter Irony: Safety Grant Announced Days Before Fatal Crash

In timing that underscores the disconnect between programs and reality, the County of San Diego announced on December 5, 2025—just five days before this fatal collision—that it had received a $125,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to support its Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program.

The grant, which runs through September 2026, is intended to fund:

Community bicycle and walk "audits" of streets with high rates of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities
"Open Streets" events encouraging biking and walking
Bicycle training courses for youth
Community education presentations
Walking safety education programs

Carey Riccitelli, Director of the Department of Strategy and Community Engagement for the County's Health and Human Services Agency, stated in the announcement: "By focusing on education, awareness, and promoting safe practices, we aim to reduce crashes and prevent injuries. Ultimately, we're working toward building more walkable and bike-friendly neighborhoods where everyone can travel safely and confidently."

The fatal crash on Salmon River Road—occurring on a designated bicycle route within walking distance of major civic facilities—demonstrates that educational programs alone cannot overcome dangerous infrastructure design. While the grant focuses heavily on education and behavior modification, critics note that it does not appear to include funding for the physical infrastructure changes that might have prevented this death: traffic calming measures, improved lighting, or road redesign.

California Office of Traffic Safety Director Stephanie Dougherty stated: "Through safety programs and strong partnerships, we are working toward a future where everyone walking and biking in California can travel safely." That future came too late for the 60-year-old cyclist who died on Salmon River Road.

Part of a Larger Pattern

Ian Hembree of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition emphasized that this tragedy reflects a systemic problem. He cited a previous crash on Camino del Sur where a bike lane existed, but "because it was a 50-mile-per-hour roadway, a woman was inattentive for a moment" and struck a bicyclist from behind, killing him. Hembree stated: "The answer is infrastructure. The answer is to provide appropriate facilities for people who want to bike."

The pattern is concerning: painted bike lanes and sharrows on roads designed for vehicle speed do not adequately reduce risk for cyclists. The "did not see" explanation given by the driver in this case—and in countless similar accidents—reflects the challenge of maintaining vigilance for vulnerable road users, particularly during twilight conditions when visibility is naturally compromised. Infrastructure improvements like traffic calming and enhanced lighting may help, but cannot eliminate the inherent vulnerability of cyclists sharing roadways with much larger, faster vehicles, especially after sunset.

From 2017 to 2022, the City of San Diego recorded 2,121 bicycle accidents, with 18 fatalities (0.85%) and 159 severe injuries (7.5%). The highest number of bike crashes occur during afternoon rush hour between 3 and 6 p.m.—precisely the timeframe of this fatal collision.

According to SafeTREC data, 39.9% of all fatal bicycle crashes in California in 2023 occurred between 6 p.m. and midnight. Broadside collisions (when a vehicle strikes the side of a bicycle) account for 34.9% of fatal and serious injury crashes—the most common crash type. Male bicyclists aged 55-64 are the most represented group in bicycle fatalities, making up 23.4% of deaths in 2023.

Statewide, California accounts for roughly one-quarter of all bicycle accidents in the United States. San Diego County consistently ranks among the counties with the highest percentage of bicycle accident fatalities, along with Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties.

The E-Bike Factor

An additional complicating factor is the rapid rise of e-bikes, which has coincided with San Diego's climate action push. E-bike fatalities nationwide increased 200% in 2020 compared to previous years, with a 77% increase from 2020 to 2021, and a 31% increase from 2021 to 2022. At Children's Hospital of Orange County, e-bike injuries among kids rose from 7 cases in 2019 to 116 in 2024.

E-bikes can reach speeds up to 28 mph, making the consequences of infrastructure failures and visibility problems even more severe. The city's climate plan encouraged adoption of e-bikes and other micromobility options without ensuring the infrastructure could safely accommodate higher-speed cyclists.

The Human Cost

Yi Zhang's death represents a particularly cruel irony: an experienced cyclist who had safely ridden thousands of miles across China and America, killed on a quiet suburban street while doing exactly what San Diego's climate policies encourage—choosing a bicycle for a short trip instead of driving.

His brother Fan Zhang reflects on their close relationship: "We're totally very close. We traveled together. We dreamed together. But when we were young, we fought a lot. And since he's only one year older than me, he's always taking care of me." Now, those brotherly adventures are over, ended on a December evening on a road that should have been safe.

The family's guilt—Yang wondering why they "let him" ride to the gym—reflects a broader societal failure. Yi Zhang was an experienced adult cyclist making a reasonable transportation choice on a designated bicycle route. The question should not be why the family allowed him to ride, but why the infrastructure was so inadequate that an experienced cyclist could not safely make a short trip in twilight conditions.

"This is a great loss for me," Fan Zhang said, a simple statement that carries the weight of a brother's grief and a family's shattered future. The 85-year-old mother who Yi Zhang came to care for must now cope with the loss of her son. The grandchildren—ages 4 and 8 months—will grow up without the grandfather who traveled across the world to be with them.

Residents say Salmon River Road is heavily used by families walking dogs, pushing strollers, and children riding home from after-school activities. Zhang's death occurred on a route used daily by vulnerable populations, including school-age children who must navigate this corridor to reach nearby schools including Deer Canyon Elementary, Los Peñasquitos Elementary, Rolling Hills Elementary, Sundance Elementary, Sunset Hills Elementary, Black Mountain Middle, Mesa Verde Middle, and Mt. Carmel High.

This is not the first serious bicycle accident in Rancho Peñasquitos. In July 2024, a 60-year-old woman suffered life-threatening injuries including a fractured spine and significant brain bleeding when struck by a hit-and-run driver on a mountain bike trail in the same community. The suspect in that case was never apprehended.

Safety Best Practices and Realistic Expectations

Safety experts and experienced cyclists emphasize multiple factors in preventing bicycle fatalities:

Cyclist Visibility Equipment: Front lights, rear lights, and reflective gear are critical for riding after dark. California law requires bicycles to have a front light visible from 300 feet and a rear reflector visible from 500 feet when riding at night. Many experienced cyclists avoid riding after sunset entirely due to the inherent dangers of low-light conditions.
Traffic Calming: Speed reduction measures including chicanes, speed tables, and narrowed lanes force drivers to slow down in areas with mixed traffic. Lower vehicle speeds provide more reaction time for both drivers and cyclists.
Enhanced Lighting: Improved street lighting specifically designed for pedestrian and cyclist visibility, not just vehicle operation, helps drivers see vulnerable road users earlier.
Physical Separation: While protected bike lanes with physical barriers may help define space and provide psychological comfort, they do not eliminate the fundamental vulnerability of cyclists to inattentive drivers, particularly in low-light conditions. Physical pylons or barriers cannot prevent all collisions.
Complete Streets Design: Roads designed from the outset to safely accommodate all users—pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and motorists—rather than prioritizing vehicle throughput.

Advocacy and Systemic Change

The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition continues to advocate for infrastructure improvements including separated bike lanes, wider paths, and more protected Class I routes. However, Hembree acknowledged that "some of that is not feasible with the current city budget deficit."

The Coalition's position is supported by safety research showing that infrastructure design—not merely cyclist or driver behavior—is a major determinant of bicycle safety outcomes. However, even with improved infrastructure, the inherent vulnerability of cyclists remains, particularly when riding in low-visibility conditions.

The economic argument is also compelling: while protected bicycle infrastructure requires upfront investment, the cost is minimal compared to the medical expenses, lost productivity, and human suffering from preventable deaths and injuries.

Investigation Continues

The San Diego Police Department Traffic Division is conducting the investigation. Authorities have urged anyone with information regarding the crash to contact the police at (858) 484-3154 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

As of this writing, no charges have been filed, and the investigation remains open. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Under California law, unless gross negligence or criminal conduct can be proven, drivers who kill cyclists in "accidents" are rarely prosecuted, particularly when they claim they "did not see" the victim.

This legal framework places the burden on vulnerable road users to avoid being hit, rather than on system designers to create safe infrastructure or on drivers to operate vehicles safely around cyclists.

Community Response and Path Forward

For the residents of Rancho Peñasquitos, this death represents another tragedy in a long pattern of preventable incidents. The fact that it occurred steps from a police station, fire station, and public library—in what should be one of the safest and most well-monitored corridors in the community—underscores the systemic nature of the problem.

Local residents and safety advocates are calling for comprehensive action:

Enhanced street lighting, particularly at curves and intersections
Traffic calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds
Better visibility treatments at known problem areas
Enforcement of existing speed limits
Regular safety audits of designated bicycle routes
Public education campaigns about sharing the road safely
Consideration of restricting bicycle traffic during low-light hours on particularly dangerous routes

Individual cyclists must also make informed choices about when and where to ride. As visibility conditions deteriorate after sunset, the risk increases substantially regardless of infrastructure improvements or lighting equipment. Many experienced cyclists conclude that avoiding riding after dark, while limiting their mobility, is the most reliable way to reduce risk.

As Morales noted, the daily sounds of "brakes screeching and people honking their horns" indicate that the fatal collision was not an isolated incident but the predictable outcome of dangerous infrastructure. Until systemic changes are made, more families will face similar losses.

The Policy Disconnect

The fundamental disconnect is clear: San Diego has set ambitious goals to dramatically increase bicycle ridership to meet climate targets, but has not yet created the infrastructure to make that ridership safe. The city is actively encouraging more people—including children commuting to school and adults commuting to work—to ride bicycles on roads like Salmon River Road that remain fundamentally unsafe, particularly during the evening hours when many people travel.

The 2022 Climate Action Plan's goal of 10% bicycle mode share by 2035 would require roughly a five-fold increase in cycling from current levels. Yet the Bicycle Master Plan implementation lags years behind, and budget constraints limit the ability to build the protected infrastructure that might make such increased ridership safe.

This creates a troubling situation where policy goals drive behavioral change faster than infrastructure improvements can support it, effectively using cyclists as beta testers for a transportation system that isn't ready for them.

Yi Zhang was not just a statistic or a data point. He was a brother, a son, a grandfather, and a father-in-law who treated people "with warmness and sincerity." He was an experienced cyclist who had safely ridden across continents, who came to America to care for his aging mother and help raise his grandchildren. He made a rational choice on December 10—to ride his bicycle to the gym rather than drive—exactly the choice San Diego's climate policies aim to encourage.

But the infrastructure wasn't ready for that choice. And now an 85-year-old mother has lost her son, two small children have lost their grandfather, and a brother has lost his closest companion. Yi Zhang survived thousands of miles of cycling across China and America, only to be killed on a quiet suburban street in San Diego, steps from his family's home, because a driver on a poorly lit road with inadequate sight lines "did not see" him.

Behind every fatality statistic is a Yi Zhang—someone who simply tried to make a short bicycle trip and never made it home. San Diego's experiment with using transportation policy to achieve climate goals, regardless of whether the infrastructure is ready, continues to extract a human cost that policy makers seem unwilling to fully acknowledge.

Sources

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Bicyclist fatally struck by car in Rancho Peñasquitos