JURUPA VALLEY, California – Several bystanders tried to save an injured bicyclist by administering CPR to the man who police say was struck by a car and critically injured Tuesday night on Limonite Avenue, according to a press release Riverside Fire Department.

Aristeo Valladares, 47, of Riverside was riding his bicycle in the No. 2 lane of Limonite Avenue when he was struck by a car and critically injured, according to a press release issued by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Once Riverside Firefighters arrived, they took over the resuscitation efforts and transported him to Riverside Community Hospital where he later died at 8:08 p.m., the fire department report said.

The bicycle accident took place in the 5900 block of Limonite Avenue, but the report did not provide any further details about how it happened and who may be at fault for the crash.    The driver remained at the scene of the bicycle accident and was interviewed by Riverside police.

“Bicyclists are especially at risk for serious injury or death on our busy roadways,” said Attorney West Seegmiller. “I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family of this man as they cope with such a tremendous loss.”

Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that every year there are roughly 500,000 people in the United States who are injured in bicycle accidents and treated at emergency departments across the country. In fact, bicycle-related injuries result in the deaths of more than 700 people annually in the U.S., the CDC reports.

In 2010, Riverside County reported there were eight bicyclists killed and 332 injured in traffic collisions and statewide 99 bicyclists were killed that year out of 2,715 who died in traffic accidents, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports.

“Statistics show about 4 percent of all deaths due to traffic collisions are bicyclists,” Seegmiller added. “Drivers who are found liable for a bicyclist’s death can be held accountable. In some cases, the victim’s surviving family members have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit in order to obtain compensation to help them with financial needs in the future.”

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This article was written is sponsored by The Seegmiller Law Firm. You can arrange to speak to an attorney about your case by calling 1-855-ASK–WEST.  For over 30 years, the firm has been a staunch advocate for victims’ rights and has fought for clients involved in personal injury and wrongful death cases, including premises liability, product liability, auto accidents, dog bites, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, at-work injuries and more.  The firm has offices in Irvine, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Fresno, Sacramento and San Francisco, California, as well as in Las Vegas, Nevada.