{"id":125082,"date":"2026-01-08T12:14:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T12:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/125082\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T12:14:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T12:14:08","slug":"speeding-long-beach-driver-kills-2-after-killing-bike-rider-3-months-earlier-and-mandani-loses-a-just-little-bike-street-cred","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/125082\/","title":{"rendered":"Speeding Long Beach driver kills 2 \u2014\u00a0after killing bike rider 3 months earlier, and Mandani loses a just little bike street cred"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/pexels-kindelmedia-7785052.jpg\" class=\"alignleft wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"  \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Un-effing-believable.<\/p>\n<p>A 24-year old woman was formally charged with felony manslaughter for the October death of a bike rider in Long Beach.<\/p>\n<p>Just one day after she was arrested for killing two other people in a Long Beach hit-and-run on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>According <a href=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/news\/crime\/double-fatal-hit-and-run-atlantic-also-killed-bicyclist\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">to the Long Beach Post<\/a>, Ahkeyajahniq Owens was arraigned on a single count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for <a href=\"https:\/\/bikinginla.com\/2025\/10\/24\/35-year-old-long-beach-man-dies-2-weeks-after-crash-with-alleged-speeding-driver-who-was-arrested-at-the-scene\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">running down 35-year old Long Beach resident Raul Augustin Gallopa<\/a> on October 6th.<\/p>\n<p>Owens was allegedly driving her BMW around 100 mph when she slammed into Gallopa while he was attempting to turn left off of Fourth Street near Bonita Ave.<\/p>\n<p>Remarkably, given Owen\u2019s speed, he survived for two weeks in the hospital before dying of his injuries.<\/p>\n<p>The deputy district attorney mentioned the additional killings almost in passing as she asked that Owens to be held without bail, arguing that she is \u201ca huge risk to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, no shit.<\/p>\n<p>Like the earlier crash, she\u2019s accused of running red lights at over 100 mph before slamming into two cars at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Atlantic+Ave+%26+E+6th+St,+Long+Beach,+CA+90802\/@33.7741411,-118.19278,15z\/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x80dd313f8483de53:0x7a780433a2e21e80!8m2!3d33.7741411!4d-118.1850499!16s%2Fg%2F11gdsb4dhv?entry=ttu&amp;g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDEwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sixth Street and Atlantic Avenue<\/a> in Sunday\u2019s crash, killing two people and injuring three others.<\/p>\n<p>Which makes you wonder how the hell she manages to survive those high-speed crashes.<\/p>\n<p>It also makes you wonder why her license wasn\u2019t immediately pulled after killing one innocent person, let alone three.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also stupendously idiotic that Owens wasn\u2019t taken into custody after the first crash; instead, she was let loose on society after getting booked on suspicion of misdemeanor reckless driving.<\/p>\n<p>Because apparently, inflicting life-threatening injuries at 100 mph on someone riding a bicycle is merely \u201creckless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a functioning society that actually gives a damn about human lives, that would have been enough to suspend her license at least until a decision was made whether to file formal charges.<\/p>\n<p>But we don\u2019t seem to live in that society.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, we just give dangerous drivers a pat on the back, and send them back out to get their cars fixed, and do it again three months later.<\/p>\n<p>To say I\u2019m disgusted and sickened would be a huge understatement.<\/p>\n<p>To cap it all off, California\u2019s lax traffic laws mean she faces a maximum of six years behind bars if she\u2019s convicted for Gallopa\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>Too bad the judge can\u2019t add a year for each 10 mph over the speed limit.<\/p>\n<p>The only good news, if you can all it that, is that she should face a similar sentence for each of the two people she is alleged to have killed on Sunday. Although the DA should upgrade it to 2nd degree murder by arguing that she should have known the danger of speeding after the earlier crash.<\/p>\n<p>We can hope, anyway.<\/p>\n<p>At the end of Monday\u2019s hearing, Owens was ordered held on $200,000 bail.<\/p>\n<p>No word on whether the judge also took away her license until the trial is completed.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to Chris for the heads-up.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Photo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/close-up-shot-of-a-person-with-handcuffs-7785052\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">by Kindel Media<\/a> from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pexels.com\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pexels<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n<p>We finally got to see the first crack in the New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani thus far flawless bike-friendly veneer.<\/p>\n<p>According to Streetsblog, Mamdani agreed that scofflaw bike riders shouldn\u2019t be getting criminal summons in the Big Apple, rather than regular traffic tickets.<\/p>\n<p>But he stopped short of saying he would direct NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to end the policy she implemented last year, instead just saying they\u2019re still having \u201cconversations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are part of the conversations that we\u2019re having,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cIn addition to the question of what kind of a summons, we also have to make it easier to be a cyclist in compliance with the law, because I will tell you that you will find a cyclist biking on a pavement, and sometimes when you ask them why they\u2019re doing so, they\u2019ll point to the car that\u2019s driving in the bike lane.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have created infrastructure issues for cyclists that we are then ticketing them for, where it is easier to be out of compliance with the law than in compliance with the law,\u201d the mayor added.<\/p>\n<p>Although if wants to maintain the bicycle street cred he\u2019s built up in the first two weeks of his administration, he needs to stop conversing and start stopping things.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n<p>The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/momentummag.com\/charter-battle-over-bike-lanes-heads-back-to-court-as-constitutional-group-intervenes\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Canadian Constitutional Foundation is entering the battle over Toronto bike lanes<\/a>, joining the appeal of a judge\u2019s ruling blocking the province\u2019s effort to rip them out, by contesting the constitutional basis for it.<\/p>\n<p>Road.cc claps back about <a href=\"https:\/\/road.cc\/content\/news\/cycling-live-blog-7-january-2026-317521#live-blog-item-73171\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">why \u201ccertain MAMILS\u201d ride in the roadway rather than in a bike lane<\/a>, in response to an anonymous Facebook poster complaining about four people riding perfectly legally two-abreast next to the kerb, uh, curb.<\/p>\n<p>\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Local\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Streetsblog\u2019s Joe Linton takes a look at the work by Caltrans contractors to <a href=\"https:\/\/la.streetsblog.org\/2026\/01\/07\/eyes-on-the-street-caltrans-santa-monica-blvd-construction-on-the-westside\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">prepare for new lanes on Santa Monica Blvd in the Sawtelle neighborhood<\/a>, which can also be used by bicyclists once it\u2019s finished.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>State<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/bakersfieldnow.com\/news\/local\/man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-2018-wasco-murder-over-stolen-bike-records-court-crime-deputies-4th-street-bakersfield-california\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wasco man will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars<\/a> after being sentenced to 86-years to life for fatally shooting a 51-year old man in a dispute over a stolen bicycle \u2014 which is convenient since there\u2019s already a state prison right there. Seriously, no bike is worth a human life. Just let it go, and let the cops handle it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>National<\/p>\n<p>Bike Magazine hosts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bikemag.com\/news\/the-future-of-bicycle-manufacturing\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">three expert framebuilders discussing the challenges of building bicycles in the US<\/a>, and the tradeoffs involved in making bikes overseas.<\/p>\n<p>CyclingSavvy offers a <a href=\"https:\/\/momentummag.com\/charter-battle-over-bike-lanes-heads-back-to-court-as-constitutional-group-intervenes\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">lesson on the safe use of separated bikeways<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Forbes writes that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/joshmax\/2026\/01\/07\/e-bike-regulations-tighten-in-wake-of-irresponsible-drivers\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ebike regulations are being tightened across the US<\/a> in the wake of irresponsible drivers. But by \u201cdrivers,\u201d they mean the people operating ebikes, not the ones in the big, dangerous machines.<\/p>\n<p>Like Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcboston.com\/news\/local\/brookline-man-who-biked-around-the-world-praises-kindness-of-strangers\/3874038\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Massachusetts man says he depended on the kindness of strangers<\/a> on his recent three-and-a-half year, 46,000-mile bike journey around the world.<\/p>\n<p>New York will <a href=\"https:\/\/nyc.streetsblog.org\/2026\/01\/07\/two-pronged-approach-city-will-appeal-judges-block-on-astoria-bike-lane-but-also-address-her-concerns\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">appeal a judge\u2019s ruling that blocked an Astoria bike lane<\/a>, while <a href=\"https:\/\/gothamist.com\/news\/mamdani-restarts-planning-for-controversial-astoria-bike-lane-following-court-defeat\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">also addressing the concerns she cited<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A December demonstration project showed the practicality of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.govtech.com\/transportation\/can-delivery-trucks-be-replaced-by-ferries-and-bikes\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">delivering fresh seafood to a New York market via freight ferry and heavy-duty cargo bikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whqr.org\/local\/2026-01-07\/ghost-bikes-memorials-to-cyclists-killed-on-the-road\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wilmington, North Carolina public radio station examines ghost bikes<\/a>\u00a0through the lens of a man who would have been 38 yesterday, if he hadn\u2019t been killed by a driver while riding his bike over seven years earlier.<\/p>\n<p>A recent South Carolina college graduate considers <a href=\"https:\/\/today.charleston.edu\/2026\/01\/07\/tom-wilson-bike-ride-across-america\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the people he met and the lessons learned riding his bike across the US<\/a>, while raising $2,500 for charity.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>International<\/p>\n<p>Momentum <a href=\"https:\/\/momentummag.com\/the-best-bicycle-festivals\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ranks the bicycle festivals worth traveling to this year<\/a>, starting with Monterey\u2019s Sea Otter Classic in April.<\/p>\n<p>Quartz <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/best-cities-for-riding-a-bike#10-of-the-best-cities-in-the-world-for-riding-a-bike-in-2026\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">highlights ten of the world\u2019s best bike cities<\/a>. None of which is Los Angeles, of course. Or even in the US.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>An Irish writer considers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishpost.com\/comment\/why-the-humble-bicycle-still-cuts-through-irish-weather-memory-and-class-302989\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">why bicycles are a favored symbol of the country\u2019s rural life<\/a>, despite the damp and dreary weather.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/city\/kanpur\/army-cycling-expedition-reaches-jhansi\/articleshow\/126401858.cms\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">group of Indian soldiers are riding a thousand miles across the subcontinent<\/a>, retracing the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bajirao_I\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">march of Peshwa Bajirao<\/a> to victory in the 1737 battle of Delhi.<\/p>\n<p>A kindhearted South African woman worked with a local bike shop to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/fourways-review\/sports-news\/2026\/01\/07\/kindness-turns-fourways-gardeners-broken-bike-into-a-brand-new-ride\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">repair and refurbish her gardener\u2019s broken bicycle at no cost<\/a>, which is his main mode of transport.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/bitterwinter.org\/pedaling-away-from-illicit-religion-china-turns-bicycle-races-into-propaganda-arenas\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chinese province used a recent mass bike ride to propagandize against \u201cxie jiao,\u201c<\/a> or \u201cillicit religions, ranging from <a class=\"glossaryLink external\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/bitterwinter.org\/Vocabulary\/falun-gong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" aria-describedby=\"tt\" data-cmtooltip=\"&lt;div class=glossaryItemTitle&gt;Falun Gong&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;div class=glossaryItemBody&gt;(\u6cd5\u8f2a\u529f). A large Chinese new religious movement, established by Li Hongzhi (\u674e\u6d2a\u5fd7) in 1992 and teaching both a variety of qi gong exercises and a spirituality rooted in the Three Teachings, with some New Age variations and overtones. Originally tolerated and even praised by the CCP as part of a legitimate revival of traditional Chinese health practices, it created concern in the authorities because of its rapid growth. It was banned in 1999, included in the list of the &lt;em&gt;xie jiao&lt;\/em&gt;, and severely persecuted.&lt;\/div&gt;\" data-gt-translate-attributes=\"[{&quot;attribute&quot;:&quot;data-cmtooltip&quot;, &quot;format&quot;:&quot;html&quot;}]\">Falun Gong<\/a> to perfectly orthodox Christian churches.<\/p>\n<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koreaherald.com\/article\/10651328\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">welcomed South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to Beijing with a new ebike<\/a>, along with Chinese ceramics, a coffee cup set, apples and dried persimmons, and a traditional Korean painting symbolizing peace and prosperity. Seriously, he had me at ebike.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Competitive Cycling<\/p>\n<p>In a surprise announcement, 33-year old British pro Simon Yates decided to quit at the top, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6949185\/2026\/01\/07\/simon-yates-retirement-cycling\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">calling it a career after after winning last year\u2019s Giro<\/a>, seven years after his first grand tour win in the 2018 Vuelta and 13 years after debuting alongside his twin brother Adam.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Finally\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Now you, too, can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelandtourworld.com\/news\/article\/ef-adventures-brings-vip-access-to-the-2026-tour-de-france-a-dream-for-cycling-enthusiasts\/#google_vignette\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">cosplay being a real Tour de France cyclist<\/a>. Nothing like a bunch of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DTK9XXTjPhY\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=1f3ff21d-5d6f-4902-9639-a4a98fedfb7f\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">rapping skinny ass white kids in spandex<\/a> to get you in the mood for racing season.<\/p>\n<p>And post this one under \u201cproblems SoCal bike riders seldom have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/bikecommuting\/comments\/1q6acgj\/i_had_to_give_up\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">I had to give up..<\/a><br \/>by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/user\/manspih\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">u\/manspih<\/a> in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/bikecommuting\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">bikecommuting<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and fuck Putin.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Like this:<\/p>\n<p>Like Loading&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"sd-link-color\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Un-effing-believable. A 24-year old woman was formally charged with felony manslaughter for the October death of a bike&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125083,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[65108,49171,65109,37149,161,131,133,132,47,4694,14039],"class_list":{"0":"post-125082","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-long-beach","8":"tag-bicycle-friendly","9":"tag-bicycling","10":"tag-bicycling-fatalitities","11":"tag-high-speed","12":"tag-hit-and-run","13":"tag-long-beach","14":"tag-long-beach-headlines","15":"tag-long-beach-news","16":"tag-los-angeles","17":"tag-new-york","18":"tag-zohran-mamdani"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125082"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125082\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}