Community Upset Police Find Leyla Beban at Fault in Fatal Bicycle Collision

Many in the Redwood City community were shocked and saddened when the Redwood City Police Department released a statement recently indicating the investigation into the collision that killed 14-year-old Woodside High student Leyla Beban as she rode her bike to school one morning had concluded - and that the driver of the truck was not at fault.

Leyla was riding her bicycle to school on November 26, 2012, at around 8:30 a.m., down Jefferson Avenue toward the intersection of Alameda de las Pulgas. As she approached the intersection, so did a GMC pick-up truck. Both Leyla and the driver of the truck went to make a right turn on Alameda de las Pulgas. The driver of the truck put on his turn signal, and slowed to make the turn.

That's where police say things went wrong.

Capt. Mulholland said Leyla should have yielded to the truck and waited for the driver to complete his turn before turning herself. However, he said Leyla proceeded to turn the corner at the same time as the truck. The space between the curb and the truck shrank as they both made the turn, and Leyla then became trapped and collided with the truck's rear passenger side. She was pulled under by the truck, and run over.

Emergency medical teams rushed Leyla to Stanford Hospital, but she died of her injuries. 

According to the police, the driver of the truck stopped and tried to aide Leyla, and cooperated fully with the police department's investigation.

Because they say Leyla should have yielded to the truck, Redwood City authorities have found no fault on the part of the driver, who was also not believed to have been speeding. RCPD said no charges will be brought against the driver.

Capt. Mulholland told the San Jose Mercury News Thursday that the department believes it was "just a tragic accident, all around."

However, members of the local Redwood City and Woodside communities, as well as avid members of cycling communities from all over the state who have been following news of the accident, are upset that the police would say Leyla "caused her own death."

Many are taking to social media sites like Twitter to express their "disappointment" in RCPD's statement.

Twitter user "mikesonn" said, "This is horrible work by @RedwoodCityPD. I'm worried to have to work in #RWC because my life [is worth less than a] driver's time."

Twitter user "Anthony R" said, "OK I'm REALLY pissed off. RT @cyclelicious: Redwood City police: 14 year old cyclist at fault in fatal right hook."

Other Twitter users like "Ted Rogers" made "a call for justice" in Leyla's name because "police blame her for her own death."

"Ted Rogers" and others are comparing Leyla's accident to a similar one that took place in Los Angeles in February in which a cyclist named Damien Kevitt lost his leg and suffered several other injuries when a vehicle ran him over, dragging his body 500 feet and then driving off. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the unknown hit-and-driver.

According to the San Jose Mercury, Leyla's family is "rejecting the findings" of the Redwood City Police, and have hired attorney Gary Brustin, who specializes in cases that involve cyclists, to "conduct their own investigation."

Brustin told the San Jose Mercury that "at the appropriate time and legal place, we will disclose our findings."

PATCH WANTS TO KNOW - What do you think of the police's findings? Tell us in the comments below.

Also on Redwood City-Woodside Patch:

• Friends Start Book Drive in Memory of Leyla Beban
• Redwood City Vehicle & Home Damaged in Sunday Morning Fire
• Congress to Postal Service: You Can't Cancel Saturday Delivery
• More Than 200 Tickets Given to Distracted Redwood City Drivers Wednesday
• Details Emerge of How Man Conned Local Elderly Out of Thousands
• Design for New Apartments at Old Mel's Bowl Site Revealed

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