Merced, CA – According to the Merced Sun-Star, Yolanda Marie Rodriguez, a 48-year-old resident of Merced, has been identified as the bicyclist fatally struck by a vehicle on January 12, 2024.
Around 10 PM, Merced police responded to a report of a bicyclist hit by a vehicle in Merced in the vicinity of West Childs Avenue, between G Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Upon reaching the scene, officers discovered a vehicle with significant damage to the windshield and Rodriguez lying in the roadway. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by first responders, Rodriguez was declared dead at the scene.
The driver, a yet-unnamed 42-year-old Merced woman, had been traveling west on West Childs Avenue and encountered Rodriguez directly in her vehicle’s path. She stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities.
Alcohol is suspected to have played a role in the collision. Investigations into the incident are still ongoing.
Because of their greater vulnerability, drivers are expected to exercise a special “duty of care” toward both cyclists and pedestrians, who are less likely to survive vehicular accidents.
Families who lose a loved one in such an accident may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance provider to cover medical bills, burial costs, and the loss of income to support dependents of the deceased.
However, insurance companies will attempt to minimize any payout they cannot deny, which is why the services of a skilled personal injury attorney can prove so crucial.
