Next Week’s Hit and Run “Trial”: The Assault of Louis “Birdman” Deliz
Birdman, on his bike in better days.(Update: Not a trial, just the preliminary/setting hearing. In other words, both sides are meeting to figure out if they're ready to go trial.)
Another week, another hit and run trial. Next Friday, the woman who allegedly hit Louis "Birdman" Deliz and fled the scene will have her day in court next Friday at noon at the Beverly Hills Courthouse. Deliz a professional racer, was the victim of a hit and run last December. He gave his account to Sara Bond at Bikeside, but with the legal proceedings about to kick off, it seemed a good time to revisit the crash. For more on the details of the crash and the aftermath, I encourage you to read the rest of Bond's post at Bikeside, but for a taste...
...on December 1, 2009, right after midnight, he said goodbye to his girlfriend and made his way west on Sunset Blvd. taking a left on La Cienga and descending towards Santa Monica Blvd. where he would then continue back home to Santa Monica. However, as he made his way toward Hollaway, the cross street, the light blazing green, an SUV coming in the opposite direction, did not yield to oncoming traffic (a cyclist is considered traffic) and made a left onto Hollaway crossing Louis' path. Louis then veered left himself, braking, but was not so lucky. His body banged into the back, right hand side of the SUV, his face entering the back window only to be jerked free as the SUV swerved forward and into the gas station where it u-turned back onto La Cienga and continued North toward Sunset Blvd., leaving Louis in the middle of the intersection.
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