After Oregon Woman Is Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver in Pasadena, a Ghost Bike Is Planted

There are few things more moving and powerful than a ghost bike planting.  Last night, the Eastside Bike Club, cooks from the Bike Oven and other cyclists made the somber ride to the spot where Jocelyn Young was struck by a hit and run driver in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Photo: Carlos Morales/Eastside Bike Club

Young’s tragic story was picked up by Bike Portland, because she graduated from University of Oregon and lived in Portland.  Bike Portland adds the life details to the story missed by the local press and shows how much the world has lost from Young’s passing.

Andrew Plambeck attended UO with Young and reacted to her death today. “We had a lot of close mutual friends. She was such an always-on wonderful presence. Always warm and cheerful. So, so sad. Another wonderful, unique person killed senselessly in the road.”

Meanwhile, Nicholas Avila, who was booked on suspicion of hit-and-run and driving under the influence and was released from the Pasadena Police Jail yesterday pending charges.  Unless charges are filed, the police cannot hold a suspect and the Pasadena Star-News reports that the police are making sure their case is airtight before presenting their case to the District Attorney’s office.  There’s no stated reason why Avilia isn’t charged with vehicular manslaughter.  The police are currently interviewing witnesses and collecting video information.

Young was riding with her boyfriend when she “fell off her bike” for unknown reasons.  Avila then allegedly ran over Young, causing injuries that would kill her in the hospital.  While Young lay dieing in the street, Avila fled to his house in Alhambra, where he was arrested after another driver followed him to his residence.

Last night, Young’s memory was memorialized with a ghost bike.  While the bikes are a powerful reminder that we still have a long way to go to make our roads safe for all road users, I think we can all agree it’s a type of traffic calming that we could do with less of.

  • Anonymous

    Kudos to the driver who followed the murderer home, and reported him to the police.

  • Anonymous

    You’re a murderer if you accidentally run over someone who is just laying in the street? She wasn’t even on her bike!

    Was the train conductor who ran over those kids who thought it was a swell idea to sleep on the tracks a few years back a murderer?

    This guy fucked up big time by freaking out and driving home, but it sounds like other people observed the accident when it happened, so it’s not like no one called an ambulance.

  • The person can still get away with it. Somebody rammed into my car at high speed about 15 years ago, fled the scene with multiple people following them to their house. However, the police insisted that the witnesses had to ID the person from a lineup photos which look very similar, which is sort of a ridiculous thing to demand when you have the driver’s address and registration. I don’t think anything happened with that case.

  • You’re a murderer if you accidentally run over someone who is just laying in the street? She wasn’t even on her bike!———–

    If the PasaPD can prove he was drunk, then yeah.  He’s a murderer.  If you drive drunk and kill someone, you’re a murderer in my book.

  • ds

    If someone is unable to ride a bike properly and lands into the street in the middle of the night, they’re putting their own life in jeopardy. That should be obvious to anyone.

    If they had a test proving that he was driving drunk, why haven’t they filed a DUI charge already? They released him pending investigation, which means it’s not that clear cut.

  • Mig

    @ds:  You do recognize that there is a  pretty big difference between the operation of cars and trains, namely that it is much harder to stop a train and impossible to swerve to avoid something on the “road” (track), right?

  • Blah

    I am a very good friend of nick and no he isn’t. Murderer !! She was lying in the street who the eff does that !!! Ya I think it was wrong of him to freak out and take off but he was scared shitless ! I don’t agree with his actions but I wouldn’t call him a murderer .

  • Blah

    That’s the good ol” US of A . Killers with less regards to murders they’ve done walk free amoung us daily . Atleast he knows the wrong he’s done and pays for it everyday but I don’t expect u to understand .

  • Steveyoungman69

    Why did she fall off her bike?  Was she ill?  Did she have any sort of seizure condition?  Had she been drinking?  How far into the lane was she?  How long was she there before being struck by the car?

  • Sunnyfurtado

    Are you a effing idiot? How can you stick up for your murderer friend??? He is a MURDERER. It would’ve been an ‘accident’ if he would’ve stopped.

  • Pirate Luv89

    Wtf do you mean she fell off her bike for “unknown reasons”. She and her boyfriend were obviously drunk after leaving a bar. Best wishes go out to her family but nick has a family as well.

  • Pirate Luv89

    2nd how do u even know he knew he hit someone or something. If you ever drive down that street at night time it is pitch black. Driving in a truck that is lifted a Lil higher than a normal car. How is he suppose to know to watch out for bikers laying on the floor. The real question is where was the boyfriend?

  • Wendy

    The boyfriend was 20 feet in front of her, trying to show her a place where they could ride up onto the sidewalk and get off the road. He turned and saw that she’d fallen off her bike. She was lying directly under a street lamp, and her bike lights were operating. The cars in the lane next to her stopped because they could clearly see there was a woman lying in the road, hurt. They all watched as Nicholas ran over her body, which according to the police, running over a human is comparable to running over a curb – at 35 mph. After he ran her over, according to a witness, he just kept driving – not accelerating or slowing down – just drove up to the next light and turned the corner, all while the cars, witnesses and boyfriend ran after him yelling for him to stop. The witnesses told the boyfriend to go back and check on her, which he did, along with call the ambulance and police, which arrived in under 5 minutes. I don’t think it serves anyone to debate whether Jocelyn or Nicholas was at fault. It was a terrible accident, and Jocelyn and her family are paying for it, and Nicholas will have to face the consequences with his conscience and the City of Los Angeles.

  • snap

    f*ck nick thats what he gets… lil biatch ill f*ck him up again… in my drive way

  • Anonymous

    What is the current status of this case?

  • Wendy

    The case is with the DA and trial dates have yet to be set. He has been formally charged with manslaughter, DUI and hit and run.

  • la

    All this is unnecessary, don’t need to trash Jocelyn nor Nick. It was an unfortunate accident that happened.  Have some compassion for both sides, and I can understand the hatred for Nick but he’s no Murderer, hes a human being that had bad judgment and will pay for it. Hatred will not bring Jocelyn back. I don’t know Jocelyn, but from what I see she is loved by so many, but also, Nick is a good person those that know him and he would not intentionally hurt anyone. He also will live with this for the rest of his life. 

  • la

     .. that although forgiveness is very hard, it is necessary. Holding onto
    anger and old hurts hardens your heart and hurts only you. Ask for help
    in letting go of the anger. Ask to see the situation through the eyes
    of compassion. Allow yourself to feel the lightness of forgiveness.

  • J.Y.R.I.P.

    WTF back to you! you should shut your mouth and be respectful to Jocelyn’s death and her family. Nicholas Avila is a MURDERER! God and justice will make him pay for his price!  

  • Mh

    STRONGLY DISLIKE. YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT. 

  • MH

    having a friend like you can pretty much explain to us that you and your friend Nicholas Avila don’t give a damn about other people’s lives. I just pray there will be no more victims like Jocelyn Young after your friend gets out of prison. 

  • BOOO

    Do you have kids?? What if it was your daughter or son??? 

  • Anonymous

    Do we have a conviction on this yet? Has there even been a trial? Any updates at all would be appreciated.

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