1 Killed, 4 Hurt When Pickup Hits Cyclists

A bicyclist was killed and four others were injured, one seriously, when a 17-year-old drove a full-size Chevy pickup onto a sidewalk Saturday morning, authorities said.

Witnesses told police the truck hit the group of cyclists as it turned onto Lindero Canyon Road from Lakeview Canyon Road about 8:30 a.m.

Mehran Delavari, 35, of West Hills was killed as he changed a flat tire on a bicycle, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Wayne Encinas said.

Delavari was a researcher at the pharmaceutical company Amgen, said his brother-in-law, Tamir Oheb.

“He was an avid biker. He rode every Saturday,” Oheb said Saturday night. “Family is calling from New York, Israel, everywhere. This is terrible. Terrible.”

The male driver, who is from Westlake Village, was traveling southeast on Lakeview Canyon and had stopped for a red light before turning right onto Lindero Canyon Road, Encinas said.

Cyclist Zachary J. Winner, 33, was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center where he remained in guarded condition Saturday night with injuries including a broken leg, a hospital spokesman said.

Two other victims were taken to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks. Brian Zrehigian, 40, of Sherman Oaks was in serious condition in the intensive care unit with three spinal fractures and a bruised kidney. George Riccirdi, 43, of Canoga Park was treated for bumps and bruises and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

A fifth man, Stanislav Ianov, 40, was treated at the scene.

“They were pretty beat up, the bikes were torn up,” said Carl Price, a paramedic at Los Angeles County Fire Station 144, which is across the street from where the accident happened. “One of the bikes was completely torn in half.”

Battalion Chief James Powers was picking up a car at the station when he heard the accident and alerted rescue personnel.

“We had two paramedics on duty at the time. It let us get right to work on the patients,” Price said.

Two fire units from Agoura Hills and a rescue squad from Calabasas also responded.

The cyclists, described as athletic, apparently often rode together, one official said.

An Iranian immigrant, Delavari is survived by his wife, Ilanit, 31; a 4-month-old son, Riley; and a 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Samantha, Oheb said.

A floral tribute was attached to the bike lane sign at the site of the accident.

Manslaughter charges are pending against the juvenile driver, who was questioned by police and released, officials said. His name was not released because he is a juvenile.