Cyclist Hospitalized After Collision

A bicyclist was hospitalized with "fairly serious injuries" after a collision with a car at the intersection of North Catalina Avenue and Carnelian Street on Friday morning, authorities said.

According to Sgt. Dave Christian with the Redondo Beach Police Department, a woman in a vehicle was making a left turn from Catalina Avenue onto Carnelian Street when the cyclist, who was apparently traveling at a high rate of speed downhill on northbound Catalina Avenue, hit the vehicle's passenger side door.

"It was a very, very hard impact for him being a bicyclist," Christian said. "He did a lot of damage to the side of the car."

The bicycle was apparently destroyed in the collision. The cyclist, identified as a male in his 40s, appeared to have suffered head trauma and broken bones in the crash.

The collision occurred just before 8 a.m. Northbound Catalina Avenue between Diamond and Carnelian streets was closed from shortly after 8 a.m. until about 11 a.m.

There were no witnesses to the collision, and "we're not sure whose fault it was," said Christian. He said officers will investigate the incident.

Christian said it appeared the cyclist was riding for recreational reasons rather than commuting to work.

The crash occurred about two blocks north of a ghost bike installed in memory of Larry Schellhase, who died after his bicycle hit road debris and flipped.