A cyclist on an afternoon ride on Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard near Diablo Ranch Drive suffered serious injuries and later died after he was struck head-on by a Chevy SUV.
California Highway Patrol investigators said the accident occurred at around 4:30 p.m., at the time this site started issuing news alerts of a crash in the area.
Officers and park rangers responding to the scene found 46-year-old Maayan Jones down and unconscious on the side of the road. The driver of the SUV was standing by, according to the CHP.
Jones, a resident of Novato, died after being airlifted to John Muir Medical Center.
CHP investigators described the accident site as a narrow winding roadway and said it appears the bicyclist and vehicle hit head on as the rider was ascending. The rider was wearing a helmet at the time.
Terrible sight lines in there and narrow road. I would hate to say this was an expected outcome but it was an expected outcome. Condolences to the cyclist and I’m glad the driver stayoed on scene.
Far too many bikes to share the road up there. I have seen many many close calls. Seems like there’s always a certain number of people (both cyclists and drivers) that don’t follow the rules.
It’s a very pretty ride but far too narrow for both cyclists and cars to navigate safely. While we were saddened to get this news (we ride that length of road often) we were not surprised to hear that someone had paid for it with their life. It just doesn’t make any sense and it will happen again if something isn’t done about it.
Our condolences. It could have been us.
This I am afraid is one of those accident waiting to happen scenarios you hear about. We wold hope that having someone die as a result might make for change of some kind. We won’t hold our breath.
Awful.
Very sorry. Condolences to this mans family. I used to make that ride a lot back in the day but not so much any more for the very reasons others are mentioning. Put a bicycle against a car or SUV the bike is going to lose every time.
We’re a riding family but I don’t think I was ever happier than when my husband said he wouldn’t be making any more tours on that road. He never told me what it was that put him off but it had to be pretty bad because he doesn’t scare easily. Dedicated bike routes please.
This wasn’t on Mt Diablo (S. Gate Road): it was on Diablo Scenic Blvd which leads to the climb.
Hundreds of cyclists ride Diablo every week, and have been doing so for decades, yet fatalities are extremely rare. The reality is roadway deaths in the US are way too common, but if this was a driver dying on 101, it wouldn’t even crack the news. Don’t conclude from this story that cycling in Diablo is particularly dangerous. All roads are dangerous. This is why Vision Zero, including automated speed enforcement, is so important.
I have cycled this curvy stretch many times as well as driven it. I have far too many cyclists barreling down through this stretch as if no one will be coming up.
…he was riding uphill.
FWIW. Prob not your point, but worth mentioning.
So tragic and sad. We no longer make that ride for safety reasons.
Love to bike but now look for very out of the way places to do it. Cars and bicycles are not meant to share the same road. RIP
Very sorry. Had a feeling it was bad and then got your alerts. Condolences to this person’s family.
So sad.
My compassion is for the driver of the SUV.
seriously? how bout the victim what a joke.
yuck should be ashamed of urself danielle. compassion for maayan and his family!
I’m entitled to my opinion, and my opinion stands. Until cyclists realize that they’re playing Russian Roulette (the car will always win) and there are safer places to ride. If they want to put themselves in harms way… fine. I struggle to find compassion for ruining the life of drivers. And that’s exactly what happens.
insensitive heartless opinion. I’m embarrassed for you. Hope this is investigated and the Chevy driver is prosecuted. Drivers who speed, text, and seemingly through witnesses drive on wrong side of road get no compassion. Cars do not own the road and there are vehicle laws and bike laws. Bike laws were followed vehicle laws were not. Compassion for the children left without a father and wife with out a husband.
And I’m embarrassed for you that you’re trying to arrogantly shove your opinion down my throat. I’m tired of cyclists that refuse to stay off roads that are very dangerous, put themselves in harms way and then try to blame the driver. A lot of people feel this way, but I have the guts to say it.
A friend of mine (who is a cyclist) says it best. “Cyclists are right. DEAD right.” Would you rather be dead right or alive? The choice is yours.
Your painful. Karma will come for you. I’m not a cyclist I drive a car and when I do its with respect for peoples lives. Intentional law breaking driving is disgusting and cost a man his life for cycling- abiding all laws and riding where hundreds of thousands cyclist ride a year? Your delusional. Your comments literally nauseate me.
FWIW, Maayan was married with three young kids.
+He was riding uphill.
You see the bike.
Yeah, Danielle – that driver’s going to have a lot on their mind.
Theyre not the only one
Danielle, as a friend of Maayan’s I am certain he too had sympathy for the driver that hit him, even as Maayan lay there dying in the roadway. That was Maayan. And I agree the driver is entitled to such sympathy right now as he/she is undoubtedly going through hell themselves. What you might find especially interesting is that Maayan would also have sympathy for you, even now, in spite of your callousness. That too was Maayan. He would hope for you to find a happier place within yourself.
Steve – It has been said that our true measure as human beings is best judged by the character of our friends and loved ones. If true, and I tend to believe it is, Maayan was a great human being and his legacy will last far longer than people of lesser character. I didn’t know Maayan but I think we are probably of the same spirit. I will remember him by what his friends and family said about him. I only wish I had known him in life.
Such a sad and tragic loss. RIP
So it seems the rider was ascending and the SUV was on the wrong side of the road.
Speculation, you have no idea.
Do you?
I don’t see my reply so I will repost. I came up on the scene which was just 100 yards from the little turnout where some people park. The cyclist was in the far right side of the road and EMS was working on him. I’ll be blunt, he couldn’t have been any further to the right. He was ascending. His bike was broken in half in the road. The truck was there and the point of impact was the left front corner. It was OBVIOUS who was at fault. I had just completed my ride and was so happy to have found this beautiful road recently after relocating to the Bay. I won’t be doing it again! I may even put the bike in storage. Too many people who don’t understand the cycling sport on the road..
My deepest condolences to Mr. Jones family.
Thanks for this, Andrea… it couldn’t have been pleasant, we appreciate your reaching out. For the record, aside from your gracious condolences to the family (always welcome), we see no earlier post from you. Thank you again…
Thank You for your post, Andrea!!
– i’ve been riding with Maayan since we were kids. There are many trying to make sense of this
&, T.Y. for your condolences for his wife & three kids!!
Andrea, so sorry you had to see that, what other info could you share about the scene?
Thx Joe jaspatore@aol.com
Your painful. Karma will come for you. I’m not a cyclist I drive a car and when I do its with respect for peoples lives. Intentional law breaking driving is disgusting and cost a man his life for cycling- abiding all laws and riding where hundreds of thousands cyclist ride a year? Your delusional. Your comments literally nauseate me.
What did I say????
sorry thats for danielle;) not sure why showed up on yours.
The truth isn’t always easy to swallow. This man was from Novato and riding a very dangerous road. It costs him his life. Was it his first ride in the area? Hopefully it’s a wake-up call to cyclists, but probably not. How many dead cyclists is it going to take until they realize a pretty ride is a deadly one? Get out of denial about deadly rides. Ever heard of raising awareness? That’s what it takes to change dangerous habits. How do you know the cyclist was abiding all laws? Were you there? You’re very naïve. And for those of us who drive the roads of Lamorinda, cyclists are a great concern. We’re not going to stop driving. Buy cyclists need to come to terms with the fact that roads aren’t meant to be shared, and the driver will always win. We don’t want to win. Cyclists need to find safer places to ride, and until they do – this will continue. It’s sad, and VERY preventable. Ride safely.
Naive? that’s you. YOU actually no nothing about this incident. NOTHING. Your wrong. I see what a witness commented who did see the experienced law abiding, helmet wearing, on the correct side of the road cyclist, and the law breaking driver with damage to the vehicle proving fault. Point is compassion and you lack it. YUCK.
Stopped riding it some time ago. Terrible loss.
Really sorry. A shame this happened.
The Town of Danville is responsible for that road, and they’ve known about its dangers for decades. Now, instead of widening that stretch of road, they are instead rezoning the open space next to it (Magee Preserve) to build more houses! They are adding 800 more car trips per day to that stretch. Why not fix the infrastructure first, if it’s so important to rezone open space and add more traffic to a dangerous road that has led to dozens of accidents and now a fatality. My thoughts and prayers are with this young man’s family.
This was NOT on Diablo Rd, but Mt Diablo Scenic. A few residents of Diablo would like to close the alternative safer route to the state park for cyclists, which bypasses the section of road where this accident occurred. I will be interested in the facts when they become available. Odd that there have been no other details about the driver, besides stayed at the scene, cooperating, not impaired. Was it someone under 18? I see an awful lot of teens driving carelessly on South Gate Rd during late afternoon/early evening hours. But that’s another issue. My heart breaks for the wife and 3 beautiful children who will now grow up without a father.
There has to be a better way. We can’t invite people to walk or bicycle in semi rural suburbia and then run them over when they do. I’d suggest some sort of dedicated trail or route for bicycles only but I know cyclists would hate it and take to the roads again. I hate seeing the same mistakes made over and over again.
I wasn’t going to say anything but by watching the comments on this board you can see the divide we have with bicyclists and people with cars. Unfortunately as long as people think cars have absolute privilege on the road people on bikes will continue to die. Prayers for the victim and his family. So hard.
Well Danielle is a heartless and cruel human, let’s make that clear, hope we never have to rely on her for anything that matters!
Was up on the mountain this am and coming down nearly every car was over the double yellow coming up into blind corners.
Involuntary manslaughter is a serious charge, so Danielle, and anyone else who thinks that this is a “wake up call to cyclists” is wrong, and will find themselves in the good graces of a $400.00 attorney trying to keep you out of state prison!
My compassion is for the driver of the SUV. The driver didn’t intentionally kill this cyclist. The cyclists I know agree with me. This bike had no business on the mountain, and until cyclists learn that riding safely is responsible cycling, this will continue. I’m saddened by the elitist attitude of cyclists that don’t understand that certain roads (like mountains) are impossible to share. I also notice that cyclists are blaming vehicles 100 percent, yet roads were built for vehicles. And you wonder why motorists and some cyclists clash
The Lamorinda cyclists I know avoid Reliez Valley. Thankfully I won’t be attending their funerals anytime soon, for a tragic and preventable death.
Danielle, I truly hope you’re some sort of bot or troll. I don’t know what is going on in your life that makes you say the things you do, but I am sorry for whatever causes you to think anything you’re saying is even remotely OK. Have you read his wife’s response below? “this bike has no business on the mountain” First of all, every bike has just as much right to be on ANY road other than a freeway. Second of all, this is a state park, anyone driving or riding up it is doing so for leisure/pleasure – which is why the impatience of cars baffles me up there – this isn’t your commute, you’re heading up a dead end road, enjoy the view! While it is clear you don’t ride a bike (perhaps that’s your insecurity), I am sure many people you love (assuming you’re capable of love) do, and you would never wish harm to them. Try to think and have some compassion before posting such vile horrible things in the future.
Danielle has posted here before and I believe she is local??? She has exhibited a tendency to take a position and defend it to the last – right or wrong – a popular tactic in this day. I half expected her to withdraw her statement regarding this tragedy but it is pretty clear she is doubling down. If anything, her comments demonstrate the position of some around here that the car is supreme on our roads and all others should move over. I don’t believe she is alone but she was the only one to state the positions in a public forum. I disagree with her compeltely.
Danielle, you didn’t know my husband and shouldn’t make any assumptions about him.
We’ve always stayed away from social media and have a very private life, but I will not allow anyone to say anything negative about Maayan. I have to make it very clear – he never had a sense of entitlement, in any part if his life. Anyone who knew him, met him and had a chance to talk to him know that. He was thoughtful, respectful, open minded and kind, among many other things.
You asked if that was his first time there. It was not. He rode that route on multiple occasions, he was also a very experienced, safe, law abiding biker.
Thank you, Andrea, for your post, we are trying to make sense of it all and get all the facts.
I want to thank everyone for their compassion and support.
Thank you for your post, Valentina… we can’t imagine what you are going through. All we can offer are our deepest condolences.
Valentina, I could not agree with you more. Maayan was a wonderful man and respectful biker who was a champion for his sport. He will be greatly missed.
Danielle, I respect your opinion about the route but feel your comments directly pointed at the rider are not only false but callous and insensitive. How would you feel as the wife or children of this man reading these comments? Where is your heart and sense of community? The SUV driver is still safe and sound and able to hold their family. Yes, it was traumatic for them but seriously the impact is just not the same.
Instead of trying to create a larger divided and cause more hurt in a situation that is already devastating consider trying to find a productive solution that could prevent this happening again instead of placing blame where it doesn’t belong. Be the catalyst for change not destruction.
totally agree
Valentina, I am so so sorry for your loss, as an avid Mt Diablo cyclist, I have the deepest sympathies and gratitude to your late husband. I am truly sorry you had to read such horrible things from someone like Danielle, no one deserves that.
Valentina, I am so sorry for your loss. We met Maayan on several occasions hosted by our friends who live in San Anselmo. I was shocked and sad when I found out that this was him. He was always the nicest, kindest person. Please accept our sincere condolences.
Does anyone know if Maayan came through the community of Diablo and used the gravel cut-through trail to reach Mt Diablo Scenic Blvd? Or did he come from the Athenian School direction?
We’re losing far too many good people we can’t afford to lose.