An executive at Rady Children's hospital died Sunday after he was fatally hit by a car while riding his bicycle.
Roger Roux, 64, was cycling in the 14200 block of Camino Del Sur near Westview High School when a 40-year-old woman, driving with her 6-year-old child, got distracted and crossed over into the bike lane, according to police.
Officers said the woman hit Roux, who was wearing a helmet. He was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where he died shortly after he arrived. The driver and child were uninjured.
“It's just a split second when one’s life can be taken away and unfortunately that happened today," said Alex Cabrera, who lives in the area, on Sunday.
Since 2003, Roux has worked for Rady Children's Hospital as the senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, overseeing all financial operations.
"His contributions to Rady Children’s and the San Diego community are simply too many to enumerate. Roger was a dedicated, trusted and collegial member of the Rady Children’s Family and will be missed dearly," a hospital spokesman wrote in a release.
Roux is survived by his wife Diane, son Matthew, daughter-in-law Jennifer and two grandchildren.
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Fellow cyclists surveyed the crash site Sunday, saying it's an all too familiar occurrence.
"There are a lot of distracted drivers," said cyclist Mike Kashirsky. "And if they're not on their phone, they're eating something. I see a lot of people, especially at lunchtime."
But they said the accident would not stop them from riding in the area.
"You can't be afraid of the road, and the majority of the people in cars are very aware of cyclists, and so I don't feel afraid," said cyclist Deborah Spivak.
Officers have not cited the woman. According to law enforcement sources, she was possibly distracted by her child.
Criminal defense attorney Tony Solare acknowledges cases like this are difficult across the board, but he still has questions.
"There's a part of me that's asking, 'Why is she getting a pass?'" he told NBC 7. "She was driving, she did an act that was ordinary negligence or an act that's arguably a traffic infraction. I mean she swerved into a dedicated bike lane."
The SDPD is still investigating this crash as an accident and emphasize it is still an open investigation.
