Cyclist Succumbs to Crash Injuries

A Los Angeles man has died from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident earlier this month in Santa Monica.

Antonio Cortez, 40, died June 22, two weeks after he crashed into an open car door on 11th Street, near Oak Street in the Sunset Park neighborhood, the Santa Monica Police Department confirmed Saturday.

The impact sent him flying over the car door, and he landed head first onto the pavement. When he hit the ground, he wasn’t breathing, according to Sgt. Richard Lewis.

The police will not file criminal charges against the car's driver, who had the door open for several seconds to unload groceries before Cortez hit it, Lewis said.

Alcohol played a major role, he said, noting that Cortez was not wearing a helmet and had a blood alcohol content level above the legal limit of .08 when tested at the hospital.

"It appears to be an accident," Lewis said after the crash.

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