A video of a man riding a bicycle down the center of the 101 Freeway near Highland on Monday during rush hour has been viewed online more than 75,000 times.
And the CHP says it's not uncommon for those not in cars to be on the highway.
Last year the California Highway Patrol got more than 1,200 calls about people walking or biking on freeways near downtown Los Angeles. The CHP says they got numerous calls about the bicyclist popping wheelies, but they haven't been able to identify him.
"Officers responded but by the time they got to the location he was nowhere to be found," said CHP Officer Roberto Gomez. Pedestrians on freeways are becoming an increasing problem in LA — from people riding bikes, to climbing on overpasses, the CHP says.
"We just got another pedestrian call on the eastbound 10 at Crenshaw," Gomez says.
Gomez says they chase pedestrian calls every day.
Gomez says there are signs on every freeway on and off ramp prohibiting pedestrians and bicyclists. But he says the law is often ignored — especially near downtown LA where there are dozens of homeless encampments near freeways.
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"A lot of it tends to be transients walking on freeways," Gomez says. "Some have controlled substance issues or mental illness or a combo of both."
Last Thursday a man died after being hit by as many as six cars while walking across the 10 Freeway near Western Avenue around 4:30 a.m. He is the fifth pedestrian killed this year on LA's busy freeways.
"I think a lot of pedestrians feel it's their easiest way to get from point a to point b — and unfortunately it's not made for pedestrian traffic or bike traffic — it's made for vehicles only."
If the bicyclist is found, he could face penalties ranging from a citation for disobeying a regulatory sign to a misdemeanor charge of trespassing on state property, which could come with a $1,000 fine or even six months in jail. The exception to the law is if your car breaks down on the freeway and you have to get help, the CHP says. The CHP says you should only walk on the side of the freeway and never try to cross lanes.
