Ghost bikes are a new twist on the white crosses we’ve come to see along our highways and at dangerous intersections, marking the spot where people died.
Mourners take old bikes, paint them a stark white, and erect them near the spot where bicyclists are killed. Sadly, two ghost bikes now appear on 26th Street at Westend Avenue.
The bikes, plus a hand-made wooden case in the foreground, are a tribute to Edgar “E.J.” Juarez, 30, and Jayson Kilroy, 28, who died Aug. 6, 2008, as they were riding north down 26th Street with three friends. The victims suffered massive internal injuries when, Colorado Springs Police say, Barbara Thomas plowed into them in her pickup truck. Here is a mug shot of Thomas.
Police say Thomas was driving under the influence of an illegal cocktail of morphine and barbiturates when she turned into the oncoming bicyclists. She goes to trial March 2 on charges of DUI and vehicular homicide.
Friends of the victims created the roadside shrine to Juarez and Kilroy.
Jon Csakany built the wooden case to hold photos and mementos of the men. Chris Fiedler designed a stencil with both of their names and painted it on the asphalt at the site.
The ghost bikes replaced the white crosses that normally highlight such a memorial.
Here is a closer look at the wood case Csakany built to honor his friends.
There is an assortment of bike-related items at the shrine:
Here is a www.FlashEarth.com map of the area where the bikers were killed and the memorial now stands. It is south of U.S. Highway 24 and a popular route for bikers on their way to Gold Camp Road and Cheyenne Canon.
Neighbors say they were not surprised by the wreck. They have long feared bikers would be killed because of the speeds reached by drivers and bikers alike as they fly north down 26th Street. Mix speed with the funky diaganol intersection at Westend Avenue and you have the makings of a tragedy.
Below is a look at the intersection, facing north toward U.S. 24.
Neighbors say speed humps, a flashing caution sign or speed indicator, and a stop sign are needed to prevent future tragedies.
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I would like to point out first of all that the woman who hit the cyclists was drugged up in a way that she should not have been driving in the first place. We have been so busy punishing teens for being “dangerous drivers” we have not put much effort at all into ensuring that our older drivers do not lose their edge. My suggested solution is a mixture of better driver training, stricter licencing laws, and not driving while your on drugs (people should realize that when their vision becomes blurry and they lose their balance its not time to hop into the car and go cruising down 26th) If the beighbourhood ardently insists that the interesection needs to be changed, I would modify it as shown in this image:
http://xs134.xs.to/xs134/08514/intersection_redo837.jpg
It requiers the aquisition of a tiny little bit of unused land, and traffic engineers could pick and choose which parts of the plan they wanted to implement. There is one mistake. “Cyclepaths” should read “bicycle lanes” as the “paths” varient implies seperation from the roadway.
Got this in my e-mail. Reader Chris Capshaw says:
In response to Bill Vogrin’s article (Ghost bikes a reminder of need to share road, Metro Dec 18th) I must first say it is a tragedy when any person dies or is injured in any type of vehicle accident. However, bicyclists must take on a good portion of the responsibility to share the road and ride responsibly.
These Lance Armstrong wannabees in far too many cases are their own worst enemy. I continually see bicyclists failing to obey traffic laws and riding in a manner which places themselves and others at risk. Bicyclist must obey all traffic laws just like motor vehicle operators. I hardly ever see a bicyclist stop for a red light or a stop sign. When a bike lane is provided, many times they don’t use it or choose to ride on top of the line separating the bike lane from the roadway. They ride their bikes in pedestrian crosswalks instead of dismounting and walking their bikes across streets. They ride abreast of each other instead of single file (as they are required to do) when motor vehicles are within 300 feet of them. They cut across lanes without signaling, ride on the wrong side of the roadway, dart in between motor vehicles, and ride in between motor vehicles (lane splitting). When I cruise through Garden of the Gods at the posted 20 mph speed limit, I am routinely passed by bicyclists doing 30-35 mph. Yes Lance, you have to obey speed limits too.
I am more than willing to “share the road” with any person who demonstrates they are capable of riding a bicycle in accordance with the law and in a safe, adult manner. If a bicyclist is unwilling to do so, then I have no sympathy for them.
In response to Chris Capshaw.
Both Ej and Jayson were both riding within the law and were in no way breaking any laws of the road so your rant about cyclists obeying the law of the road seems out of place and ill informed. if you read the article or knew anything about the case Barbara Thomas was fully at fault. She made an illegal turn into a group of cyclists while on a number of very strong drugs. To top it off she was not wearing glasses she was required by law to wear and just minutes before the accident was caught shoplifting at the local safeway. Before you start taking your anger on local cyclist out i suggest you read the material you comment on.
I understand that we have a lot of cyclists that do not respect the traffic laws but that does not apply to this case. I lost my best friend that day and there is not a minute that goes by where i don’t think of him in some way. It just twists the knife to read this sort of ignorant diatribe.
In response to Chris Capshaw:
I am deeply offended by your blatant ignorance. You are obviously venting your frustrations with cyclists in general, which have nothing to do with this specific incident. If you were to actually read the article about the accident, you would realize that these so called “Lance Armstrong wannabees” were abiding by all traffic laws. EJ was a good friend of mine as well as a co-worker, and he was by no means a “wannabe”. Would you consider someone who rigorously trains to compete 6 days a week in football or any other activity which you enjoy -since you’re obviously a cyclist hater- a “wannabe”? EJ was a dedicated aspiring athlete. Your cruel and biased words are salt in our collective wound. If you think that it’s wrong that cyclists don’t ride in the bike lanes provided or ride on the white line, then maybe you should take a moment to step out of your self-centered state of mind, and think about why they would do that. Do you think cyclists like to throw themselves at cars? I certainly do not. Most bicycle lanes are filled with debris, including sharp glass, and if you’ve ever got a flat tire in your car -I’m assuming you don’t ride bicycles- you would know that you tend to avoid sharp objects or debris in the road. If you don’t like cyclists riding in the bike lane, then complain to the city that the street sweepers do not sweep the bike lanes and actually do something, rather than criticize productive citizens. I am appalled at your bigotry, and your notion that cyclists pose any kind of danger or threat to motor vehicles. I’m sorry but the momentum of 200 pounds is nothing compared to 4,000 pounds. When a cyclist causes an accident, paint gets scratched, when cars hit cyclists, they have lethal potential. Your lack of concern for this incident -since you did not have an opinion on any of the actual facts in this case- your lack of sensitivity, and your disdain for an entire culture of healthy, productive human beings is disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself.
-Ryan Kois
While to some of you the young men featured in this piece are just names, just potential “Lance Armstrong wannabes”…. to some of us they were our friends.
Real people. Real young men who were killed.
Whereas the internet encourages everyone to have an opinion and furthermore gives them a place to espouse it- please realize that when you clinically theorize about the politics of bike/car relations… some of us had to say good-bye to friends who died tragically.
I have sympathy for people regardless of whether or not the conditions of their death (or in this case, homicide) meet my “seal of approval”. I’m sorry that you don’t.
Chris,
Both these guys were, according to the Police report were riding within the laws that they are required to ride. This article is about two law abiding cyclists that paid the ultimate price because of a person that was impaired and never should of been on the road. Lance Armstrong wannabees they were not, but even the those that are “Armstrong Wannabees” do not deserved to be taught a lesson with loss of their life. I’ve yet to see the vehicle vs. motor vehicle accident that the motorist has come out on the losing end.
Vehicles are weapons in the wrong hands or by self appointed drivers that feel the need to harass or intimdate cyclist because they don’t want to share the road. Real easy for a motor vehicle operator to carry out acts of aggression behind tinted windows and a couple of tons of steel and glass. Cyclist should obey the law. many do and their our some that don’t, just like motorist. CSPD should give those that do break the law tickets motorists and cyclist alike.
As a good friend and co-worker of EJ and Jayson I hope the memorial will remain in tack as a reminder to everyone to take extra care when riding or driving. A very tragic senseless loss for this community and to blame it on the cyclists is narrow minded and despicable.
Since I didn’t get the opportunity to share this in Peak Cyclist as originally planned, I’d like to share it here:
The Road More Challenging
On a crisp Sunday morning in early August we rode up High Drive, probably about 30 of us. Not because we especially “enjoyed” the climb – but because EJ did. And we appreciated every moment, because on this particular Sunday the ride was for EJ rather than with him. Just four days prior, on August 6th, Edgar Juarez (“EJ”) and Jayson Kilroy were taken from us by a selfish, reckless driver. I didn’t know Jayson, but knowing EJ, this group outing was a fitting tribute to a friend who didn’t take shortcuts and relished challenging new experiences.
The irony and sorrow of losing fellow cyclists to a clash with a car is not lost on our cycling community. Such a pure form of freedom, unencumbered by the confines of a motor vehicle, and quiet except for your heartbeat – or possibly the creak of well-worn mechanics – is to some the most well-earned spot on the road. Certainly it is one of the most traditional and self-fulfilling forms of transportation, let alone recreation.
There are those who would say that cyclists should stay off the road, ride on the sidewalk, or even that EJ and Jayson deserved it because bikes are a hindrance, with no right sharing the sacred space. I just want to scream through my tears at these closed-minded fools that this was exactly what made EJ feel alive! He loved tackling epic, demanding experiences. He served his country, even survived time in Bosnia, only to face the ultimate challenge back home against an F350 driven by an under-the-influence, 63-year-old woman.
It’s tragic that Jayson’s baby won’t ever get to know him.
And it’s heartbreaking that our precious time spent with EJ was cut short because he was prematurely stolen doing what he loved best. But when we’re out on future rides and find ourselves facing a fork in the road, we’ll choose the road more challenging, and take solace in believing that EJ’s right there with us loving every minute.
Chris Capshaw has some valid points, though I dispute the general premise of his email. Some cyclists, apparently not the ones in this article, often do not obey traffic laws. As an occasional bicycle commuter myself, I can shed light on why bicyclists sometimes “ride the line” or do not use the bicycle lanes. If you go and look at our cycle lanes today, you will see that they are covered in sand. Two wheeled vehicles and sand do not mix well, especially in narrow lanes where there is little room to maneuver. In the summer, when we don’t purposefully throw sand on our roads, the remaining sand and other rubbish is pushed into the bicycle lane by traffic. Empty fast food cups, glass bottles, napkins, sand from construction vehicles, etc. all gets pushed from the main roadway into the bicycle lanes and if they are not cleared regularly become a hazard.
Another referenced practice was riding between two lanes of traffic. At stoplights, when cyclists ride between lanes to get to the front of the line it is called filtering. Studies in the UK (perhaps others as well, I would just search the internet for them) indicate that this is safer than waiting in line. It is commonly practiced in many parts of the world and sometimes “bicycle boxes” are placed in front of the stop line to give the cyclists a place other than the crosswalk to wait for the light. In Taiwan this is practiced not only by bicyclists, but also by motorcycles and scooters.
While it’s not right, many cyclists do choose not to stop at stop signs. I attribute this to an unrelated problem: our traffic engineers misuse of stop signs. In Europe (sorry about the continued oversees references, we can learn so much from them, and they from us) yield signs are used to attribute right of way, unless there is a proven definitive need to stop, i.e. a hedge that comes right up to the curb blocking your view of oncoming traffic. That’s why cyclists and drivers alike ignore stop signs: because they are not necessary in many situations.
Anyways, I hope I’m not too harsh on anyone. I respect your opinions. I shall leave you will some cyclist related comedy! http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=rAOHhV1EFe4
Bike riders are not always to blame. I and my riding companion were nearly killed while bike riding on the shoulder of a rural road in Chester County, PA when a teen racing his car came up a hill, did not see the car over the hill in his lane and tried to pass it. At the moment of impact, the teen’s car collided with the stationwagon who was in the lane next to us. The driver of the wagon said it was all he could do to prevent his vehicle from crashing into us. After that day, our bikes were parked in my father’s barn, only to be used to ride around the flat East River Drive in Philadelphia. Before placing blame on a class of drivers or riders, we all have to keep in mind that each accident has its own unique set of circumstances. Afterall, it was an intoxicated driver of an automobile who caused the death of someone very dear to me many years ago…
Please let me clarify a few points. I did not intend to connect the persons mentioned in the article as being “Lance Armstrong Wannabees,” or that they were at fault in the accident. I prefaced my comments with “…it is a tragedy when any person dies or is injured in any type of vehicle accident.” My comments were directed towards bicyclists in general. Any association of my comments with the people mentioned in the article is purely done so by the reader of my comments and not by me. I ride a motorcycle and know the importance of riding like you’re invisible (nobody can see you). Bicyclists need to do the same. I also know that I am judged not by my actions, but by those of all motorcycle riders. The unsafe riders who race their sport bikes around town, doing wheelies down busy streets, and of course those other riders who have to have the loudest bike on the planet to get attention, make things difficult for all motorcyclists. Likewise the bicyclists who ride like those I described make things worse for all bicyclists. That was the point I was trying to make.
I chanced upon your site via a comment from another blog and am happy I did. Great stuff you’ve got here…not sure if it’s a bug or not but the sidebar seems a little out of sync in Chrome. Bah – I should use IE and stop complaining. Cheers!