Ann Arbor cyclists will lead a memorial ride to honor the victims of a deadly vehicle crash in Kalamazoo.
TheAnn Arbor Velo Club is inviting the public to meet Wednesday, June 15 to honor the cyclists killed by a vehicle driver in Kalamazoo. A day trip in the southwestern Michigan countryside ended tragically for a group of bicyclists when a pickup truck plowed into them. Five were killed and four injured in the Tuesday crash. The driver, a 50-year-old man who fled but was caught by police shortly afterward, remains in custody.
Tim Panagis is with the Velo Club. He says, in many cases, crashes between drivers and bike riders can be avoided with road safety education.
“It feel like it is just a lack of awareness. I think the driver doesn’t know that the cyclist has a right to be on the road and...a right to be passed at a safe distance.”
In Ann Arbor, Panagis says, Huron River Drive is a particularly dangerous road for bike riders due to its sharp curves and blind spots.
The silent memorial ride begins Wednesday, June 15 at 6 PM at the Kerrytown Marketin downtown Ann Arbor.
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— Amanda LeClaire is an assignment reporter and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact her at 734.487.3363 or email her aleclair@emich.edu
