The Waterloo Public Interest Research Group and Recycle Cycles are co-sponsoring a memorial Friday for Shane Vandermeer, the 20-year-old cyclist who was killed late Wednesday on Franklin Boulevard in Cambridge.
You can read the Record story on his death here.
Raj Gill, projects and organization development co-ordinator for WPIRG, is a longtime cyclist and cycling advocate. In an email, she said that the memorial will be held at 7 p.m. at the site of Vandermeer's death, on southbound Franklin Boulevard near the exit ramp for the eastbound Highway 401. Purpose of the event is to remember the life of a cyclist, cut short far too soon, and to focus attention on making roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Gill says she has been in touch with the family and "they are supportive and touched that community members noticed and care."
We haven't had to have a memorial for a fallen cyclist in the Waterloo Region in a long time, and I hope we don't have to have another one anytime soon.
Sad news, my condolences to the family.
I'm sad that the writer included anything about a helmet. They didn't say that Shane Vandermeer died from head injuries, and if the car struck anywhere else on his body it's likely that he died from massive trauma and internal bleeding.
But the idea that he wasn't wearing a helmet is being hinted at as the cause of the problem here, not the terrible bridge, not that he fell off his bike (part of the bridge problem... bad road surface?) Nevermind the driver's culpability in this as well. I'm sure if they had been paying better attention, or just left more room, or been going anywhere close to the speed limit, they'd likely have been able to prevent this as well.
Damn shame, all around. Write your MPPs about this, please.
Posted by: charles | October 29, 2009 at 10:44 PM