Event aims to raise awareness of danger
Like many of those who showed up at Wheeler Park on Wednesday night, Phil Farber knew of a cyclist who was killed on the road.
Farber, of Ann Arbor, was himself hit on Main Street by a car several years ago. The accident injured vertebrae in his neck.
"At least I'm alive,'' Farber said.
About 40 cyclists showed up for the first Ride of Silence in Ann Arbor to remember those who weren't so lucky. The cyclists remained silent as they cycled through the city from Maple, to Huron River Drive to Main Street and back to Wheeler Park.
The Ride of Silence is a national event happening in cities across the state and country. The idea is to ride slow and silent in honor of those injured or killed on the road while cycling.
Mark Erzen, president of the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society, said the event in Ann Arbor was one of 25 going on Wednesday in Michigan. Erzen said Wednesday he was attending the one in Westland.
Erzen said 800 riders nationwide are killed a year while cycling. Local cyclists remembered two area cyclists who died within the last year.
Charlotte Marcotte, a member of the Ann Arbor Cycle Touring Society, was killed in an accident last July. She was 65. Marcotte was riding her bike in Chelsea. A car crossed the center line and hit her. The driver, Jared David Clark, pleaded no contest to negligent homicide and was sentenced to 20 months of probation and 200 hours of community service.
Todd Schoenheide, 17, of Northville, was riding a bike last year when he was struck and killed by a car in Superior Township. Mark Peterson ran a stop sign and his car hit Schoenheide and another cyclist. Police estimated the car was going between 70 mph and 100 mph and there were no skid marks. After the crash, Peterson had a blood alcohol level of 0.20, nearly three times the legal limit for drunken driving in Michigan. Peterson was sentenced to seven to 15 years in prison.
But Wednesday's event was more than just a memorial.
It's goal was also to raise awareness of cyclists on the road.
Erica Briggs of Ann Arbor said she has cycled down Huron River Drive with her son riding behind her.
"There were women yelling out of SUV windows, 'Get out of the road,' '' Briggs said.
That's something cyclists are trying to change with events like Wednesday's.
Kris Talley, the chairwoman of the Washtenaw Biking & Walking Coalition, said she came because her group supports "non-motorized rights.''
The idea is to let people know that cyclists have a right to the road, too.
"This is a way to show that we are out there,'' Talley said.
Tom Gantert can be reached at tgantert@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6701.