Cyclist killed in Alberta highway crash honoured with ghost bike
The male rider was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Highway 14 last Friday
A bicycle painted all in white appeared along the shoulder of Highway 14 southeast of Edmonton Friday afternoon.
The "ghost bike" is a memorial for a cyclist killed after being struck by a car, just east of the Anthony Henday overpass last week.
RCMP say a 2004 Pontiac Sunfire was travelling eastbound on the evening of May 20 when it struck the male cyclist, who was trying to cross the highway.
The victim, who has not been identified by police, died at the scene.
The driver, a 68-year-old man from Ryley, Alta., who was unharmed in the crash, has been charged with one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, and one count of refusing to provide a breath sample.
"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim who are dealing with this tragic and untimely loss," said Coreen Shewfelt, BikeWorks Manager at the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society.
"They're a memorial for that person as an individual, to recognize them," said Chan. "And they're also a reminder of the tragedy that took place, and that we all need to watch out for each other on these roads, and be safe."
Chan said it's the 16th ghost bike the group has placed in and around Edmonton.
The commuters society began the ghost bike campaign in the fall of 2007 when two city cyclists were killed within days of each other.
The first, on Stony Plain Road just west of Anthony Henday Drive, honoured William Korol, 38,who died in a hit-and-run on Sept. 15 of that year. The second ghost bike was placed three days later at 71st Street and 34th Avenue in Millwoods where 16-year-old Mathew Bensalah was killed riding near his home.
"This happened a bit outside of city limits, so it's a little bit different from what we're normally looking at, but it's still very relevant to bike safety," said Chan of the tragedy. "It really speaks to how our roads are set up exclusively for automobiles."