Well over 70 cyclists came out on Wednesday night to ride in memory of these people and many more who were killed or injured by motor vehicles on the road. The parents of Brad Nakatani, a software engineer killed by a drunk driver as he was riding to his Kirkland home last December, stood beside the pack of cyclists with teary eyes, the father holding on tightly to an image of his son.
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Jose Hernando. Mike Wang. Larry Kemp. Cecy krone. Fred Rehberger. Brad Nakatani. Kevin Black. Bryce Lewis. Terry McMacken, Marvin Miller. Carol Salomon. Susanne Scaringi. Joel Silvesan. Well over 70 cyclists came out on Wednesday night to ride in memory of these people and many more who were killed or injured by motor vehicles on the road.
Google any one of those names and you'll find a tragic ending. "Many of which could have been prevented," said ride organizer J Steve Mayo in his opening words at Gas Works park.
"Today there are a lot of cyclists that have passed away in the last years. These are not accidents. These are collisions and fatalities. Punishments have been trivial," Mayo stated. "We ride tonight to be visible. To remind people to share the road."
With over 300 rides world-wide, the Ride of Silence is a yearly international bicycle ride to commemorate cyclists killed or injured while riding on public streets. The event helps to raise awareness among motorists of the dangers they pose to cyclists.
"You'll notice that a certain bike organization is not here tonight but they'll be here next year because the membership will demand it," said Mayo. "This is a global movement that cannot be stopped. It's not the lobbyists who will be making a change, it's us right here in numbers on the road."
Every local race team was represented among the riders, as were many friends and family members of those who passed away.
The parents of Brad Nakatani, a software engineer killed by a drunk driver as he was riding to his Kirkland home last December, stood beside the pack of cyclists with teary eyes, the father holding on tightly to an image of his son.
Some riders wore the names of their loved-ones on their jerseys, and many tied a black mourning band around their arm. Others carried signs reading "Share the Road" or "Same Road. Same Rights. Same Rules".
The cyclists rode a silent 9-mile loop around Lake Union, regrouping halfway at Seattle City Hall.
"I'm full of gratitude to everyone for generating a very memorable Ride of Silence," said Mayo afterwards. "Just wait until you see what we have in store for 2013."
The next Ride of Silence will take place on the third Wednesday in May, 2013. For more info, please visit http://www.rideofsilence.org/
