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Memorial ride for cyclist
UPDATE: I’ve added details about the hit-and-run accident to the end of this blog.
A memorial ride has been planned to honor Andrew Runciman, the cyclist killed by a hit-and-run driver last weekend on South Lamar Boulevard.
From the press release:
“Please join family, friends and members of the Austin cycling community at 6:30 p.m. Saturday April 30 on the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge over Lady Bird Lake for a memorial ride and ghost bike dedication in memory of Andrew Runciman, a cyclist who was killed in a hit and run incident in Austin on the night of Saturday April 23.
We will meet at the bridge at 6:30 p.m. and leave at 7 p.m. for a memorial ride leading to a ghost bike dedication at 3506 S Lamar Blvd., in front of Red’s Porch. The dedication will start when the ride arrives at around 7:30 p.m.. After the ceremony we will continue the memorial ride that will end back at the bridge.”
And please, be careful out there.
I’m a daily bike commuter, and every time I hear about a cyclist getting hit while riding it makes me incredibly sad.
It’s also a reminder that everyone needs to slow down out there. Cyclists and motorists must share the road and pay attention. And obey traffic laws.
Please wear a helmet, cyclists.
According to police reporters, Runciman was struck by a dark colored SUV while riding his bicycle southbound on South Lamar Boulevard late Saturday, April 23.
Runciman was reported riding in the far right lane of Lamar. The SUV, which was also headed southbound, left the scene of the accident.
He was transported to University Medical Center at Brackenridge and was pronounced dead Sunday.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call APD Vehicular Homicide Unit Detectives at (512) 974-8164.
Republic of Austin has an excellent blog post about last weekend’s hit and run death of cyclist Andrew Runciman, along with tips on how cyclists and motorists can co-exist.
Read them here.
Runciman worked as an implementation engineer at Bazaarvoice. He moved to Austin in September. Co-workers at the company say they plan to show up at the memorial ride in force, and word is spreading quickly in the cycling community.
His father Tom posted this particularly poignant comment on the Republic of Austin blog:
April 27, 2011
I am Andrew’s dad. I can’t tell you the pain we are going through. Andrew was a special human being. We home schooled him through primary grades and he went to a liberal arts high school. He had vast interests in ancient history, Latin, art, math, music, graphics arts and of course computer programming. The world has lost an incredible human being.
He just moved to Austin in September and did not have the money to move his bike or his helmet. Just weeks ago he had enough money to buy a bike but he did not have a helmet yet, but I don’t think a helmet would have helped. He was hit with such force he was probably dead at the scene except for modern medicine and mechanical ventilation. I think a helmet would have made it worse. He would have ended up as a vegetable or a quadriplegic.
Austin, we need to catch the person that did this.
And we need to change the structure of transportation in this country. Andrew and I traveled to Europe and we saw the bike lanes separated from motorized traffic. We both wondered why can’t this be done in the USA. Bike lanes don’t work. You must have a separate roadway for bikes. When will we ever learn in this country.
My wife and daughter will live on but we will never be teh same again without the presence of Andrew.”
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