Members of the Triangle cycling communityITy react to Saturday’s fatal crash that killed a man and injured 20 other cyclists near Holly Springs.
The driver in the crash, Donald Robert Morris-Jones, 76, of Apex, faces more than a dozen criminal charges, including hit-and-run and DWI.
Lin Osbourne, a member of the Capital Cycling Club, told WRAL News he often rode with the group of cyclists Morris-Jones is accused of riding through Saturday morning.
“When things like this happen, it reminds us that no matter how much we police ourselves, there are circumstances that are beyond our control,” Osbourne said.
Osbourne was not cycling with the Capital Cycling Club on Saturday. He said everyone he’s close to is safe, but he knows just about everyone in the group.
“I understand the road is a shared resource … but we’re here to enjoy the day, to enjoy the outdoors and to be together,” he said. “We’re going to make safety a top priority, and we just hope that motorists will make it a priority themselves and see us as people and not as obstacles.”
A member of TeamCBC, another nonprofit cycling club based in the Triangle, posted on Facebook that the group had canceled a ride planned for Sunday, writing: “Out of respect for the rider who was killed and all those who were injured during today’s CCC bike ride, we are canceling tomorrow’s TeamCBC ride.” Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved.
Shaun King of the nonprofit Bike Durham spoke to WRAL News about the accident, calling it “a distressing day for everyone in the cycling community.”
“My heart sank because this is such a heavy toll on both a family and an entire community,” King said. “When cyclists come together and ride in a group like this, they are a group of serious civic athletes who ride with the best intentions – for safety and for a collective experience. And it is a true tragedy on a day as beautiful as this that we lost lives.”
Police confirm Patrick Turner, 63, of Cary, died and 20 other people were injured.
“I personally rode with the Capital Cycling Club,” King said. “I still don’t know exactly whose lives we lost and whether that person is a friend of mine, so I’m nervously waiting to find out how connected I am to this particular experience.”
King said many cyclists who are part of Bike Durham are connected to the Capital Cycling Club.
“This is an older club that rides responsibly and safely and for over 30 years has raised money for MS on the Fourth of July with its Firecracker Ride,” King said. “They’re a really great community, and I think we’re all really nervous right now.”
King told WRAL News what he would say to drivers sharing the road with cyclists.
“I would ask you to offer the same patience to cyclists speeding on country roads that you would offer to a grandmother fumbling with her change at a Walmart cash register,” King said. “You’re not going to yell and scream and aggressively pass that person in line…I implore you to understand that when you pass aggressively, you’re trying to instill fear, and that fear only leads to stress, and it doesn’t change the situation. The time you save by waiting patiently is worth saving. So pass safely, and when you do, pass patiently, not aggressively. It’s worth the lives you save.”
King said Patrick Turner and other cyclists would be remembered at a candlelight vigil on Nov. 15 for Bike Durham’s World Day of Remembrance, a day remembering pedestrians and cyclists who have lost their lives in crashes.
“We will remember the person we lost today on this hike, and it will be a real challenge for us to heal together,” King said.
Osbourne said he plans to continue cycling even after the tragedy.
“I’ve been riding road bikes for about 40 years, so I’m going to keep riding road bikes,” he said. “It’s a personal position for me. I think ultimately every cyclist will have to make this decision for themselves.”
Osbourne said he has already adjusted the time of day he bikes to avoid heavy traffic.
“I will continue, but I recognize that this is an unavoidable risk and I hope people will be considerate of each other,” he said.
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