Ghost ride honours cyclist killed during bikeathon near Kingston
A ghost bike was chained to a post to remember Jeff Vervaeke
Family, friends and supporters gathered together Saturday to remember Jeff Vervaeke, a cyclist who was struck and killed by a vehicle during a charity ride near Kingston, Ont.
The 42-year-old from Waterdown, Ont., was one of a handful of cyclists raising money for pancreatic cancer in the 1,200-kilometre journey around Lake Ontario.
He was struck by a car on May 27 on Bath Road, west of Kingston, and later died of his injuries.
Two other riders were injured on the scene.
On May 30, Ontario Provincial Police said they had charged a 51-year-old man with two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.
"It's something none of us can make any sense of because it didn't need to happen," said Vicki Trottier, who organized the ghost ride on Saturday morning.
Trottier rode alongside Vervaeke during last year's "7 days in May" charity event.
'Loved to ride his bike'
The group of 75 people met at a local community centre in Amherstview, Ont., and rode to Bath Road where the incident happened.
"He was just a nice guy, just a regular, every day kind of guy, loved to ride his bike," Trottier said.
"The ride was a fundraising ride and he really believed in the cause … It was important to him and he was just out trying to do nice things for people."
During the memorial ride, the group chained a white ghost bike around a pole in honour of his life and as a caution to other drivers to drive safely.
The ghost bike, covered in flowers, will be permanently parked by Lake Ontario on Bath Road, close to where the tragedy happened.