Ghost Bike Placed in Honor of Ernesto Wiedenbrug

February 9, 2014

For immediate release: 

Call Rick Price at 310-5238 with questions

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The Fort Collins Bike Co-op and friends of Ernesto Wiedenbrug placed a “ghost bike” on SW Frontage Road, Fort Collins on Saturday, February 8, 2014.  46 year old Wiedenbrug was returning from a bicycle ride at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 25^th when he was apparently struck by a north-bound vehicle on the west Frontage Road along I-25 between Colorado Highway 392 (Co. Rd. 32) and Kechter Road in Fort Collins.  According to a Coloradoan story on January 26^th, State troopers responded to a call and found Wiedenbrug with injuries on the side of the road.  Friends of Wiedenbrug said that he was likely headed north to turn on to Kechter Road to return to his home in the nearby Harvest Park neighborhood.  The vehicle that struck Wiedenbrug left the scene in an apparent hit-and-run.

The Coloradoan reported Friday, February 7 that Theresa Marie O’Connor, 28, turned herself in at the Larimer County Detention Center after an arrest warrant was issued for her earlier that day.  O’Connor is expected to be charged with leaving the scene of an accident on Monday, February 10^th.

This is the second time a ghost bike has been placed to commemorate the death of a cyclist in or near Fort Collins in less than three months.  This same bike was placed at the intersection of Hinsdale Drive and Harmony Road on November 17^th in memory of Jim Fogelberg who was injured while riding east in the bike lane on Harmony Road on October 8^th.  Fogelberg died later that evening.

“The Bike Co-op placed the ghost bike as a reminder to all road users of the vulnerability of cyclists on our roads, especially in winter,” said Rick Price, Safe Cycling Coordinator at the Bike Co-op.  “The bike will remain in place for at least a month,” said Price.