(Update: Nov. 16 — Reckless homicide charges filed against driver;)
(Oct. 25 — Decision on whether to charge SUV driver who struck and killed two cyclists will be made next week.)
Two bicyclists — Lee Anne Barry (left) and Thomas Hoskins — were killed in South Carolina on Sunday when they were struck by an SUV as they were bicycling on the final leg of a cross-country ride.
This was the fourth cross-country bicycle tour for Barry. She had survived a coma as a youth and later founded the Brain Injury Greatest Journey (B.I.G. Ride) to raise awareness that people with brain injuries can continue to live life in a meaningful way.
The 43-year-old North Carolina resident certainly demonstrated to the very end that she could live a full life and give meaning to the lives of others as she criss-crossed the country by bike.
Executive director
Barry was executive director of the group and had started the latest bike tour on August 28 in Great Falls, Montana. The B.I.G. Ride had taken in 15 states and covered some 4,000 miles before the expected finish on Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Supporters along the route would typically ride with Barry for a few miles or days. Hoskins, 49, of Columbia, South Carolina, himself had participated in fund-raising bicycle rides for 20 years and had previously accompanied Barry on the final leg of the B.I.G. ride.
In addition to talking to kids and adults about brain injuries, Lee Anne and her husband, Ben, raised money for brain injury support groups.
The collision
The collision happened 7 miles from Barry's home in Waxhaw, North Carolina, when she and Hoskins were struck by an SUV on US Highway 521, according to the AP, which said details of the collision were scant.
Hoskins was pronounced dead at the scene and Barry died later at a hospital.
Lee Anne's husband, Ben, had driven a support van on the bike tour, but had parked it up the road on Sunday so he could ride back on his bicycle to his wife and accompany her to the finish.
The driver of the 2006 SUV is a woman from Greensboro. The SUV and the cyclists were travelling the same direction. Police said they'll complete their investigation in a couple of days, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph.
Memorial ride
If you'd like to leave your condolences to her husband or daughter, you can visit the Guestbook that was started in her memory.
A memorial bike ride to the funeral services for Barry is scheduled to leave from the Barry's home at 11 a.m. Wednesday at 121 Lester Davis Road, Waxhaw (there is a large area for parking at their home) for the Church at Charlotte, 2500 Carmel Road, where the service will begin at 1 p.m.
Recent Comments