We’re saddened by the news of another bicyclist death in Snohomish County last weekend.
Jerry Shafer as Lewis & Clark Ultra
According to reports, endurance cyclist Jerry Shafer, 65, of Kent was struck and killed Saturday morning by an oncoming vehicle when he swerved to pass a group of cyclists.
Shafer was known in the Seattle area as a competitive cyclist who had gotten into endurance track cycling at the Marymoor Velodrome. He recently set a record in his age group for fastest 100 miles on a track.
The crash occurred at about 10:45 a.m. Saturday on a downhill stretch of 240th Street Southeast between Woodinville and Maltby. The Seattle Times reports he was passing a group of cyclists when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Snohomish police say that charges are unlikely.
Shafer’s death is eerily similar to the death of a Canadian teen-ager on a charity ride in Snohomish County the previous weekend.
In that crash, the 16-year-old was passing a knot of cyclists on Smokey Point Boulevard near Arlington last Sunday (June 16) when he touched wheels with another cyclist and fell in front of an oncoming vehicle.
Shafer used his rides to raise funds for Retinoblastoma International, a type of eye cancer that afflicted his grandson. At his Share with Jerr website, he said that his supporters helped him raise $17,000 last year.
Friends say they will hold a fund-raiser for the cause this Labor Day as a 24-hour relay event.
A moment of silence in remembrance of Shafer will be held during the Wednesday night races at the Marymoor Velodrome.
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