'Stop & Think': Ghost Bike Dedicated For Parker Man Killed
PARKER, Colo. (CBS4) - A ghost bike dedication to a Parker cyclist who was killed on July 4th, now serves as reminder to others, the cost of careless driving. The ghost bike is a bike is a roadside memorial for any cyclist killed or severely injured by a motor vehicle.
On Friday, the bike dedication was for 62-year-old Chuck Vogel.
"I want you to stop and think, 'Who was that person?' Because it's not just the bike, it's the person who was on that bike. It's their family. It's their friends. It's their community and what they represented to those people," said Teri Vogel, Chuck's widow.
Teri addressed a crowd of supporters. Many were friends and family, but others were complete strangers compelled to support Teri's mission.
"Our goal is to move forward and make a greater good come from the thing that has happened."
Teri worked with Bicycle Colorado on the ghost bike dedication and plans to continue help the organization. It has been working for the last two years to create legislation that would make penalties stiffer for distracted driving-related crashes.
This is now a major goal for Teri as well.
"For drivers to take ownership of the vehicle you're driving. You need to be cautious, you need to watch for cyclists, you need to watch for pedestrians."
The crash occurred not from from Teri's home. She says while seeing it felt like a punch to the gut, it's the exact impact she hopes it has on others.