BOSTON (WHDH) - Family, friends and fellow cyclists gathered Saturday to honor the life of a Cambridge man who was killed while riding his bike earlier this month.
George Clemmer, 71, was traveling through the area of Massachusetts and Huntington Avenues in Boston when he was hit by a dump truck on July 13.
Two weeks later, dozens of cyclists and Clemmer’s family gathered at the intersection to dedicate a Ghost Bike in his memory.
“It both memorializes and calls for action, because when people see it, they are reminded that our streets are unsafe,” said Becca Wolfson, Executive Director of the Boston Cyclists Union.
Candles and a sign bearing Clemmer’s name could be found at the memorial, as well as a smaller, gold-colored statue of a bike placed by a neighbor who said he had tried to help the cyclist at the time of the accident.
Clemmer’s daughter, Chelsea, told 7NEWS how her father of four had a background in naval architecture, as well as electrical engineering and business: knowledge that he used throughout his life.
“When you have something tragic like this happen, it’s very traumatic, not only for the family, but also the community,” Chelsea Clemmer said.
Since Clemmer’s death, the biking community has been turning their grief into action, with plans to hold a demonstration in the coming week.
On Tuesday, during the morning commute, bike advocates say they will form a human chain along Charles Street in Beacon Hill, creating a makeshift bike lane where one does not yet exist.
Organizers said a connection is needed for a gap between the Downtown’s bike lane network and the Longfellow Bridge, and that the city’s current plans are not going to work. They believe the human bike lane they hope to create will show that bike infrastructure can exist in the area where it is currently lacking.
Tuesday’s demonstration is slated for 8:30 a.m.
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