The Contra Costa Times: Funeral, memorial ride set for cyclist killed on Shoreline Drive
By Kelly Puente, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/11/2010 05:59:01 PM PST
Updated: 01/11/2010 07:00:09 PM PST
LONG BEACH – Funeral services and a memorial bicycle ride will take place this week for Gustavo Ramirez, a 30-year-old Long Beach cyclist who was killed in a tragic accident on Shoreline Drive.
A rosary vigil will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m., followed by a funeral Mass on Thursday at 10 a.m. Both services will be held at St. John Bosco High School Chapel, 13640 Bellflower Blvd., in Bellflower.
A memorial ride to honor Ramirez will take place Saturday to finish Ramirez’s ride back to Belmont Shore. Cyclists will meet at Lincoln Park at Pacific Avenue and First Street at 8 a.m. and the ride will start promptly at 9 a.m. and will conclude at the corner of Bennett Avenue and Division Street.
A “ghost bike” for Gustavo will be displayed at Shoreline Drive and Shoreline Village Drive for the memorial ride.
Ramirez was killed Jan. 5 when his bicycle collided with a big rig at the corner of Shoreline Drive and Shoreline Village Drive.
Police said Ramirez, who had been riding eastbound on the south sidewalk of Shoreline, was entering the crosswalk when he hit the big rig as it turned right from eastbound Shoreline onto Shoreline Village Drive. The truck driver was not charged. Police continue to investigate the accident.
Friends said Ramirez, an experienced cyclist, was likely coming back from from a trek near the Queen Mary and was heading toward Belmont Shore. His death has prompted the city to take a closer look at bicycle safety along busy Shoreline, which currently has no bike lanes.
