Ghost Bike Memorial held for 14-year-old Dell Rapids boy who died in a crash
Less than a week after a 14-year-old died in a crash while riding his bicycle, other bicyclists in Dell Rapids took to the streets in his honor.
Zander Heathcote, from Dell Rapids, was identified by the Dell Rapids School District as the victim of a fatal crash May 25, involving a pickup truck and a bicycle.
The boy was riding his bicycle at about 11 a.m., minutes before the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a crash involving a bicycle and a pickup truck, according to a press release from the agency.
The first arriving officer attempted life saving measures on Heathcote, who was then taken to a local hospital and later airlifted to a hospital in Sioux Falls.
MORE: 14-year-old dies after bicycle, vehicle crash in Dell Rapids
He later died, because of his injuries, according to the release.
Art Holden, the ride director for the Falls Area Bicyclists, announced a "Ghost Bike Memorial" for Heathcote, which happened at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
"Zander loved to ride his bike, and we ache with the pain of knowing his ride has ended much too soon," Holden said in an email describing the reason for the ride.
Heathcote's death serves as a reminder that vulnerable bicycle riders are at a disadvantage in the way streets and roads, are designed, according to the event's description.
"We ride in memory of Zander and other vulnerable road users killed while riding a bicycle," Holden said.
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The group met at the Dell Rapids Elementary School and rode in silence about a mile to the site of the crash where a ghost bike was placed in Heathcote's honor.
After a moment of silence near the crash site, the group silently rode away.
Heathcote had just graduated eighth grade and looking forward to high school, according to his obituary.
He was a self-proclaimed bike mechanic and lawn mower mechanic. If it was broke, he would try to fix it, according to his obituary.
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Heathcote's bike was the best mode of transportation. He went through seven of them and would often go on rides by himself to process all the middle school happenings and life. He would always stop to pick up buddies on the way to chat, according to his obituary.
Alongside riding his bike, Heathcote also enjoyed bowling and fishing.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Bicyclists gather in Dell Rapids to honor boy who died in crash
