BikeBrampton, Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists, Friends and Families for Safer Streets, and The Biking Lawyer led memorial ride for Prakash. He was killed by a suspected impaired driver as he cycled to a medical appointment on July 3rd at 9:30am.
BikeBrampton member and bike mechanic Peter, prepared the ghost bike with white paint. A group of 8 escorted David Laing transporting the ghost bike via cargo trailer to Professor’s Lake for 3pm July 8th.
BikeBrampton members Steve, Cindy, Barry and Lisa met the Toronto advocates at Bramalea GO Station to accompany them to Professor’s Lake.
A group of 32, cycled the 4.4km route to the crash site at Humberview Parkway and Daisyfield Blvd.
Jo transported the sign to let drivers know the purpose of the memorial.
The Biking Lawyer, Dave Shellnutt provided a chain and lock for the ghost bike. Jasdeep helped him secure the bike.
Jo installed the name plate, honouring Prakash Mariyappan, aged 29.
Joey Schwartz from Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists led the group in a minute of silence.
Friends of Prakash respectfully attached flowers to ghost bike.
A young lady from the adjacent corner, expressed how she was nearly struck by a speeding, red light-running driver 2 weeks ago. She was a pedestrian attempting to cross Humberview with a green light. Cars honked and she stepped back up onto the curb just in time! She added that at night, vehicles routinely travel at 100 kph and assume there will be no traffic at the low volume intersections. There is a serious problem of lack of enforcement for speeding and red light-running that must be addressed. BikeBrampton members have noted an increase in this negligent behaviour throughout the City.
We encourage everyone to make their views known to their local Councillors for requesting police enforcement. We also need to contact our local provincial MPP and ask them to support Bill 40 with current status of First Reading Vote, and protections for Vulnerable Road Users in this Bill 40 Moving Ontarians Safely Act, 2022. We need to raise our voices on this serious issue.
Bill 40 “amends the Highway Traffic Act. It is about the legal consequences of a collision that seriously injures or kills a pedestrian, a cyclist, a mobility device user, a roadway worker, an emergency responder outside their motor vehicle or another individual listed in the Bill”. – Legislative Assembly of Ontario
BikeBrampton thanks the generous folks from Toronto who came to support our community, in honour of Praskash: Dave Shellnutt, The Biking Lawyer; Joey Schwartz, Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists; Jess Spieker, Friends and Families for Safer Streets (Cycle Toronto); also Jo, Geoff, Victor, Gru and others!
Please check out Jo’s excellent blog post and video.
We offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Prakash, who was mowed down in the prime of his life. He leaves a wife and 18 month old son.
Donate what you can to Go Fund Me for Prakash’s family.
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