NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Turning a place of tragedy into a place of healing.
A ghost bike memorial was installed Saturday for a North Las Vegas man who was killed on Sunday in a crash while cycling.
“Originally, I never thought I could come to this park again," said Jessica Black. "But now it’s like having a little piece of Ben with us.”
A piece that Black can return to and remember her late husband Ben. He was killed after being hit by an SUV Sunday in a neighborhood near 5th Street and the 215 Beltway. A ghost bike memorial now occupies the spot honoring his memory.
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“I think he’d be glad to see that rather than just trying to keep people off of bikes,” she said.
The ceremony had family members complete a lap around a park, which Ben didn’t finish. The ride included the one-year-old son he left behind.
“It’s something for Teddy to hold on to because going on a bike is his very favorite thing also,” Black said.
Ben was a beloved figure in the community, and connected with the kids he babysat.
“He always made other people smile, and on Saturday before he died, he taught me how to do a back flip going in the water,” nine-year-old Bethany said.
Pat Treichel, founder of Ghost Bike Las Vegas says the memorial itself offers a sense of healing.
“We found that it really helps the family to show that they’re not alone," Treichel said. "We as cyclists feel that we’ve lost one of our own."
Ben was the sixth cyclist killed in Clark County this year according to the Vulnerable Road Users Project. His death surpassed last year's total of five. North Las Vegas police enforced the speed limit on some drivers during the ceremony. Treichel says he wants the ghost bike to give drivers a reminder to slow down, and share the road.
“We want to humanize the person. It wasn’t just somebody in tight spandex shorts. It was somebody’s husband. Somebody’s father,” he said.
A reminder Jessica hopes can bring some lasting change.
“Hopefully by then, it’s going to be a safer place around here. We’ll do whatever we can to make that happen,” she said.
The City of North Las Vegas is asking both drivers and cyclists to follow the rules of the road.
