Cyclists send powerful message with the Kershaw County Ride of Silence

KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - A group of cyclists bike silently from Lugoff to Camden in Kershaw County hoping people will make the sport they love safer.

The South Carolina Department of Safety says since 2018, 118 people have been hit by a vehicle and killed around the state.

One woman and a group of riders took part in the Kershaw County Ride of Silence to bring awareness to the problem.

Fiona Martin knows exactly how dangerous cycling can be.

“My brother wanted to go out and get something to eat. He was a couple of miles away but he wanted to get some food in New Haven, Connecticut. He hopped on his bike and went to get something to eat on his ride back home. A driver made a left turn in front of him as he was riding his bike down a hill and he hit the front of the car and fractured his skull,” said avid cyclist and event organizer Fiona Martin.

She said his injuries were severe, but by the grace of God he survived.

“My brother suffered a traumatic brain injury. He had a titanium plate put in his head, and after being in the hospital for weeks, we had to have family move in with him for months so he could get through physical and occupational therapy,” said Martin.

Fiona and other riders hit the road on May 17. Without speaking a word they began to pedal, sending a powerful message.

“One person is too many, people are out riding for joy or riding to go somewhere and people should not lose their life in the process of living their lives,” Martin said.

Some say getting on their bikes is way more dangerous than it needs to be.

“Close encounters, I was riding out on a country road and some car zoomed right past me,” Cyclist Jeff Teter said. “They were going over the speed limit, barely giving me a foot and a half of space. It was uncalled for considering there were no cars coming the other direction.”

“My message is when you see a cyclist or a pedestrian, slow down and give room, it’s two seconds that could prevent injury or save a life,” Martin added.

Riders were also thinking about Ralph Nuggent who they said was hit and killed riding a bike back in 2012 in Kershaw County.

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