6-mile “ride of silence” scheduled as memorial for 22-year-old who died
CRANBERRY TWP — As he mounted his bicycle last week, Alek Teimouri couldn't have known he wouldn't make it to home following his shift at work.
Now, a group of cyclists are coming together to finish that ride in a memorial to the 22-year-old Teimouri, who died days after being struck by an alleged drunken driver. A memorial and ghost bike ride in honor of Teimouri is scheduled to depart from Graham Park at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
Teimouri was leaving his job at Mad Mex on his bicycle around 11:30 p.m. Dec. 26 when police say he was struck by a vehicle driven by David W. Lohr, 51, of Cranberry Township, while traveling on Rochester Road near Haine School Road. Teimouri was declared brain dead at the scene and was being kept alive until donors could be found. After multiple organ donation surgeries Saturday morning, he was officially declared deceased.
The cycling community, as well as members of Teimouri's family, will ride the route of his final commute and will place a “ghost bike” at the spot of the incident. According to Jim Logan, organizer of the event, the ghost bike concept involves a bicycle being painted white. It will be displayed Wednesday at the funeral home during visitation, and will then be transported to the site on Thursday.
“At this point, the ghost bike is an international symbol of where a cyclist has died,” Logan said.
Logan said he reached out to the Teimouri family to see if they wanted the memorial created, and was told they would. He said he hopes it serves to help the family as they grieve.
“We hope that his family will find that meaningful and comforting,” he said.
On Sunday, a 6-mile ride will be a “ride of silence” is scheduled. After departing from Graham Park at 12:45 p.m., the riders will travel 2-by-2 onto Rochester Road to Wisconsin Avenue, where Mad Mex is located. The group will turn around and retrace Teimouri's route back to the park. However, along the way, they will finish Teimouri's final ride by peddling to the family's home.
Logan, who is a past regional organizer of Ride of Silence events aimed at remembering those killed while cycling, said similar rides have drawn up to 100 riders, and he expects Sunday's event to be no different. He said the event also serves a dual purpose in reminding motorists to be aware of cyclists and make good decisions before getting behind the wheel.
He said though he does not know the family personally, the ride is a chance to show them the community is behind them.
“We want to support the family and just let them know that ... there's strong voices supporting them,” he said.
Christina Teimouri, Alek Teimouri's mother, said she and her family are honored and touched by the event.
“It's a beautiful tribute to finish his last ride,” she said.
She added she's seen the ghost bike concept before, and that she is happy to see Alek Teimouri still serving as an example, even in death.
A GoFundMe account set up to create a scholarship in Alek Teimouri's name has raised more than $13,000 of its $20,000 goal in just two days. Christina Teimouri said the outpouring of support from the community has been, “a blessing.”
“It's very touching and beautiful, and so helpful,” she said.
The page can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/x32db-in-loving-memory-of-alek-teimouri.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Lohr's preliminary hearing was rescheduled for Jan. 25 before District Judge David Kovach.
