In the past year, seven people were killed in crashes while biking, walking, and rolling on Vermont roadways: Mauricio Martinez, Janet Spencer, Kylee Bean, Owen Rich, Devin Pierro, Shiloh Skalka, and Todd Ward. On this World Day of Remembrance, we honor them, as well as the 139 more people injured, and the impact left on their families, friends, and communities.
At 3 PM, November 13th, we will be honoring their memories during a press conference in front of Shiloh's ghost bike (in memory of Shiloh Skalka - directly adjacent to 645 Pine Street), where additional ghost bikes and shoes will be placed. All are welcome to attend. This display will be left temporarily for the community to visit.
The story map above (and linked here if that is not loading) shows the location of crashes resulting in death, showing the obituaries and photos publicly available of the people who were killed.
This map shows the raw data of crashes resulting in either death or injury of a bicyclist of a pedestrian over the past year. Yellow dots represent each person who was injured and red squares represent each person who was killed. Some of the data was pulled from the Vermont crash query tool, and some data had to be requested from police departments and the DMV. Please note that this may not be up to date and accurate, as the data relies on police reporting of crashes and often takes a bit of time to be updated, and not all crashes are reported. We are reporting on crashes since November of last year - since our last World Day of Remembrance report.
Crashes are dispersed across the state, in city and town centers, as well as on rural stretches of roads. Some involved impaired drivers, others didn't. In one hit-and-run case, the driver has still not been identified. Crashes happened at busy intersections, inside of construction areas, within crosswalks, and on roads identified as bikeways. There isn't one single thing that we can point to and blame for these crashes, but there are many steps we can take to make our streets safer for all.
It doesn't have to be this way. Traffic deaths are not “accidents.” They are a preventable epidemic.
World Day of Remembrance is a day when communities across the U.S. come together to honor road traffic victims with rallies, memorials, vigils, critical mass bike rides, and more. They remember the estimated 38,000 people killed each year on U.S. roads and the millions more who are severely injured. This year, the theme Safety Not Speed reminds us to slow down when driving and watch out for people walking, biking, and rolling on our roads. These are our neighbors, and we want everyone to make it home safely.
Ghost bikes/ghost shoes are memorials placed to honor a life lost to a roadway crash. The bikes or shoes are painted white, often with a sign showing the names of the victims, and placed on the road near the site of the crash. Community members may visit and leave flowers, signs, and trinkets to remember them.
What can you do?
Come to the press conference at 3PM on Nov. 13, or visit the memorial after, located on the Pine St bike path directly adjacent to 645 Pine Street, Burlington.
Connect with advocates in your community:
Towns across Vermont have walk/bike groups that advocate at the local level for safer streets and infrastructure changes. Be a part of the conversation.
Find Your Local Walk/Bike Group Talk to Vermonters for People Oriented Places
Resources for communities affected by road crashes:
You are not alone. Resources are available to help with the immediate aftermath of a crash and through the often long legal processes. Support is there for the families, friends, and communities affected by a crash.
Post-crash response resources
Media resources for accurate crash reporting
Vermont Walk & Bike Laws
Stay connected with your biking, walking, and rolling community:
Group rides may be slowing down for the season, but it’s so important to keep our community ties. Take part in events, invite your neighbors, and make new friends. Foster a culture where active transportation and recreation is expected and respected.