A memorial bike ride was held in downtown Vancouver on Sunday to honor a beloved cyclist who lost his life in a crash in the West End last week.
Agustin Beltran, 28, was killed in a collision with a dump truck at the intersection of Hornby Street and Pacific Boulevard on Wednesday.
Beltran was a first-year doctoral student at the University of British Columbia. He studied environmental and applied microeconomics, according to the university’s website.
Sunday’s memorial ride started outside the Vancouver Art Gallery and went to the site of the deadly collision.
Cyclist Dara Poon said the city’s cycling community was alarmed after the crash.
“I am saddened to hear of the passing of a fellow cyclist,” she said. “It could have been anyone… It could have been me. I walk this intersection all the time.”
She said the intersection where Beltran died “is pretty tricky” for bicyclists, even though it has a bike lane separated from traffic.
Writer and West End resident James Glave also attended the memorial. The daily cyclist said many of the deaths of his peers in the city were preventable.
Agustin Beltran, 28, was a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia. (Vancouver School of Economics)
“We came out today to celebrate the lives that have been lost over the last week, but also, in a way, to recognize that we still have a long way to go in providing safe infrastructure for people who are vulnerable road users.” , he said.
“Everybody outside of a vehicle takes their life into their own hands in much of this city, all the time, every day — and there’s no way it should be.”
The director of UBC’s Vancouver School of Economics released a statement Thursday mourning the loss of Beltran.
“We are shocked and devastated by Agustin’s death,” Patrick Francois wrote. “This is a tremendous loss to the UBC community and our close-knit doctoral program.”
Another memorial bike ride for Beltran was held this weekend in Mexico City, where he won his previous degrees.
—@ceci_berlanga
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