Ride of Silence returns to Stillwater after eight-year hiatus

About 40 riders turned out Wednesday evening for Stillwater's first Ride of Silence in roughly eight years, pedaling a five-mile route through downtown and north to Boomer Lake as part of an international event honoring cyclists killed or injured on public roads.

The ride, held annually on the third Wednesday of May, drew participants ranging from commuters and college students to cargo bike riders — and at least two dogs. BikeOklahoma, a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization, sponsored the event and provided the insurance coverage needed to stage it, with police escorts funded through rider contributions.

Cynthia Gedra, BikeOklahoma's treasurer and one of the event's lead organizers, said riders from multiple countries participated in coordinated rides Wednesday night.

"We join together today at this hour with bike riders from 38 states and many other countries to dedicate this ride to honor those who have been killed or injured while riding on public roads," Gedra said at the pre-ride gathering.

Stillwater's chapter of the event had gone dormant for about eight years before being revived this year. Gedra credited Udaya DeSilva, an Oklahoma State University professor of animal molecular genetics and daily bike commuter, with pushing to bring it back. DeSilva said he had been posting about the ride each year and eventually connected with Gedra.

"Every year on this day, I just used to post something about Ride of Silence, and then Cynthia contacted me, and that's how it sort of resurrected," DeSilva said.

The ride carried added personal weight for DeSilva: the route passed over the Lakeview Road bridge crossing Boomer Lake — the same stretch where a pickup truck struck him from behind while he was cycling in October 2019. According to reporting by Michelle Charles in the Stillwater News Press, DeSilva suffered a compression fracture in his back, a dislocated hip, a separated shoulder, a fracture in his right hand, a serious concussion, and numerous other injuries. He later said he believed his helmet saved his life.

The driver was not ticketed following the crash, a decision that drew criticism from Stillwater's cycling community. Oklahoma law requires drivers to allow at least three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist, and the accident report noted the driver's failure to provide that clearance as a contributing factor, according to the News Press.

DeSilva said the ride's meaning goes beyond his own experience.

"It's not that people really don't care, but it's just not something that they really think about," DeSilva said.

In her remarks before the ride, Gedra acknowledged several Stillwater cyclists killed or seriously injured on the road in recent years. She also asked riders to remember Debra Miller, a 56-year-old woman killed Aug. 15, 2010, when a driver swerved into the shoulder on Highway 51 just west of Stillwater and struck her. Miller was flown to OU Medical Center, where she died. A white ghost bike was later placed at the scene. According to News 9, the driver told the Oklahoma Highway Patrol the sun was glaring in his eyes when the crash occurred.

Seth Woods, now a lecturer in English at OSU, was struck and run over by a driver on West 4th Avenue in 2013 and suffered skull fractures, broken bones, and internal injuries, according to reporting by Russell Hixson in the Stillwater News Press. The driver in that crash was cited for failing to yield. Woods has since recovered and returned to riding.

Bennett Frohock, an analytics consultant with InterWorks, was hit by a driver in January and spent weeks in the hospital before going home. A fundraiser supporting his recovery noted that he had 120 staples removed before his discharge. By May 9, about four months after the crash, Frohock posted to the fundraiser page that he had gotten back on his bike.

Gedra also held out hope for Osten Utley — known as Oz — a 14-year-old Stillwater boy struck while riding his e-bike on April 1. According to reporting by Sydnee Batzlaff for KFOR, Utley suffered a severe spinal cord injury at the top of his neck in the crash and remains at Oklahoma Children's Hospital, OU Health. He is paralyzed from the neck down and cannot breathe without a ventilator, though he is alert and communicating through an eye-gaze device on an iPad. His parents told KFOR the driver remained at the scene and no arrests were made.

A May 19 update shared in a Facebook support group said Utley has been making physical progress, getting up in his wheelchair more often, and that his family has a meeting scheduled for June 15 to discuss a procedure that could help him eventually breathe without the ventilator.

"Oz, we hold out hope that you will ride with us some future day," Gedra said Wednesday.

Advertisement

Exterior paint protects your home's wood, trim, and siding from Oklahoma's extremes. Spring — before temps climb — is the ideal window to roll on a fresh coat. Paint adheres better in moderate temps, and the results last longer. Stillwater Building Center carries premium exterior paints and stains for every surface. 📞 405-372-5959

Visit The Color Bar

Organizers said they had expected 25 to 30 riders and were pleased with the larger turnout. DeSilva said the event could draw more participants in future years if timing aligns better with the OSU academic calendar — the third Wednesday of May consistently falls after commencement.

Gedra said BikeOklahoma intends to support the ride again next year and hopes it becomes a consistent annual event in Stillwater.

"Now that we've done this for the first time, we'd like to do that again," Gedra said.

The evening began and ended downtown, with bagpiper Curtis Burns playing before riders departed. The 5-mile ride was conducted in silence.