Katherine Helms lost her husband David Cummings near the intersection of Fall Line Freeway and West Haynes Street.
“They all rode with safety first. Unfortunately, all it took was a careless driver to end his ride,” said Helms.
Cummings rode his bike home from work every day. Most of those days included Fall Line Freeway, but on April 30th, he was hit from behind by a car there. He was transported to the hospital, but he never recovered.
For Helms, he won’t be there to ride with their 4 grandchildren and she won’t be able to laugh at his bike clothes.
Cummings’ riding buddy Frank May says the two will never ride to California together. “He said he probably would when he retired, but he never got that chance,” said May.
There is something new to the intersection -- it's a ghost bike, a white memorial made by David Mathews.
“I hope it stops one day, this is making me too busy,” said Mathews.
Mathews makes the ghost bikes with his company Bike Friendly Atlanta. He uses donated bikes, paints them, and contacts property owners close to crash sites. Even though he never met Cummings, he says the loss of any person while biking is a tragedy.
“It used to be people falling asleep at the wheel or drunk drivers. Now the distracted driving has taken over like a tsunami,” said Mathews.
Mathews says he's now made 59 ghost bikes. 52 of the bikes have been placed here in the state of Georgia. The others are in Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama.
Helms says her husband would have wanted this. “He really loved cycling and he really encouraged other people to ride and to ride safely,” said Helms.
With May being Bike Safety Awareness Month, it's another reminder to be careful while driving.
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A ghost rider memorial was held Thursday to honor a Sandersville biker who was struck and killed on the Fall Line Freeway in April.
David Cummings, 58, was hit by a car and thrown from his bike on the afternoon of April 30.
Cummings was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
A silent bike ride was held on May 16 to honor not only Cummings, but other cyclists who have been hurt or injured while riding.
Thursday morning bikers in the area held a memorial to honor Cummings.
BikeFriendlyAtl, a nonprofit organization in Atlanta, donated a white bike, called a ‘ghost bike,’ as the memorial.
The ghost bike will be placed on the side of the road near the Fall Line Freeway where Cummings was hit.