More than 100 cyclists took part in a silent memorial Wednesday in Lake County designed to honor people who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways.

  • Event aimed to honor cyclists hurt, killed on public roadways
  • Course covers about 8 miles through the city of Clermont
  • Cyclists across the world participated in annual event

The sixth-annual Clermont Ride of Silence started at Waterfront Park and continued around Lake Minneola. The ride totals 8 miles.

Sarah McLarty started to participate in the ride six years ago after her father, Brent McLarty, was struck and killed on a morning bike ride in DeLand.

"My dad loved being on his bike — it was his favorite thing to do," McLarty said. "So, I honor him every time I get out there and ride safe. One of the things we do is we wear bright stuff nowadays. I (have) neon helmets and bright-colored jerseys."

The ride also aims to raise awareness that cyclists have a legal right to public roadways. Organizers hire two Lake County deputies to escort the group around the course. The pace of the ride is about 12 mph.

Lacey Nickell, the vice president of the Ride of Silence, said her father was also struck and killed by a motorist.

"For cyclists, this is a big deal," Nickell said. "This is a way we can make our statement that we're not going anywhere."

The Lake County ride was just one of hundreds held worldwide. Cyclists at about 400 different locations started their Ride of Silence at the same time on Wednesday.

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News 13 has partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation on its “Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow” campaign. The idea is to make sure we’re all sharing the road with people who walk or ride their bikes, and everyone makes it where they need to be safely. FDOT has all kinds of resources for you on alerttodayflorida.com.