Press Release: Critical Mass London Dedicates Ride to Injured Cyclist

This Friday September 29th at 6pm in Victoria Park London cyclists will rally together in solidarity to participate in another monthly Critical Mass. Unfortunately, this month we will be implementing a detour to our regular route in order to cycle past Victoria Hospital where a dear friend of many is in intensive care as a result of a ghastly accident. On September 17th at 2:45 am Mitch Brogan was struck by a drunk driver while cycling home. Mitch Brogan was a passionate advocate of alternative and sustainable transportation who consistently participated in monthly Critical Mass bike rallies. As a founder of the GoBioFuel collective, Mitch educated our community about safe alternatives to petrol dependent transportation. His vivacious energy, perseverance and creativity have been a constant source of inspiration to our community.

Even though the implications of his accident have left him paralyzed, we are grateful that his life is no longer in jeopardy. Regrettably, Mitch is only one of many Londoners who have experienced aggressive life altering encounters with irresponsible drivers. The environmental implications of our dependency on petrol is only one tenet of the problem. With approaching municipal elections it is imperative that we make cycling advocacy and safety a nontrivial matter. Jeff Pastorius, an enthusiastic cyclist and friend of Mitch said: “It is unfortunate that our municipal decision makers require a disaster such as this followed by a massive rally of support before they are willing to act in a rational manner. It is unreasonable to further ignore cyclists’ right to a safe roadway. It would be wise for candidates in the upcoming election to address cycling safety and access in their campaigns.”

Please join us this Friday as we dedicate this Critical Mass to Mitch Brogan and his full and safe recovery. We strongly encourage participants to bring signs and where a helmet. Mitch’s saved his life. For information please contact CriticalMassLondon@gmail.com