Friends, family and community members gathered Friday morning to place a memorial along 32nd Street to honor a bicyclist who was killed in the area two years ago and to hopefully raise driver awareness.
Eighteen-year-old Alan Rodriguez was struck and killed while crossing the street on his BMX-style bicycle with two of his friends on May 5, 2021.
The driver of the vehicle, which Yuma police believe to be a silver 2011 to 2013 Chrysler 200, fled the scene afterward and has yet to be found.
The white bike was placed at the entrance to the paved trail by the canal by Gene Dalbey of the Yuma Region Bicycle Coalition, who said the incident highlights the importance of drivers being more attentive.
“The point is really emphasizing safety and the virtue of patience. It is just so important,” Dalby said. “When you are driving a vehicle, you are driving a deadly weapon and the consequences are severe when you aren’t paying attention to your driving responsibilities.”
Alan’s mother, Cecelia Rodriguez, said instead of celebrating what would have been her son’s golden birthday, she is hoping that the memorial will help drivers remember to share the road.
“People need to watch out for bike riders because they have as much right to the road as cars do,” Rodriguez said. “We can avoid tragedies such as this.”
Rodriguez added that while there have been no new leads in the case over the past two years, she is still hopeful that someone will come forward.
“When we went to go buy my son his bike, he was like a kid in a candy store,” Rodriguez said. “Riding his bike was his passion. I didn’t realize how much he loved his bike until this happened.”
Dalby said that getting somewhere quickly should not cost another person their life, and that drivers need to slow down, stop taking unnecessary risks, and pay more attention.
He also said that he has a hard time understanding why bicycling in Yuma isn’t embraced as much as it is in other cities.
“I think there are so many ways to solve the problem,” Dalby said. “More signs and bike lanes would help raise awareness.”
Some of the people who attended the memorial also carried signs with slogans wanting justice for Alan Rodriguez.
Their goal was to keep drawing attention to the case, so it remains fresh in the mind of the public.
A cash reward is also being offered for any information that leads to the arrest of the person driving the car that killed Alan Rodriguez.
