By VeloNews Interactive
Category 2 road racer Garrett Lemire (KB Home) died Saturday in a head-on collision with a car while trying to avoid a crash in the second stage of the Tucson Bicycle Classic.
The 22-year-old University of California-Los Angeles student reportedly swerved across a double-yellow line and into oncoming traffic during a descent along Gates Pass Road, striking a Toyota Camry driven by 71-year-old Mary Conners.
Lemire was pronounced dead at the scene. Conners and three of the cyclists involved in the earlier crash were taken to area hospitals with injuries described as “non-life-threatening.”
Sgt. Steve Ogden of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told VeloNews that he estimated Lemire’s speed at 30 to 40 mph and the Camry’s speed at 25 mph. An Arizona Daily Star photo of the aftermath shows Lemire’s handlebars, stem and what appears to be a portion of the head tube, still bearing his race number, torn from his bicycle and lying on the shoulder of the hilly, winding road.
Asked whether any charges would be forthcoming, Ogden replied, “Not at this time, no.”
Promoter Steve Bohn could not be immediately reached for comment. However, a note on the race’s web site said: “The Tucson Bicycle Classic staff, riders, volunteers and sponsors are deeply saddened by this tragedy and wish to extend sincere condolences to the family, teammates and friends of our fellow racer. This is the worst possible thing that can happen in any sport. It is very important to us to acknowledge the loss and to honor the life of this young man.”
Stage two was halted after the accident, which occurred on the fourth lap of the Category 2 race. Sunday’s final event, the Artisan Prosthetics Circuit Race, was scheduled to continue, but with each race shortened one lap to accommodate a moment of silence and a memorial lap dedicated to Lemire.