A California musician and cyclist died Saturday afternoon in a crash while riding his bicycle for charity work, officials said.
The cyclist was identified by friends and family as Roy Wiegand, 60, of Burbank.
Before she was killed, Wigand had completed a month-long charity ride to raise money for the Navajo Water Project in a campaign called “Lloyd’s Ride.” According to the charity website. The campaign raises funds to provide clean water to the Navajo, a Native American reservation that covers parts of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah.
Wiegand was hit by the driver of a Ford Ranger just before 1 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP said the collision occurred on the eastbound San Miguel Canyon Road west of Humvee Lane in Monterey County.
The driver of the Ford Ranger, a 25-year-old Watsonville resident, was driving east on San Miguel Canyon Road, according to CHP, while Wiegand was traveling in a designated bike lane in the same direction. CHP said the driver then made a “dangerous” right turn and collided directly with his bike, throwing him off the bike and hitting his head on the truck’s windshield.
Police said Wigand was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver was not injured.
During her bike trip, Wiegand was aiming to raise $25,000 for charity on a 2,500-mile bike trip. The fundraiser had raised more than $33,000 as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the charity’s website.
Joycelyn Craig, a longtime friend of the Wiegands, told SFGATE that this is not the Wiegands’ first charity fundraiser. She said he has run 100-mile marathons in recent years and has completed 1,000 miles on his bike.
She said she let Wiegand and her cycling partner stay at her home in San Francisco during a fundraiser days before Wiegand died.
“It was just the last leg of the journey, with just a few days to go home,” she said. “So I think it came as a shock to me…we were just chatting with him and just listening to the voicemail he left us to say thank you.”
A photo of Roy Wiegand, 60, who died in a crash on Saturday.
Courtesy of Joycelyn CraigLaunched by members of the fundraising project memorial web page For Wiegand and his “Lloyd’s Ride” campaign.
“But his influence was not just fundraising. Roy inspired and educated people wherever he went with his spirit of generosity and compassion,” the webpage reads. I’m here.
Craig said Wiegand was also a gifted musician who played the trumpet.
“He was always very curious, generous and appreciative,” said Craig.
