On June 11, 2024, 16-year-old Felix was struck and killed by the driver of a car while riding bikes with his family near their lifelong home in Sumerduck, Virginia. It was a ride to celebrate his older brother’s 18th birthday — a route Felix often took to see friends or just to enjoy the ride. He wore a helmet. He had lights on. He was doing everything right.
Just a few days after his birthday, and only a quarter mile from home, his life was stolen. The driver was a 79-year-old woman who faced no charges, showed no accountability, and remained in her car — Felix never stood a chance. He was airlifted to a hospital. A neighbor had to fill in the gaps as the family left the scene. Police told them to sit down, to be quiet. The system told them to accept, not to fight. His sister Jules, who witnessed the crash while joining him on this bike ride, was left without answers, justice, or her brother.
This year, Jules rode and helped lead our event — formerly the Ride of Silence — now reborn as the Ride of Noise. One of her first times back on the road since the crash, she showed up with a colorful pink and yellow bike, a joyful sound spinning from her wheel, and the courage to speak out. No longer willing to be silent. No longer willing to let drivers ignore riders. And certainly, no longer willing to let this feel “normal.”
She honored Felix — not just with her words, but with her strength. Her bravery to ride again, to speak again, inspires us all. She reminded us that cyclists have a right to the road, that lives like Felix’s matter, and that preventable tragedies should not be swept aside. She had a message for those who drive cars: slow down, give 3 feet of space, and if you’re rushing, you should have left earlier.
“There really is no excuse or explanation other than neglect,” Jules said.
“She was never charged. She was sent home. I’ve never even seen the person who killed my brother.”
Felix was a passionate artist and an advocate for trans kids. Felix was one of 1,166 people killed while riding a bicycle in 2024 (1). Nearly 1 in 5 traffic deaths in the U.S. are cyclists or pedestrians (2) — and still, there is zero justice. We’ve ridden in silence for over 20 years. This year, we decided to try something different – make noise.
The Ride of Noise wasn’t about speed or distance, it was about presence. We said: we are here. We ride to mourn, but also to celebrate the lives of those we’ve lost. Three feet is the law. Share the road. We belong here.
When our justice system fails, our infrastructure falls short, and our society asks us to accept tragedy as inevitable – we ride louder. Jules and Felix reminded us why. We will continue to ride, together, in honor, resistance, and in love.
(1) https://bikeleague.org/another-year-of-devastating-and-preventable-bicyclist-deaths/
“Since an all-time reported low of 623 bicyclist deaths in 2010, we’ve seen an 87% increase in bicyclist deaths with consecutive all-time records for the most deaths in the last two years of available data.” (Bike League, 2025)
