Ghost bike erected for cyclist killed in Porter Square

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A 'ghost bike' with flowers around it now stands in Porter Square in remembrance of a bicyclist killed in the area last week.

Community members gathered Tuesday evening to dedicate a ghost bike to Joe Lavins, a 60-year-old man from Lexington, who was killed while riding his bike Wednesday when he was hit by a tractor-trailer. Two cars and another truck were also part of the crash scene. It's unclear still who is at fault.

The crash happened during the Wednesday morning commute on Massachusetts Avenue. Witnesses told FOX25 they heard screeching of brakes before the crash.

"I looked up the light was yellow. The next thing saw...I heard some sort of impact and then I see pieces fly everywhere," a witness told FOX25.

"The cycling community and so many people saw this crash there's a lot of ambient trauma, pedestrians, motorists, kids on a school bus a lot of people saw something nobody should have to see," Rev. Laura Everett said.

Lavins is the second cyclist killed on the streets of Cambridge this year. In June, a 27-year-old nursing student died when she was hit by a landscaping truck in Inman Square.

Cambridge City Council Member Jan Devereux says many parts of the city are not safe for cyclists but says city leaders are looking at a variety of proposals to change that.

"I think were going to be looking at the extent to which the city has the power to restrict trucks," Devereux said. "It's a complicated legal equation but i think we have to look at that."

Friends of Lavins say he was the safest bicyclist they knew.

"You could not find a person more law abiding," said a speaker at the ceremony. "[He] stopped at every stop sign, stopped at every traffic light."

The white painted ghost bike dedicated to Lavins includes a plaque with his name on it.

'Ghost bikes' are used in the cycling community to remember those who have died while riding. A bike is painted solid white all over and placed where the person was killed to serve as a reminder of the dangers.

The 'ghost bike' for Lavins is locked to a pole on the edge of the plaza on Mass. Ave.

"Joe's wife , sisters, all just really appreciative of this community's support and the other communities that are supporting them," Jonathan Rosin said.

Cox Media Group