Ghost bike memorial planned for pregnant cyclist killed in Playa del Rey crash

Community members and street-safety advocates will gather Sunday in Playa del Rey to honor a pregnant cyclist and her unborn child who were killed earlier this month in a tragic crash. The memorial will commemorate Regan Cole-Graham and her unborn daughter, Ophelia, whose deaths followed a Feb. 1 collision at Pershing Drive and Manchester Avenue, according to previous reporting by the Los Angeles Times. Cole-Graham, 36, was riding her bicycle with family members around 6 p.m. when a white Toyota Camry struck her near the intersection, LAPD officials told the newspaper. Her 3-year-old child, who was riding as a passenger on the bike, was hospitalized in stable condition. Cole-Graham later died from her injuries, and her baby — delivered after the crash and treated in a neonatal intensive care unit — died days later, according to family statements cited by the Times. Police said the elderly driver remained at the scene. Sunday’s gathering is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hacienda Playa, 8415 Pershing Drive, according to organizers with the advocacy group Streets Are For Everyone. Family members are expected to attend but have declined to speak publicly. Organizers say two white “ghost bikes” — roadside memorials traditionally placed where cyclists have been killed — will be installed during the event, one representing Cole-Graham and another symbolizing her unborn child. Community members will be invited to leave written messages for the family and participate in a moment of silence and reflections. In a statement, Streets Are For Everyone Executive Director Damian Kevitt said Los Angeles has recorded more traffic fatalities than homicides for two consecutive years and called for faster implementation of safety measures and infrastructure improvements. “The death of Regan and Ophelia was not an unavoidable accident, but a preventable tragedy,” Kevitt said. Jonny Hale of People’s Vision Zero said the memorial is intended to encourage safer conditions for cyclists, pedestrians and families across the city. Organizers estimate between 30 and 100 people will attend the memorial, which they say will focus on remembrance while also highlighting broader roadway safety concerns in Los Angeles. A GoFundMe organized by family and friends describes Cole-Graham as a “loving and devoted wife” and a “fierce and joyful mother,” and says donations will help cover funeral expenses and support her husband and children’s future following the tragedy.