ALTON, Ill. (AP) — A roadside memorial to a southern Illinois bicyclist struck and killed by a car has been replaced after the first tribute was stolen just hours after its installation.
Tom Tarp of Wild Trak Bikes told the (Alton) Telegraph that he placed an all-white “ghost bike” on the scenic Great River Road in Madison County Thursday morning to honor 65-year-old Carole Admire. She died after being hit by a pickup truck over the Memorial Day weekend.
Tarp returned to the memorial site Thursday afternoon to find the first ghost bike gone, along with its chain and lock. He has since replaced the memorial bike with another one, accompanied by a thicker chain.
A Sunday morning memorial ride in Admire’s memory drew an estimated 100 cyclists.