A Sleepy Bike Ride

Here's how I remember Leroy's story, told at Duane's urging after Lizzie's funeral to a few of us standing in a group visiting.

Leroy was sleepily biking to work on a cold morning, headed north on Herren Road when he reached the fence along the south ditch by US50.  He found the spot in the fence where he had earlier carefully clipped the barbs on the underside of the lowest wire,  and maneuvered his bike under the fence.  Crossing here would save him three extra miles of biking.

Safely on the other side of the fence he checked for traffic before crossing the road.

To the left, at the crest of the nearby viaduct was an RV.  He was sure he had time to cross safely.  Halfway across the road he had a horrible shock when a semi came barreling along from the right in the lane right in front of him.  Instinctively, Leroy popped a wheelie.  He caught a glimpse of the semi driver's big-as-a-saucer eyes as he swerved nearly off the road in an attempt to avoid Leroy and the bike, both vertical in the middle of the road.  A small car, being drawn along in the vacuum behind the semi performed a similar maneuver having had almost no warning.  The semi and car must have materialized from beyond the curve to the right of Leroy's crossing point.

Before Leroy could move from the spot, the RV came whistling down off the viaduct in the lane behind him, but very close.

Leroy was wide awake now and warm through and through.

Any time he crosses at that spot on US50 now he looks "at least eight times" before he crosses.