Ghost Bike Installation Planned for Fallen Cyclist Raul Ortiz-Gomez on October 20
Raul Ortiz-Gomez
All local cyclists are invited to honor Raul Ortiz-Gomez, 41, who was fatally struck on his bike in West Town last June, and show support for his family as a white-painted ghost bike memorial is installed at the crash site. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 20, at 11:15 a.m. at Erie Street and Ogden Avenue.
On Wednesday, June 13, at about 9:30 p.m., Ortiz-Gomez was riding northeast on Ogden from his home in Little Village towards his job at 5 Star Hotel Laundry, 1060 West Division on Goose Island, according to attorney Brendan Kevenides of FK Law, which is representing the victim’s family. (The firm is a Streetsblog sponsor.)
Police initially said that the male driver of a 2014 Lexus was traveling eastbound when he struck Ortiz-Gomez at Erie and Ogden. However, witness Andréa Murphy later told Streetsblog Chicago that the motorist was traveling west on Erie when he made a right turn, striking the cyclist. Kevenides confirmed Murphy’s account, but added that FK Law is still investigating the movements of the bike rider and the driver, and that there doesn’t seem to be any security video footage of the crash.
Kevenides identified the driver as David Dulkhuu, born in 1978, who was working for Uber at the time and had a passenger onboard. The police cited Dulkhuu for failure to exercise due care for a bicyclist in the roadway. FK Law is preparing to file a lawsuit on behalf of Ortiz-Gomez’s family against Dulkhuu and the ride-hailing company.
Ghost Bikes Chicago has coordinated with Ortiz-Gomez’s family to install a white-painted road bike, with wheels donated by Kevenides, according to group member Kristen Green.
Ortiz-Gomez left behind a wife and four minor children, according to Kevenides. Basic information about the cyclist provided by the family to Ghost Bikes included a quote from Ortiz-Gomez from a year ago, "Hay un Dios, que todo lo ve, y todo lo sabe" -- "There is a God who sees everything and knows everything."
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