Published: May 22, 2007 09:43 am         

Parker County official injured in cycling event

By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com

The second annual Ride of Silence in Mineral Wells had a small number of cyclists traversing a five-mile stretch Wednesday of U.S. Highway 180 West without saying a word - and the ride’s meaning hit close to home when one of the riders was struck Saturday while participating in a charity ride.

Three days after participating in the Mineral Wells ride, Melissa Rutledge, 47, of Weatherford, was struck Saturday by a sports utility vehicle in Garland while riding her bike.

Iris Stagner, the event organizer for Mineral Wells’ Ride of Silence, explained Rutledge was participating in a charity bike ride that began in Richardson when a black SUV collided with her.

Rutledge was taken to Baylor Medical Center, where she has been upgraded to serious but stable condition, Stagner said.

Rutledge, the elections administrator for Parker County, was one of a small number of cyclists who participated in Wednesday’s ride.

“I thought it was good,” said event organizer Iris Stagner, of the ride’s turnout. “Some of the guys [who rode] last year were not there.”

Although the group was comprised of biking enthusiasts from the Mineral Wells area, Rutledge and another Weatherford rider attended as well as a cyclist from Fort Worth.

“He was looking for a ride [and] didn’t want to ride in Dallas,” Stagner said. “He said he enjoyed the scenery and terrain.”

The annual event occurs across the continent and “rolls across the globe,” states the Ride of Silence Web site. Chris Phelan organized the first Ride of Silence in Dallas in 2003 after Larry Schwartz, an endurance cyclist, was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and killed. The ride is 10 miles at no more than 12 mph and completed in utter silence.

“The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride.

There is no brochure, no sponsors, no registration fees and no t-shirt,” the site read. “The ride, which is held during Bike Safety month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.”