Exactly one year to the day, the four survivors of the deadliest car-bike crash in modern American history completed their intended ride. (To read about the crash in the survivors’ own words, read their oral history.)

On June 7, 2016, an allegedly impaired driver struck nine members of the Chain Gang bicycle club who were out for a regular group ride on the roads of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Five cyclists—Debra Ann Bradley, Melissa Ann Fevig-Hughes, Fred Anton “Tony” Nelson, Lorenz John “Larry” Paulik, and Suzanne Joan Sippel—were killed; Paul Douglas Gobble, Sheila Jeske, Jennifer Johnson, and Paul Runnels were severely injured.

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On the evening of Wednesday, June 7, 2017, Runnels, Jeske, Johnson, and Gobble led out a 350-rider group, retracing the planned 27-mile ride from last year. The line of riders stretched out well over a mile.

“The four of us formed a real bond” in the aftermath of the crash and throughout their respective recoveries, Gobble said right after the ride. “It was great to ride together again tonight, and be together with the rest of the Chain Gang.”

Robert Annis

Johnson admitted to a bit of anxiety before the ride, though once the wheels started moving, she said, a sense of peace washed over her.

But when the group reached the crash site, tears began to flow.

“I completely broke down,” Johnson said. “I [was sobbing] and had a hard time breathing; Sheila helped me, put a hand on my back and told me to take deep breaths. It was just so emotional.

“About a half-mile later, we rode by the house where I grew up, and I saw my family and friends outside; it made me feel so much better.”

What it feels like to be left for dead on a ride:

Over the course of the ride, hundreds of Kalamazoo residents lined the streets to cheer and clap for the cyclists. Drivers pulled over to honk encouragement and take photos, while the Kalamazoo police and fire departments blocked traffic, with several police officers helping to lead the ride safely.

That support, and the immense outpouring of encouragement over the past year, did not go unnoticed.

“Seeing everyone coming out for the ride or line the side of the road was very moving,” Gobble said. “The amount of support we got from the community has been touching, and something we’ll never forget.”

Robert Annis

Although each survivor is back on the bike, they remain in various states of recovery: Between Johnson, Runnels, Jeske, and Gobble, the survivors endured multiple breaks and fractures, surgeries, traumatic head injuries, and severe lacerations.

After the memorial ride, Johnson said she would “physically be out of it for a few days.” Runnels had been training for a Colorado bike tour at the time of the crash; he plans to ride there later this month, although using shorter routes that allow him to turn around if he gets tired. A multisport athlete, Jeske was told by her doctor that she’d never again be able to run or play soccer—two of her passions. She’s slated for a hip replacement this September.

“People see me and think I’m fine, but I don’t get out of bed and do what I did a year ago,” Jeske said. “But I can and do get out of bed.”

Oddly enough, Gobble said he was riding stronger than ever at the memorial ride, but still has trouble sitting at a desk for more than 30 minutes at a time.

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“All I did was get run over by a truck and have to take it easy for months,” Gobble said. But through all of it, his wife Chris and the rest of the family have been there to support him. “It’s been so much harder for my wife, who’s gotten our kids through the school year, their piano recitals... I’m forever impressed by what she’s been able to do.”

Proceeds from the ride are earmarked for a small memorial at the crash site. It’s not yet known how much money has been raised.

The alleged driver, Charles Pickett Jr., will face multiple charges, including five counts of second-degree murder and four counts of reckless driving causing serious impairment, when he stands trial this September.

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