'Missing piece': Austin bikers pay tribute to cyclists killed in crashes

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tinkling bells echoed around Austin City Hall Wednesday evening, as roughly 70 cyclists gathered for the Ride of Silence. The annual event — launched in Dallas more than 20 years ago — is held around the world to memorialize cyclists killed in crashes.

Among those in attendance Wednesday were the family members of Merry "Cookie" Daye, killed in a hit-and-run crash off Cameron Road in December 2019. For Rashad Robertson, Daye's brother, he said she is the "missing piece" her family is still grieving.

"Cookie was a bright, shining star," he said. "And for everyone to be here to show support and for all the other families too, it means a lot."

Joining Robertson was Cookie's mom, Merry Jo Robertson; her children, Ale Silvas and Mark Montes; as well as her uncle, David Burnham. They remember Daye for her "infectious laugh" and the way she'd light up any holiday or family gathering; Burnham reflected on giving her the nickname "Cookie," adding she had the most beautiful spirit.

Montes noted Daye never got to meet her grandson or see him and Silvas grow into the adults they've become.

Along with her loss, family members said they also grieve the lack of closure their family has received in the years since Daye's death.

It's a form of grief shared by countless others in Austin who've lost loved ones to fatal cyclist crashes. The Austin Ghost Bike Project organized Wednesday's event; yearround, the group helps memorialize those killed with "ghost bikes" — white memorials erected across town at crash sites.

Organization leaders told KXAN last week their hope is these ghost bikes help raise public awareness over the dangers cyclists face, while also encouraging city leadership to invest in safer bike infrastructure.

It's a plea Austin leaders said they take seriously. Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, present at Wednesday's memorial event, presented a proclamation that declared May 15, 2024 as "Ride of Silence Day" in Austin.

During his remarks, Qadri added he will use his status on the Austin Mobility Committee to request a briefing from the Austin Police Department on outstanding hit-and-run cases and their current statuses, in an effort to keep these victims and their cases top of mind.

While Daye's family members said they respect and appreciate APD's work, they shared their own frustrations as her death remains unsolved, more than four years later. In the years since, family members said officers have noted a potential lead on who it might be but cannot definitively prove it; for Rashad, he said the case has gone "cold" as a result.

They can't bring Daye back, they said; but their hope is that with added support from law enforcement and city leaders, they could bring justice to her memory.

"If anyone knows who ran over my little niece, please come forward," Burnham said.