Longtime DC cyclist killed in Frederick County road collision

Longtime DC cyclist killed in road collision

Shawn Blumenfeld, 51, is a legend in the biking world, especially in D.C. He was a longtime courier, worked at City Bikes in Adams Morgan and Chevy Chase. He also coached many young and old to ride like the wind.

Cyclists across the D.C. region are mourning a legend in the bike world who was killed in a crash on Monday near Emmittsburg, Maryland.

Shawn Blumenfeld was a longtime courier who worked at City Bikes in Adams Morgan and Chevy Chase. The 51-year-old was a cycling advocate whose testimony before the D.C. Council helped get bike lanes installed on D.C. streets.

Shawn was killed on a rural two-lane road near his home in Frederick County. His best friend and cycling buddy Sheba Farrin said Shawn was "a champion of women and sport in general."

"He lived that in the bike racing team we ran. I've never known a person quite so passionate about riding a bike as Shawn Blumenfeld."

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"We've seen horrible, horrible accidents, and … you know, and you go forward," Farrin added.

Shawn's older brother, Lane Blumenfeld, said they grew up in D.C. and Shawn's love of cycling started early. "The biking community can say better than I can, he touched a lot of people in a very positive way," Lane said.

"He was a huge advocate for bike safety and publicizing the fact that bikes have a right to the road. When I heard and his friends heard he was killed, we all had the same reaction, ‘He got hit.' He's the safest biker any of us know."

Shawn coached many – young and old – to ride like the wind.

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On Monday, Maryland State Police responded to the 10,000 block of Taneytown Pike in Emmitsburg, Maryland for a report of a single-vehicle crash involving a bicyclist. The preliminary investigation indicated a 2021 Dodge van and a bicyclist were traveling westbound in lane one on Taneytown Pike.

Authorities are unsure why the Dodge van struck the rear of Shawn's bike. The driver of the Dodge van remained on the scene. Shawn was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency medical service personnel.