ST AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The family of a local man hit twice by cars while on his bicycle is speaking out.
Police say Christian (Chris) Schroom, 49, was struck on Anastasia Boulevard in St. Augustine and then those motorists took off.
His family tells Action News five years ago, Schroom hopped on his bike and peddled from Michigan to Florida. He was intending to head to the Keys but got to St. Augustine and fell in love. The city became home. Now, a ghost bike rests where his journey ended.
"We love ya," sister Terri Cox said looking over the bike.
Cox and Tony Schroom, Chris' brother, struggle to stand in the spot their brother took his final breaths.
"I feel like his energy is here so that helps me on a spiritual level," Cox said.
Schroom was biking two Sundays ago on a familiar route. His brother thinks something may have gone wrong with the bike, forcing him to hop off. That's when police say he was hit by the first car and dragged. Then, a second car hit him. Those motorists both drove away.
"This is a huge biking community and a pedestrian area and it angers me that someone doesn't respect anything and just flagrantly drives away, kills someone, two times," Cox said.
If these siblings have any solace, it's knowing their brother died doing what he loved. And this ghost bike will continue standing in his memory. A sobering reminder to the drivers passing by.
"There are people out there that cycle and they need to be careful," Tony Schroom said. "Got a 3,000 pound car and a 25-pound bike with a person on it and you have to drive safely and be careful of these people.
Schroom's family says they hope their brother's death prompts some change. They'd like to see better lighting on busy roads like the one he was hit, which are popular spots for cyclists to ride.
A moment of remembrance will be held off Oceanway in St. Augustine in a spot where Schroom loved to meditate Friday night around 5 p.m. His family will spread some of his ashes there.
They're inviting his friends to join them after for a small gathering at the American Legion.
Anyone with information on who hit Schroom is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
