Cyclist in fatal crash was a 65-year-old competitive rider

The man who died Saturday in a bicycle-car accident near Woodinville was Jerry Shafer, 65, a well-known competitive cyclist who held several track records in his age group and hardly ever missed a race or even a workout.
Last year, he organized a fundraising event during which he set a national record (since broken) for the fastest 100 miles on a track for men ages 60-69, and netted $17,398 for a group that fights retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer that afflicted his grandson when the boy was a toddler.
Shafer’s death has not been officially confirmed by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office, but news of his death spread quickly among his friends and Seattle-area cyclists.
Shafer was riding down a hill on 240th Street Southeast at about 10:45 a.m. when, according to authorities, he struck an oncoming vehicle while attempting to pass other cyclists.
Speed and alcohol did not appear to be factors in the crash, according to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, and deputies did not anticipate that the driver would face charges. Shafer died at the scene.
His teammates and cycling friends remember Shafer as an outgoing, friendly and dedicated cyclist who pushed himself hard and spent a lot of time at the Marymoor Velodrome, the 400-meter track where he held his fundraiser, participated in weekly races and served on the board of the Velodrome Association.

Cyclist in fatal crash was a 65-year-old competitive rider | Local News | The Seattle Times