A long-time resident of Arlington Heights and experienced cyclist was killed in a single-bicycle crash near the finish line of the the AIDS/LifeCycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Saturday, June 11, 2022. Glen Brown crashed in the second block north of the Finish Line between Waring Avenue and Willoughby Avenue on Ogden Drive while approaching the event finish line at Fairfax High School, 7850 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Paramedics transported Glen Brown from the block of 800 North Ogden Drive to Level 1 Trauma Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center just under two miles away at 8700 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, where he was pronounced dead.
Initially it was unknown whether Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics or privately-contracted event paramedics were involved with the transportation of Glen Brown to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
According to a Tweet from the neighborhood news site Melrose Action advocating neighborhood watch for the Melrose District, a bicyclist was fatally injured late in the day on Saturday, June 11, 2022 in the block of 800 North Ogden Drive. According to the Melrose Action tweet, “police officers say the crash may have involved a freak accident.” However, an investigation is underway by the Los Angeles Police Department, and there was initially no official indication whether the incident involved a bicycle failure, a bicycle-roadway interaction, or a medical event that preceded the crash. An official statement from the AIDS/LifeCycle ride organizers provided that no other bicyclists or vehicles were involved in the crash. The bicycle crash occurred in the Wilshire Community Police Station jurisdiction, which covers the Melrose and Fairfax communities near the crash scene in Los Angeles — and by coincidence — includes the Arlington Heights community or neighborhood in Los Angeles.
The Melrose Action photo below is a view to the north along Ogden Drive that shows LAPD blocking the crash scene on Ogden Drive at about the middle of the block (approximately 833 North Ogden Drive). The crash occurred between 833 North Ogden Drive and the intersection of Ogden Drive and Willoughby Avenue.
TRAGEDY ON OGDEN DR :: Late Today On The 800 Block of N Ogden Dr A Bicyclist Was Fatally Injured In What @LAPDWilshire Officers Say Seems To Have Been A Freak Accident. Coincidentally the @aidsrideforlife was culminating it’s ride at Fairfax HS today. pic.twitter.com/9Me7tQPRzg
— Melrose Action (@melroseaction) June 12, 2022
— AIDS/LifeCycle (@AIDSLifeCycle) June 12, 2022
In addition to traffic control related to the AIDS/LifeCycle ride, the Los Angeles Police Department was preparing traffic control measures for The LA Pride Parade, which was held on Sunday, June 12, 2022.
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Glen Brown graduated from the former Arlington High School at 502 West Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights, Illinois with the Class of 1982.
Glen Brown’s sister Janet Brown McCarthy posted a tribute that shared the sad news on Facebook …
“It is with the deepest sadness that I have ever felt in my whole life that I share with you all the passing of my brother, my best friend Glen Brown on JUNE 11, 2022.
Glen was on the most amazing life journey and was SO happy. He was a cyclist in the June 2022 AIDS/LifeCycle from San Fransisco to LA (almost 600 miles). On the very last day, just 1 block away from the finish line he suffered a fatal bicycle accident. At one of his most accomplished, jubilant moments in his life it was all over. Glen had participated in 2 other AIDS rides throughout the years and knew he would be surrounded with unconditional love. Little did we know it would be to his end.
We are gutted to the core & beyond. For you see…Glen was the most generous, loving, funny, creative, caring person you will ever meet. His love for ALL and his charm were absolutely infectious. You were never a stranger with Glen…he welcomed ALL with open arms & that loving smile.
The hole in my heart for him is so large…I will never be the same. But the comfort & pure love that we have been showered with from AIDS/Life Cycle & participants, Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, our family & all of our friends has been absolutely incredible. But, all of this comes as no surprise to me…for Glen personified the Beatles lyrics “and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make”.
Please bear with me as I share stories & photos in the weeks to come. And PLEASE share your stories/photos too. We will be honoring Glen at a Celebration of his LIFE in the months to come. Please stay tuned for all of the details.
PLEASE…LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Live your life. Love your life. Be YOU.”
The charity ride AIDS/LifeCycle traversed roadways for 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles over 7 days, and involved cumulative altitude climbs of 23,037 feet (See a video from Glen Brown on Facebook describing his training to prepare for the 545-mile ride on May 16, 2022). The last few miles of the charity ride traveled southeast on the Pacific Coast Highway (California State Route 1), and turned left just before the Santa Monica Pier to proceed northeast and then east on Santa Monica Boulevard to Ogden Drive, and then south on Ogden Drive to the finish line at Fairfax High School.
BELOW: View looking south where crash occurred on Ogden Drive just south of Willoughby Avenue with almost two blocks remaining to reach the finish line at Fairfax High School at the intersection of Ogden Drive and Melrose Avenue.
BELOW: View looking south on Ogden Drive just north of Melrose Avenue showing the location of the finish line at Fairfax High School at the intersection of Ogden Drive and Melrose Avenue.
BELOW: Approximate last 10 miles of ride from the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard near the Pacific Coast Highway (California State Route 1) northeast and then east along Santa Boulevard, and then south on Ogden Drive just past Willoughby Avenue (blue line) …
BELOW: Crash occurred on Ogden Drive just south of Willoughby Avenue with almost two block remaining to reach the finish line at Fairfax High School at the intersection of Ogden Drive and Melrose Avenue.