Days after he died in what police called a ‘freak accident’, loved ones of a 21-year-old cyclist gathered to say their final goodbyes.
Friends and family attended the funeral for Isaak Kornelsen at the McKernan Baptist Church in southwest Edmonton on Saturday afternoon.
Kornelsen was cycling on Whyte Avenue on Monday morning, when he tried to duck under the side-view mirror of a parked truck – but he hit it and was thrown under a passing concrete truck.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The young man was part of the University of Alberta track community, and friends described him as a gentle, caring soul.
The funeral came a day after hundreds rode their bicycles from City Hall to the scene of the crash.
The ride was organized by Kornelsen’s friends and the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society – in addition to honouring the young man, organizers hoped to shed more light on the idea of protected bike lanes in Edmonton.
“Edmonton is a sad case of what we have for bicycling infrastructure,” Organizer Michael Kalmanovich said. “The education component is very sadly lacking as well.”
On Sunday afternoon, the U of A track team will hold a memorial run for Kornelsen in Hawrelak Park.
