A San Diego bicyclist and U.S. Navy veteran who was critically injured in a crash last week in Lompoc has died, according to his family.
Members of the Santa Diego-based club of competitive biking enthusiasts with military ties are mourning the loss of their leader, Kevin Childre, who lived in the Santa Diego area.
The injured rider was flown by a Santa Barbara County helicopter to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment shortly after the May 20 accident, which occurred just before 11 a.m. at the Wye area near the northern entrance of the city.
Crews from the Lompoc fire and police departments responded to the incident, which police said involved the injured riding colliding with another cyclist.
His family announced his death the day after the crash to friends on social media.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we must tell you that Kevin suffered a horrendous crash on his bicycle, and the injuries to his brain were too severe to battle,” his family posted on his Facebook page. “It was a nothing little accident, the kind that is so common with cyclists.
“He’d been having a great day on the bike, feeling strong and fit and was with awesome friends. There was no pain.”
The cyclists belong to a private bicycle group called Paladar Navy Cycling Club, whose riders were traveling from San Francisco to San Diego, a 630-mile route that began Sunday and was set to finish Friday.
The Navy Cycling Club is not affiliated with the military, but is made up of current service members, military retirees and civilian bicyclists from the San Diego area.
Childre served in the Navy and reportedly reached the rank of commander.
In lieu of flowers, Childre’s family has asked that donations be made to the EOD Warrior Foundation via a donation page in his memory.
“His family asks that you remember the Kevin who adored his dog, remember his smile of delight when he saw you walking up, remember his love of pizza, and of Starbucks chai teas. Think of his voice describing an exceptional climb on the bike, swearing in yet another sailor re-enlisting, laughing at anything, everything,” the donation page says. “His triumphs, accomplishments are too numerous to begin to list. But this was a man who loved his family, his country, his fellow EOD brothers and sisters, and so many others.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.