Bike Month in May is supposed to be a celebration of joy and solidarity around bicycling. But this month we are also mourning the loss of two East Bay bike community members who were killed in preventable crashes.
Read on to learn more about these incidents, how to get involved, and help us prevent future tragedies.
Mike Raybeck - Hayward
On May 9th, 2025, City of Hayward utilities maintenance mechanic Mike Raybeck was struck and killed by a driver at Depot Road & Adrian Avenue near Chabot College, while he was biking home from work.
Mike was known to many as Maxx Justice, his persona as a former professional wrestler. On May 13th Hayward City Council started their meeting by sharing memories and a moment of silence for Mike.
All severe and fatal traffic crashes are tragic, especially so during Bike Month in May which is supposed to be a time for highlighting expressions of joy and celebration around bicycling.
Instead Mike’s family, the City of Hayward, the wrestling community, and the bike community are all in mourning for this loss.
We don’t yet know all the details around the incident on May 9th, but Hayward’s Vision Zero commitment asserts that all severe and fatal crashes are preventable through intentional transportation planning, design, and maintenance.
Depot Road at Adrian where the crash occurred is 80 feet wide with 4 travel lanes, increasing to 5 near Hesperian Blvd.
Despite a 25mph speed limit, school zone and “bike route” signs, the street design tells drivers to proceed much faster, and speed is the primary factor in determining crash severity.
Hayward’s 2020 bike plan update is great (map shown above), and the city has made strides in implementing high quality protected bikeways in the years since.
But the plan’s Depot Road recommendation is for a paint-only bike lane, whereas physically separated bikeways have been shown to result in better safety outcomes for all.
To further express their remembrances of Mike & commitment to Vision Zero, we ask Hayward City Council & staff to:
- Identify near term quick-build opportunities at Depot/Adrian to reduce the wide roadway and calm car speeds
- Prioritize and seek opportunities to improve on the bike plan with a separated bikeway upgrade, not just paint
Individuals who are interested in getting involved with advocacy on this issue should join our Hayward on Two Wheels communications list here.
Da'Jon Kee - Antioch
On April 19th, 2025, 32 year old single father Da’Jon Kee was struck and killed by a driver, while he was biking to work on Lone Tree Way near the intersection of James Donlon Boulevard.
Da’Jon suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the collision, and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on May 1st, 2025.
This incident occurred on a part of Lone Tree Way with only shared lane (aka “sharrow”) bicycle markings despite a signed 45mph speed limit.
As we reported earlier this year, a state law now prohibits the installation of sharrows on any street signed above 30mph. While this doesn’t require cities to remove existing sharrows on high speed corridors, we encourage local jurisdictions to proactively replace them with more appropriate facilities.
Note that the “bicycles may use sidewalk” sign in the image above is also in conflict with Antioch city code, which states that adult cyclists are prohibited from biking on sidewalks anywhere in the city.
Da’Jon was tragically the 13th person killed in a traffic crash on Lone Tree Way since 2019, in addition to at least 21 people seriously injured, after the city widened parts of the corridor from 4 to 6 lanes and added the bike sharrow markings.
We and our local partners have been advocating for the City of Antioch to address this hazard area since 2018, warning staff about the danger ahead of their project that increased the number of lanes.
Then in July 2024 a 29-year-old mother of 2 named Linda Wooldridge was struck and killed by a drunk driver while she was bicycling on Lone Tree Way near Sagebrush Drive.
In response we advocated with Linda’s family and submitted a statement to Antioch staff and City Council.
In nearly a year since that tragedy there has been no action taken by the city to improve traffic safety on Lone Tree Way, and now another life has been lost. As such we are repeating our appeal.
To further express their commitment to traffic safety as well as remembrances of De’Jon, Linda, and all those whose lives were taken, we ask Antioch City Council & staff to:
- Coordinate with Bike East Bay and the Antioch Parks and Recreation Commission to develop a near term safety project for Lone Tree Way, and mitigate the ongoing dangers on this corridor
- Develop an official Antioch bike/walk plan to help identify and prioritize safety projects citywide. Antioch is currently the largest East Bay jurisdiction with no city-specific bike/walk plan