With pedestrian and cyclist fatalities increasing across Los Angeles, L.A. city officials and victims teamed up to create a unique event that aims to make our streets safer.

Three and a half years ago, Damian Kevitt teamed up with other bicycle advocates, as well as state and city officials, and started Finish The Ride.

Kevitt started the movement after losing his leg in a gruesome hit and run crime in Griffith Park, according to a news release.

Continuing the original message of Finish the Ride, “Triumph Over Tragedy”, Damian is working with CD 12 Councilman, Mitch Englander, and other city officials to not only reverse the recent spike in traffic fatalities but support the tens of thousands each year across the southland who have been severely impacted.

While Los Angeles enjoyed a multi-year decline in traffic injuries and fatality, the last few years have seen a startling leap with collisions up by 21% compared to this time in 2014. Even more alarming is the fact that traffic fatalities have jumped up by 39% in the last year alone, according to LAPD statistics.

Motivated by his own personal tragedy, Kevitt created Streets Are For Everyone –SAFE– and has been working closely with city officials such as Councilman, Mitch Englander to try and reverse these trends.

Kevitt’s desires to help others has resulted in a one of a kind support service for those impacted by the nearly 52,000 traumatic traffic collisions in LA County each year. This service is called SAFE Support, and some of the first people Kevitt’s organization has helped, like 22 year old Cesar Centenos, who also lost his leg this year in a hit and run while cycling, are now personally “finishing their ride” in this year’s Finish The Ride event.

This Finish the Ride event, now in it’s 3rd year, is called a “Holiday Challenge”, and appropriately so. The event has been expanded from the original cycling event to include not only cycling, but running, walking and rolling (hand cycles, wheel chairs, roller blades, etc.) and is partnered with Southern California Cyclocross (a closed course bicycle/obstacle course race). Besides its efforts to raise awareness, Finish The Ride is raising funds through donations and sponsors like Wilshire Law Firm to continue to provide free assistance to those who need a helping hand after a traffic collision.

This information has been provided to KHTS through a Streets are for Everyone Press Release