Ethan Boyes was riding his bike in the Presidio on Tuesday afternoon when a driver struck and killed him, officials confirmed.
Boyes, 44, was a San Francisco resident and highly accomplished cyclist. He won several national titles and set several records for over-40 cyclists and set an American record for the 500-meter “flying start” track time trial, according to USA Cycling.
“He was literally one of the nicest people I’ve ever met — not only in the small circle of track cycling… but anywhere!” track cyclist and former teammate Karl Baumgart wrote in a message on Facebook. “… He also just so happened to be one of the fastest sprinters in the World.”
The San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report on his death. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)
Ethan Boyes accepts his championship medal at the UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships Men 40-44 Time Trial Awards Ceremony at the Velo Sports Center in Carson, California, USA on September 24, 2022. Boyes was killed in a crash with a vehicle while riding his bicycle at the entrance of the Presidio on Arguello Boulevard on April 4, 2023.
Craig Huffman / Craig Huffman PhotographyU.S. Park Police said officers responded to a report of “a crash between a car and a bicyclist” on Arguello Boulevard, south of Washington Boulevard, at 4 p.m. on April 4. At the scene, officers found Boyes with serious injuries, according to the report. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died, according to a statement from U.S. Park Police. The driver had non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.
The agency said no additional details are available at this time and the crash is under investigation.
Ethan Boyes, a national cycling champion, was killed in a crash with a vehicle while riding his bicycle at the entrance of the Presidio on Arguello Boulevard on April 4, 2023.
Courtesy Frank Lin / @franklin24Boyes was a regular at the Polo Fields cycling track in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and was a fixture in the local cycling community.
“You couldn’t miss him with his custom Look track frame with googly eyes,” Veronika Volok, a friend of Boyes, wrote in an email to SFGATE. “He was known to be a sprinter, a damn good one too.”
Volok said she first met Boyes at the Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose.
“Ethan was a very special person,” she said. “The cycling community, especially the track community, won’t be the same.”
Friends were shocked by Boyes’ death and left an outpouring of comments on a photo of his Look bicycle posted on Instagram.
“This can’t be true, felt like I just saw you not to long ago,” wrote one person. “Thanks for always being an inspiration and such a stellar guy on and off the track. Till next time Ethan.”
Another commenter, who met Boyes at age 19 in 2010, wrote, “You inspired me and showed me how to really live that bike life. You will always be a friend, legend, smiling face and an overall amazing human.”
Boyes was from Boone, North Carolina, according to his Facebook page.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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Amy Graff