The late Andre Simon to be laid to rest next Monday; cycling fraternity met body and accompanied him on symbolic last ride

The late national cyclist Andre Simon will be laid to rest early next
week. 

On June 8, Simon succumbed to injuries he sustained in a road
accident in May 2022. He will be buried on Monday, July 10,
following a funeral service at the St. John’s Pentecostal Church’s
House of Restoration on Lauchland Benjamin Drive.

The body of the 35-year-old was returned home last Friday, June 30,
via American Airlines, and was met by friends and supporters who
had convened at the former Pan Am Base in Coolidge.

Members of the cycling fraternity also turned out in full force to
escort Simon on this final ride. The Police and cyclists then formed a
solemn procession and guided the vehicle carrying the body to
Barnes Funeral Home.

Simon, who is the father of one son, was among four cyclists who
were struck by a car on the Sir George Walter Highway.
The other three sustained minor injuries and were treated and
discharged from the hospital. But Simon, who suffered the brunt of
the impact, spent months in the Intensive Care Unit, in critical
condition, before being air-lifted to a medical facility in Texas. 

While his family and supporters were committed to his recovery,
Simon had an uphill battle and encountered a number of other
health complications before he succumbed. 

The driver who struck the riders was charged with dangerous
driving; but that charge is expected to be upgraded to the more
serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving.