Steve Sweitzer’s Ghost Bike
By Jim Brown
Steve Sweitzer was an avid bicyclist. He rode in the RAIN. That ride doesn’t necessarily get you wet but is instead an acronym for Riding Across Indiana, a one-day bike ride from Terre Haute to Richmond. He would average about 14 mph, which is moving right along over approximately 150 miles. He frequently rode the Monon recreational trail that runs from downtown Indianapolis to Sheridan. The Monon crosses city streets frequently. A teenage driver struck him at one of those intersections. He almost lost his leg. Doctors saved it, though he lost muscle mass and needed to wear a brace after his recovery.
As soon as he was physically able following physical therapy, he got a new bike and set out on the Monon once again. Not many would do that. That act reflects his determination not to be defeated by adversity.
On October 25, 2013, Steve asked me to join his daughter Erin and wife Sheila to make photographs as he placed his ghost bike along the trail at the site of the accident.
He painted his wrecked bike frame white, attached a weatherproof pouch to the warped frame describing the accident, and locked it to a post just off the trail. A ghost bike serves as a reminder to others that a serious accident occurred there, in the same fashion as a cross along a highway gives people pause and perhaps causes them to slow down.
The late afternoon sun warmed his face, and his smile warmed me. I was impressed that he could still smile at the place of the accident that nearly killed him.
Steve taught broadcast journalism at the Indiana University School of Journalism in Indianapolis. He was both a professional and an educator. Placing the ghost bike educated the public about the dangerous intersection. He was always teaching — inside the classroom and out.
Donate to the Steve Sweitzer Memorial Fund
In memory of Steve Sweitzer, please consider supporting the mission he cared so deeply about by contributing to the future of photojournalism and visual storytelling. This fund has been established with the permission of Steve’s family to honor his legacy and support the causes he cared deeply about.