I don’t believe it . . .
I would like to know more about this accident, which killed an experienced Corpus Christi cyclist. The police say, and the news reported, that he rode through an intersection. Maybe it’s true. But something tells me it may not be.
Local cyclist’s words take eerie tone after fatal accident
July 29, 2007 07:14 PM
Local cyclist’s words take eerie tone after fatal accidentCORPUS CHRISTI – Donny Kloster was a 63-year old self professed cycling addict. He was the president of STARRS, South Texas Area Runners, Riders and Swimmers and well respected among his peers. 6 News featured Kloster just eight days ago.
Coupled with the news of his accidental death Saturday morning, his words during that interview take on an eerie tone.
“It’s just something where I can compete with guys my age and my age group,” he said in the interview. “I kinda think I ‘ll do it for as long as I can. If you can stay alive, you keep getting better because all your competition, pretty soon, they’re dying off.”
Donny Kloster meant that as a joke. But little more than two months shy of competing in the State Senior Games, his race came to an end.
“Didn’t stop at the stop sign, went straight through the intersection,” CCPD’s Luis Rodriguez said after the fatal accident. “The truck never saw him, and he hit him.”
The high speed crash was one of four bike wrecks for Kloster since 2003, and although painful, the first three never gave him thoughts of quitting cycling.
“I broke a collarbone and a rib during Beach to Bay,” Kloster said in the previous interview. “In 2005 in San Antonio, I broke a collarbone, cracked a pelvis and two ribs. Later that year I went down and cracked eight ribs at one time. I’ve broken a few bones but you recover from those, nothing serious. That’ll happen. You’re going to go down on a bicycle.”
But this time he didn’t get up, leaving area cyclists and athletes without a good friend, and a champion of the sport.
“He kind of pulled the whole group together, was always doing events, got a lot of us into cycling, got me into cycling,” Kloster’s friend, Lane Hornbeck, said. The main thing about Donny is that he was the leader of our group. He says something, everyone followed it. We followed him because we trusted him.”
Kloster leaves behind a son and daughter, who both live in the San Antonio area. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Online Reporter: Sean Horejs
My condolences to his family and friends.