LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The Colorado cycling community is mourning the loss of a beloved member and reigning cycling national road race champion following a crash Sunday morning in Lakewood.
Gwen Inglis, 46, died after a vehicle, driven by 29-year-old Ryan Scott Montoya, veered into her path as she was riding her bike on the designated bike lane on West Alameda Parkway, according to Lakewood police.
Montoya remained on scene and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. The type of drug was not disclosed by police.
Jerod Ridge rode with Inglis and her husband on the Black Swift Cycleton Team. He says Inglis and her husband were training at the time of the crash. According to Ridge, Inglis' husband witnessed the moment the sedan struck his wife.
“He’s a mess, you know? How you would imagine if your spouse passed away right in front of you,” Ridge said.
Inglis husband was not injured.
Inglis was the national champion road race winner in her age group, women 45-49. She recently finished No. 8 in the Pueblo Classic on April 24.
“She was one of the elite cyclists in the nation,”Ridge said.
He said she was known on her bike and off her bike for her big and generous heart.
"She’s calm, she’s peaceful; she makes you feel like the only person in the room,” Ridge said.
In a statement published in The Denver Post, the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado said she was well-known across the cycling community.
“There are few words that can express the feeling of loss for any of our cycling community, and Gwen was a particularly special person. She was a multiple National and State Champion on the bike and very well known across the cycling community in Colorado," the statement says. "Even more impressive was her character off the bike. Knowing Gwen, you would immediately be aware of her strongest qualities. She consistently brought joy into all her relationships, and she openly accepted everyone.”
Friends and family are asking the community to donate to ElimChristian Services in honor of Inglis. They say she strongly supported the nonprofit, which equips children and adults with disabilities.
