Natasha Caicedo

Natasha was riding her bike when she was struck by a hit and run driver who later turned herself in. Natasha died in the hospital the next day.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

Ms. Caicedo worked six days a week at the Kraverie, a Downtown Jersey
City restaurant that opened in late 2011 with offerings from the
couple’s former food truck, Lucinda Creperie, and the Krave, a local
Korean BBQ truck.

The food truck owners got to know each other because they parked near
each other and shared a garage, said Charles Heo, who partnered with
the couple on the restaurant.

“She was always energetic, really happy, always ready to help others,” Heo said.

The couple also ran the Lucinda Burrito & Taco Truck before
starting the Lucinda Creperie truck, and participated in a local
farmers’ market and events.

“She was just a great person in general, one of the hardest working
people I’ve ever met,” said Nikol Floros, director of administration at
the Historic Downtown Special Improvement District. “She will be
definitely missed.”

By mid-day, an online fundraiser organized by a friend to assist Mr.
Usher with medical costs and loss of income listed more than 60 donors.

A ghost bike was installed for her at the scene of the crash, but was later moved to a more permanent location.

Jersey City ‘ghost bike’ gets new home
Tribute to local restaurant owner designed to increase safety for cyclists

by

E. Assata Wright
Reporter staff writer

Aug 25, 2013

The ghost bike in honor of Natasha Caicedo in its new home on Marin Boulevard at the corner of Grand Street.

A ghost bike dedicated to the memory of Natasha Caicedo has found a new home on Marin Boulevard at the corner of Grand Street.

Caicedo,
a co-owner of the popular Kraverie restaurant on Mercer Street, was hit
and killed while riding her bike on Marin Boulevard the evening of June
20 by an alleged hit and run driver. Caicedo is among several
pedestrians and cyclists who have been hit by vehicles this year,
leading to calls from residents for increased safety protections.

The
Caicedo tribute is one of more than 500 similar ghost bikes that have
been created in cities throughout the world to simultaneously honor
cyclists who have been hit and killed by drivers and to raise awareness
among the public about road safety.

The bike in honor of
Caicedo, painted white to evoke those who have passed, was originally
parked elsewhere on Marin, but was removed by Saint Peter’s Preparatory
School, which owns the land on which the bike was parked.
_____________
The Caicedo tribute is one of more than 500 similar ghost bikes that have been created in cities throughout the world.
____________
Visitors
to New York City may have noticed the ominous-looking white ghost bikes
at a few locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The bikes, which are
often parked at or near the scenes of fatal hit-and-run sites, are meant
to be “quiet statements in support of cyclists' right to safe travel,”
according to the New York City Street Memorial Project. The group uses
the bikes as educational art installations designed to spark
conversation.

“Every day cyclists wanted to remember Natasha and
bring a sense of realness to her tragedy,” said downtown activist Dan
Levin, a board member of Bike JC, a local organization that formed in
2009 and has been advocating for local bike routes. “The ghost bike is a
somber visual reminder for all bicyclists to be aware and use caution.”

The ghost bike in Caicedo’s memory, which was created by two residents who wish to remain anonymous, is a first for Jersey City.

City lags behind neighbors

Jersey
City lags behind New York and the neighboring city of Hoboken when it
comes to cycling safety. Last year, the city created its first marked
bike lanes on Grove Street, and various redevelopment plans throughout
the city call for both designated bike lanes and marked sharrows. But
these plans have been slow to materialize even as the number of cyclists
seems to increase each year.

When Jersey City initially drafted
its master plan in 2005, bike routes were part of the plan. However,
under the master plan that was officially adopted the city vowed only to
create bike lanes “where feasible,” language that has left this green
transit option on the back burner ever since.

New York City, in
contrast, has a large network of bike lanes that have been significantly
expanded under current Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and New York and
Hoboken have each launched “bike share” programs to encourage residents
to rely on bikes rather than cars for simple errands and local
transportation.

Increasing road safety for cyclists and
pedestrians and cracking down on speeding among drivers were among the
top safety/quality of life concerns raised by residents who attended
four town hall meetings hosted by Mayor Steven Fulop in May.

Arrest made in June

A woman, 24-year-old Neteria Augcomfar, has been arrested for the alleged hit and run of Caicedo.

According
to a June press release from the Jersey City Police Department Major
Case Squad, Augcomfar was the driver of a 2008 silver Volkswagen Jetta
that was allegedly seen leaving the scene after Caicedo was struck.

Augcomfar,
who allegedly turned herself in to police on June 24, allegedly told
police that at the time of the accident she was unaware that she may
have hit someone.

Augcomfar has been charged with reckless
driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and leaving the scene of an
accident that resulted in death.

The unidentified owner of the car has not been charged in the case.

E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.

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Reporter - Jersey City ghost bike gets new home Tribute to local
restaurant owner designed to increase safety for cyclists