YORK COUNTY, Va. (WVEC) — A family and the community are at a loss for words.
Brian Utne tragically died Thursday night. Virginia State Police say someone driving a gray, Ford pickup truck hit Utne while he was on his bike on Lakeside Drive. Utne was on the way home, only a few miles away.
The husband, father and cyclist was instrumental in the cycling community in Hampton Roads. Fellow cyclists say he coordinated ride after ride across the area, using Facebook to bring everyone together.
Patrick Johnston has known Utne for five years. He called Utne a leader in the cycling community.
“He was a leader who wanted to get more individuals involved in the cycling community,” Johnston said. “He was concerned about improving the community.”
Utne's wife Susan said her husband was well-loved. They got married in 1997 and have two children.
Utne and Sean Gilmartin rode together for 15 years, most recently Thursday night, not too long before the crash.
“He checked us, tried to get new people to come out,” Gilmartin said. “He would get us to go slow so we could keep people coming back.”
State police said identification numbers on the debris left at the scene of the accident indicate that the suspect vehicle involved in the hit-and-run is a gray Ford pickup truck, 1999-2001 year model.
The truck would have front-end bumper damage, marker lights, and possibly front right-quarter panel damage.
State Police is still asking the public's assistance in locating the vehicle. Contact State Police at 757-424-6800 or at question@vsp.virginia.gov.
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