NORFOLK — It has been almost two years since a driver struck and killed local business owner Michael Shipp, and his family is still fighting for answers.
Dozens of family, friends and members of Norfolk’s cycling community gathered Friday at Smartmouth Brewing to remember Shipp, who died in February 2023 after being struck by a pickup on a highway in South Carolina.
Outside the brewery, nearly every bike rack was full of bicycles.
The group watched Shipp’s episode of “Lives Worth Saving,” part of a short film series documenting cases of deadly crashes involving cyclists. It was created by The White Line, a nonprofit advocating for the safety of non-motorized roads users.Norfolk City Council member Andria McClellan read a proclamation honoring his impact on the safety of the Norfolk community.
“The laws (regarding cyclist safety) are very lacking,” said Iesha Shipp, Michael‘s wife. “South Carolina attorneys that we’ve talked to have said it is not just South Carolina, either. The legal system wasn’t written in mind with the technology that we have at our fingertips.