BETHESDA, Md. — Two years ago, U.S. diplomat Sarah Debbink Langenkamp was killed while riding her bike. Since then, her family has worked tirelessly to change state and federal laws to prevent similar tragedies.
WUSA9 was there for the 3rd annual Ride for Your Life, a 10-mile slow ride which took participants from Bethesda to Washington, D.C.
"I think about how much I miss her," said Axel Langenkamp, Sarah’s son.
Sarah and her husband, Dan, were U.S. diplomats. They had recently returned to the United States from Kyiv in 2022, where they had been helping Ukrainians resist Russia’s invasion.
"We had just been back a few weeks. Sarah was at the school that day for an open house for new kids, and she was just going to ride to the Capitol Crescent Trail," Dan Langenkamp said.
She never made it home to see her two sons. While biking on River Road, she was hit by a truck and killed.
"Obviously, very, very traumatic for our family," her husband said.
Determined to make roads safer, Dan vowed to take action after Sarah’s death. His efforts include organizing the Ride for Your Life event and pushing for legislative reforms.
This year, he helped pass a Maryland law that strengthens penalties for drivers who hit cyclists. That law went into effect in October.
"I worked with our state senators and state attorney to draft something reasonable," he said. "That reasonable thing was, let’s put the same penalties for crosswalks over to bike lanes and to shoulders, where people are often riding."
Under the new law, Maryland drivers who violate these protections may face up to two months in jail, a $2,000 fine, and a suspended license.
"You know, I think it’s going to take more of us continuing to engage our neighbors to ensure that we’re passing policies and we get the money needed," said Montgomery County Councilmember Natali Fani-Gonzalez, who represents District 6.
Dan is also working with members of Congress to secure federal funding for local road improvements.
The dangers faced by cyclists hit home for many of the event’s participants, including Diane Harris.
"I think we need to work hard to make not only the road safer for cyclists but pedestrians too, and people who drive cars need to understand we do have a right to be out there," Harris said.
The statistics illustrate the urgency of these efforts. According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,105 people were killed while cycling in 2022 — the highest number ever recorded and a 47% increase from 2013.
For the Langenkamp family, these numbers serve as a call to action.
"But also, I just think about how by doing this we kind of help other families by making them not have to go through this," said Axel Langenkamp.