Surrounded by friends and standing at the spot where her husband was killed, Rose Vieira says it's her strong Christian faith that's holding her together.
"The outpouring from the community of Tucson, people saying what Ken meant in their lives has just blessed me so much," she said. "I've gotta tell you that on the inside of me, there's a grieving wife who's crumpled up in a ball rocking back and forth in agony because we were only married eight months."
Their new life together cut short when authorities say 28-year-old Brian Lynch hit a group of cyclists at La Canada and Hardy Road on Thursday, killing Kenneth Vieira and Clare Rhodes and leaving a third rider in critical condition.
"We will continue on, we will continue riding," said Shawna Strause, the president of the Cactus Cycling Club. "And that's what Ken would have wanted us to do."
For years, Kenneth Vieira led a Monday morning bike ride through the northwest side. Since he couldn't do that this time, hundreds of cyclists gathered at the usual meeting spot and rode in his memory. And so many riders showed up, the Pima County Sheriff's Department provided an escort on their route.
The large group paused at the spot where the accident happened, some laying down flowers.
With her husband's wedding ring around her neck, Rose Vieira says she hopes drivers and cyclists will see this as an opportunity to drive and ride safer.
"We all need to have more kindness for each other, more respect and more consideration for each other and watch out for each other," she said.
Lynch, the man accused of hitting the cyclists, remains in the Pima County Jail on a $1.5 million bond.
In the meantime, funeral arrangements are underway for Kenneth Vieira. His family has set up a Gofundme page to help with expenses and transportation costs as many family members live out of state and out of the country.
