Virginia Family Grieves Bicyclist Killed In Hit-Run: 'Thank You For Being The Best Brother'

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A Virginia family is facing a nightmare they never imagined after a beloved brother and son was killed in a hit-and-run crash while riding his bike, leaving a community grieving and his younger brother shattered.

Ryan Damon lost his life on Wednesday, Nov. 19, when he was struck by a flatbed truck while riding his bike in Framingham, according to a fundraiser organized by Danica Roem for Ethan Damon. 

The driver was later arrested for leaving the scene of a personal injury causing death.

Damon died the same day he was struck, leaving behind a family now navigating grief, shock, and the sudden responsibility of funeral arrangements.

For his brother Ethan, the loss is almost too much to grasp. 

In an emotional tribute shared publicly, he wrote, “This morning, my brother, Ryan, was riding his bike in Framingham when he was struck by a truck and became the victim of a hit-and-run incident. We lost him earlier today.”

Damon wasn’t just a victim of a crash. He was, to the community that knew him, a bright spot in everyday life. 

Framingham UnFiltered described him as the upbeat, familiar face who ran Fun ’n’ Games on Route 9 — the arcade that served as a local rite of passage for birthday parties, school-vacation outings, and weekend challenges over Skeeball tickets and joystick battles.

They wrote that Damon had just left his Arlington Street area home on his bright-orange tricycle when he was struck and killed. 

To longtime customers, he was the guy who swapped tickets for prizes with patience, fixed a joystick without a fuss, and greeted people with what friends described as a trademark laugh.

But for Ethan, the loss is immeasurable.

“Ryan will always be my funny older brother, the best trivia teammate, a Pog (the Pug) whisperer, and most importantly, my best friend,” he wrote. “I miss him so much already.”

The mix of disbelief and pain runs through every line of Ethan’s message. 

“It does not feel real to be writing this or to think that something like this could happen to him. Or anyone, for that matter. These situations shouldn't happen.”

Ethan also spoke directly to the issue at the center of his brother’s death — street safety. 

He wrote that people “deserve to be able to ride their bike or walk around their streets safely,” sharing that he has advocated for safer intersections and roads in Northern Virginia after seeing tragedies like this before. 

Now, one has taken his brother.

His grief is raw. His disbelief is honest. And his words paint a picture of a bond that was more than familial — it was a friendship. 

“I'm taking time to process all of this, and I'm honestly still in shock,” he wrote. “Thank you for being the best brother, Ryan. I love you.”

A fundraiser was launched to help Damon's family with funeral expenses. 

It notes that “Ryan’s family is left not only with the grief of losing a brother and a son so suddenly and tragically but also the financial burden of funeral expenses,” according to Roem.

Anyone wishing to support the Damon family can donate to the fundraiser "In Memory of Ryan Damon."

Ethan’s final words to his brother echo the love, heartbreak, and permanence of what was lost.

“Thank you for being the best brother, Ryan. I love you.”