Ghost bike for Chicago cyclist who was killed by car is returned to its place after removal

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A well-known memorial honoring a cyclist who was struck and killed has been restored to its place along DuSable Lake Shore Drive, after it was missing for more than a month.

The ghost bike was set up in April 2022 on DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Grant Park for Gerardo Marciales , who was killed the previous winter when he was hit by a car while riding a Divvy bike.

In February 2022, Marciales was on a Divvy bike waiting to cross DuSable Lake Shore Drive at Balbo Drive. A driver ran a red light and hit him.

Nine months after Marciales died, another driver destroyed his memorial. Whitehouse helped reinstall the same bike in late 2022.

Then on May 7 of this year, the ghost bike vanished on—as the city claimed workers did not recognize a memorial.

A spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation said this past weekend: "DSS workers inadvertently removed the bike, as it was no longer white and did not have a memorial plaque distinguishing it as a ghost bike. Upon discovery of the error, DSS immediately reached out to the Alders in the 4th and the 42nd Wards, apologized and discussed the importance of memorial ghost bikes with the employees."