Tradgedy struck the AIDS/Lifecycle ride in Los Angeles for a second time this past weekend, when one of the participants in the 877 kilometer ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles crashed and died less than a kilometer from the finish.

The AIDS/Lifecycle organization announced, Glen Brown, a cyclist from Chicago with years of riding experience, died in solo crash not involving any other bikes or vehicles in LA’s Fairfax District.

Emergency paramedics arrived within minutes and Brown was rushed to hospital at Cedars Sinai, where he did not recover and died of his injuries.

Upon learning of her brother’s death, Janet Brown McCarthy, posted the following on Facebook:

“This is Glen’s sister & best friend, Janet. We as a family & all of his friends are absolutely gutted. Your support & words mean SO much to me. I cannot begin to express my sincere love for all of you. Glen was in his happy place, having the time of his life. He actually had completed 2 AIDS Rides in years past prior to this one. And he knew that he would be surrounded again with unconditional love. And little did we know that this love would be until the very end. Peace and love to all of you. Love each other.”

Police have not released information on the crash and what may have caused Brown to fall, or the extent of his injuries.

This is the second death associated with the AIDS/Lifecycle ride in Los Angles in the past two months. Also within sight of the finish line, Andrew Jelmert was killed by a driver, now charged with murder, at the conclusion of a training ride in April.

The week-long AIDS/Lifecycle ride is a multi-million dollar fundraiser for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Los Angeles LGBT Center. Over 1000 cyclists from across the USA participated in this year’s event, raising over $17 million dollars.

Photos: Janet Brown McCarthy