Daytona Beach Critical Mass riding in memory of young crash victim
Ten-year-old ShaoLan “Lana” Kamal was riding her bike across a crosswalk on her way to her last week of school as a fourth-grader at Sugar Mill Elementary in Port Orange when a parent leaving the drop-off carline struck and killed her.
To honor Kamal, Daytona Beach Critical Mass will host an end of Summer memorial ride on Sept. 21. The ride will stop at the elementary school for a moment of silence. For ride organizer Jon Cecil, the ride is personal.
“I met Lana a couple of times last year through an acquaintance,” Cecil said. “She was an incredibly bright young girl with a magical personality that left a lasting impression. Her tragic passing deeply affected me.”
Cecil, who has organized Daytona Beach Critical Mass for the last 14 years, heard about the crash on the news, and thought about setting up a ghost bike memorial for the anonymous young victim.
“Later that day, when more information was released, I realized who she was, and it became much more personal,” he said. “It actually made it harder for me to organize everything, but I knew I had to do it. The memorial ride is our way of paying tribute to her spirit and raising awareness about the importance of road safety.”
A member of the community and Kamal family friend did place a ghost bike memorial at the school, but it was quickly removed by the school district. The school district told WKMG Orlando that the ghost bike was removed because the district had to be “mindful of the emotional impact it might have” on the school community. The district also told the news station that “Sugar Mill Elementary and (Volusia County Schools) remain committed to finding a way to remember the student that brings comfort to everyone in our community.”
For Cecil and the Daytona Beach Critical Mass community, remembering Lana is just the beginning.
“I think it’s important to highlight that this ride isn’t just about mourning Lana’s loss, but also about advocating for better cycling infrastructure and road safety measures,” he said. “We don’t want to see another tragedy like this happen again. Raising awareness and pushing for change is crucial, and I hope this memorial ride can be a step in that direction.”
The parent who struck Kamal, was speeding at the time of the crash but stayed on the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
The End of Summer Memorial ride starts at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21 at Reed Canal Park. More information can be found on the Daytona Beach Critical Mass Facebook page.
Lana’s family also set up a gofundme to help with expenses.
According to data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles there have been three fatal bicycle crashes in Volusia County in 2024 and nearly 120 in the entire state.