Suspected Drunk Driver Kills One Cyclist, Injures Another

Saturday morning an 18-year was charged with driving under the influence and manslaughter in a crash that killed a bicyclist and critically injured another rider in eastern Henrico County Saturday morning. Officers were called to the intersection of Osborne Turnpike and Village Field Lane around 7:15 a.m.

The cyclist that was killed was Jonah Holland. She was a vibrant part of the Richmond community on many levels. Her most public face was as the lead creator of digital content and strategy for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for over 13 years. As a result, she was often my point of contact for Lewis Ginter Events. Any of the photos of Lewis Ginter you’ve seen here on RVAHub were taken after a welcoming conversation with Jonah as I entered the grounds. She was always smiling and loved her job and always wanted to show off Lewis Ginter. Back when I moved to Richmond she was a member of our pool.  Somewhere on my hard drive, there is a picture of our young daughters dancing together at a Farmer’s Market.

If you were friends with her on Facebook you’d also know of her other passions. Cycling, open water swimming, and yoga were often showing up in her feed.

The last time I saw Jonah was in July at one of the Bryan Park Bike Races. She hung out with friends shared hugs with fellow cyclists and of course made time for a quick chat with me. After posting the pictures she made a point of reaching out and complimenting my photos. That is the kind of person Jonah was in every interaction. Our paths have crossed throughout my time in Richmond and I’m sad that won’t happen again.

There will surely be memorials, rides, swims and other celebrations for Jonah once we hear of them I’ll let you know.

The other woman struck in the accident is, Natalie Rainer. Natalie remains in critical condition at VCU Health. You can donate money to support her medical expenses through a GoFundMe set up in her honor.