DMV cycling community remembers competitor killed in motorcycle crash

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — Cyclists across the DMV are remembering a competitor and friend who died in a crash earlier this week.

Many people knew Abraham Ehlers, 54, for bicycle racing, but Montgomery County police say he was on his motorcycle Monday when he crashed into the woods along Beach Drive in Kensington.

Two of his friends say he was one of the best competitive cyclists in the DMV and one of the kindest people they’ve ever met.

“I’m still trying to process it,” Ehlers’ friend Adam Swetlow said, “and it’s still a bit of a shock.”

Swetlow says he and Ehlers hit it off from the start. They met in 2019 and participated in cycling events. They were competitors on the course.

“He raced [aggressively],” Swetlow said. “He raced for the win. He was one of the guys to beat in the masters category. He was a jovial, kind person. The kind of guy that would give you the shirt right off his back.”

“He was really well-liked and definitely kind of had a zest for life,” Mark Hagen, a longtime friend of Ehlers, said. “Abe was the same person on and off. If he was coming past you, and he would pass me often, it was always a friendly, ‘Hey Mark, how’s it going? Keep it up.’ Stuff like that, so he was the same person, always very positive.”

While Montgomery County police weren’t sure what caused Ehlers to lose control of his motorcycle, one thing is clear—how much he’ll be missed.

“I think everybody was hoping that it was a mistake,” Hagen said, “or it was some other guy or something like that. So, I’m pretty devastated.”

“He was one of those larger-than-life characters, and he left an impact on you,” Swetlow said. “It’ll be quite a loss at the races and on the group rides.”