Ken Kifer's Death

Tragically, Ken Kifer died on September 14, 2003 after being hit by a drunk driver just 6 miles from his home near Scottsboro, Alabama. He was 57.

Jimmy Don Rodgers, 29, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, was speeding as he drove his pickup truck south. Ken was riding his bicycle north. Rodgers hit Ken shortly before 8pm on Saturday, September 13. He died the next morning.

Rodgers had been released from jail just four hours before hitting Ken. He had been held for 12 hours on charges of DUI (Driving Under the Influence) and a violation of the open container law. He has been charged with murder.

When the cycling world heard of Ken's death, they were stunned. So many people cycle today as much as they do, and enjoy it as much as they do, because of him. Ken knew the world could be a better place if more people cycled. He knew they would be physically healthier and mentally healthier, and that the world itself would be healthier. He worked so hard to make the world that place. He knew if people rode bikes (the right way, at least), they would feel good. So he taught people how to ride bikes safely and effectively. He taught them everything they needed to know to enjoy cycling. He shared his stories and showed what a wonderful time someone could have cycling. When he died, a lot of people felt that they had lost a friend.

Ken's biggest worry was what would happen to his website after he died. He had poured so many years of his life into it. He knew he really had made an impact. He was proud of his work -- not just his Bike Pages, but his whole website.

If Ken revered anyone, it was Thoreau. He felt Thoreau's ideas were so valuable and so relevant. He knew that a lot of people had difficulty understanding Thoreau, so he devoted a section of his website to helping them. He thought that if more people lived like Thoreau, then there was hope for the world.

Ken started working on The New World nearly 30 years before he put it on his website. It really was his Utopian vision. It was his hope that people would read the story on his website and realize they really could live like that. He hoped that people would borrow ideas from the story and change their lives, change society.

If you've stumbled into this website for the first time, you might be surprised to learn that Ken has died and yet his website still exists. This is a testament to its importance and to how much Ken meant to people.

Ken was my best friend. I miss him every day. Taking care of his website is something I had to do for him.

He was such a good person.

Riin Gill

Update: over a year later, the case over Ken's murder finally went to trial. Jimmy Don Rodgers pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years. Neither Ken's son, sister, nor brother wanted him to be punished as revenge, but were concerned that he might kill someone else if he were released. He may possibly be released in a year under very strict probation conditions, but if he fails any condition he will return to prison for the rest of his sentence.