COVINGTON, Ky. — Friday a funeral was held for cyclist and beloved Covington bookshop employee Gloria San Miguel. She was hit and killed Saturday by a driver on Covington's 11th Street bridge. Meanwhile, the man responsible for the hit and run crash, 60-year-old Mark Phipps, is behind bars.
Lil’s Bagels sits right next door to Roebling Point Books — where San Miguel worked — and owner Julia Keister says the loss of her work neighbor and friend is tremendous to the working community near the Roebling Bridge.
Friday she hosted a tip drive that raised more than $2,000 for San Miguel’s surviving family. There is also a GofundMe page cirulating for the family.
The outpouring of support was evident at the shop as customer after customer said they were there to honor Gloria.
“Gloria was and is the best,” Mike Wendling said.
“People who didn’t even know her but just have heard about her,” Keister said. “People who did know her and people who are going to her funeral today, everyone has showed up. Because of the community and because they care and because Gloria was one of those really special people.”
And for those who needed an outlet to grieve, a local art therapist set up an art station to let people express their feelings on paper.
“I'm even struggling to talk about this,” said customer Christina Heilig. “Feelings are raw and they are visceral, and sometimes it's hard to find the words so to be able to have this opportunity to write something out or to draw some hearts just makes you feel better, and like you are giving back in some sort of way to honor Gloria’s spirit.”
Police say Phipps turned himself in Thursday, and Friday morning a judge set his bond at $1 million.
Now Keister wants things to change when it comes to safety. She’s already gotten thousands of people to sign a petition asking the city officials to introduce more bike lanes in Covington.
“Its a necessity, the lives lost should be enough to show how important they are,” said Keister.
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