Avid cyclist killed during group ride along Benbrook bike trail

BENBROOK, Texas - A Benbrook man who was an avid cyclist was killed Saturday morning. 

He's being remembered as a dedicated, retired educator who enjoyed riding with friends.

The driver did stop and is not expected to be charged.

Chuck Henson was killed Saturday morning as he was riding with a group of 10 along West Vickery Boulevard like so many times before.

Friend Javier Lucio says he was riding near the back of the group when fate turned fatal. 

"It was a beautiful morning is all I remember. We were all excited and looking forward to a great day of riding," he said. "As we are approaching the intersection, some of us saw the vehicle. We didn’t think anything of it, thinking she was going to wait for us to get across. She didn’t. She came across, cut off the group."

The 68-year-old retired educator was struck straight on with such force that he died instantly. 

"For us to accept how could you not see us when there are 10 of us riding together, it’s hard for us to understand that," Lucio said.

Lucio says the driver who hit Henson stopped and was hysterical. 

"I did try to console her and talked to her for a few minutes to try to understand what happened. She was obviously very apologetic," he said. "She said she didn’t see us. Didn’t see us. She was very, very upset."

Cycling was a major part of Henson’s life, along with the Fort Worth cycling community which he loved as much as their Saturday morning rides. 

"Our goal right now is just to get the word out about Chuck, how great of a person he was. Chuck was a retired schoolteacher, such a good teacher that they had him come back. So he was teaching again because he’s such a motivating person and wonderful person," Lucio said. "We just need people to pay more attention, people to be aware. I’m not trying to blame anyone. We just need to be more aware of the surroundings."