Learning About the BU Student Cyclist Killed in a Crash

We're learning a bit about Christopher Weigl, the Boston University photojournalism grad student who died when his bike collided with a 16-wheel tractor trailer on Commonwealth Ave. Thursday, and of course it only makes the loss more pointed. As Globe columnist Brian McGrory writes today, “The crash, for every understandable reason, has fueled an increasingly urgent argument about the safety of our city streets … But amid the inevitable accusations, please think hard and deep about the young man who died.”

Weigl, 23, grew up in Southborough. In a video interview reposted by BU Today (and viewable below) he says he found his love for photojournalism while at Skidmore College and was considering working for a wire service when he graduated from BU. On his photography website he writes, “Photojournalism is a ticket to curiosity, a way to explore the world, meet people doing interesting things and share their work with others.”

It's a tough time for the BU community as Weigl is the second student to die in a bicycle crash with a motor vehicle in a month. We definitely encourage you to check out the work on his website, read more about him on BU Today, or read the “obituary” he wrote for himself as part of a class assignment, republished by McGrory today.