RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A retired Richmond army veteran’s mountain bike with an attached dog trailer went missing over the weekend, but the trailer was returned with the help of social media and the Oregon Hill community.
On Thursday, Feb. 8, army veteran Jimmie Williams’ blue DBX Cascade 18-speed mountain bike with an attached dog trailer went missing from his apartment building’s garage on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Williams made a post about his missing mountain bike and dog trailer on the community app Nextdoor, and a woman reached out to him after she had spotted the trailer at the Oregon Hill overlook, located on Oregon Hill Parkway about a mile from Williams’ apartment.
“She contacted me and had a picture of it. And I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe it was actually found,’” Williams said.
The woman told 8News she noticed that the trailer had been near the overlook for several days and looked out of place, however it is not unusual for bikes or cars to be abandoned at the location.
The trailer, which was designed and built by Williams, is constructed from reused items, including a storage container and scrap wood from a futon. His dog, Chloe, can ride alongside Williams comfortable, thanks to one of the trailer’s features.
“What a lot of people are most impressed with is this car a suspension system on it. So, I give her the best ride I can,” Williams said.
Now all the duo needs is the bike back. But neighbors on social media are coming to the rescue even more, some offered their old bikes or money to help him get a new one.
“I’m thinking, ‘Wow, all this for me,’ I just didn’t expect it,” said Williams. “It makes me want to cry. People have been just outstanding. I never expected it to come to all this.”
The woman who dropped off the trailer told 8 News she reached out to members of Richmond’s cycling community and one shop is reaching out to get Williams a new bike.
