as many chicagoans now know, on june 5, 2026 bike safety advocate Riley O'Neil was killed while riding his bike on s. halsted st, just blocks from the apartment he shared with his partner of four years.
like riley, austin is a public servant and only 10 days after his death, austin is already back at work. because they were not legally married, she is ineligible for traditional benefits following a loss.
on top of going from being a dual-income household to a single income household (with 4 cats omg), she now has additional costs for therapy and psychiatry to deal with the gruesome and sudden death of her partner.
this kind of loss will have long term reprecussions on Austin's mental health and its important for her to have a financial safety net for whatever needs may come up as she processes this grief.
helping to build this safety net for austin ensures that she will be able to afford necessities over the next 6 months, with flexibility to take time off work if needed.
for more on his death and the deaths of other bikers on the south side this year, check out the links here:
reporting on south side biker (& other) fatalaties 2026
thank you for reading, and for strengthening our chicago community.
elena (friend of austin)