A firetruck went past Trinity United Methodist Church in Seymour on Wednesday, followed by a hearse and then a series of bike riders.

Some passers-by might have thought it was a final funeral ride for someone.

The group, however, was involved in the beginning of what they hoped would be awareness for bike riders on the road.

The procession was the annual Ride of Silence, a time to recognize those who have been involved with or died from bicycle accidents with motorized vehicles.

“My son, Matt (Nicholson), saw the event on social media one year and decided he wanted to start one in Seymour,” said Bob Nicholson, who oversaw the ride this year since his son had other obligations.

Nicholson contacted First United Methodist Church, the Seymour fire and police departments necessary for an escort and Burkholder Funeral Chapel in Seymour to provide a hearse.

Riders were encouraged to take the entire ride without speaking. Survivors of bicycle and motor vehicle wrecks wore yellow bracelets given at the start of the ride, denoting the number of times they had been involved in a wreck.

The event attracts biking enthusiasts and bike-versus-vehicle accident survivors, including Melissa Dyess of Seymour.

When she was too young to drive, she got a bike from her dad. She had taken lessons on safe bike riding, the signals and all of the “do’s and don’ts” of riding.

One day on the way home from a friend’s house, she stopped at a road, checked all directions, gave the proper signals and pulled out, only to be struck by a vehicle that had turned onto the road without looking.

She said the next thing she remembered, she was being inspected for injuries.

The event Wednesday served as a solemn reminder to her, other riders and motorists.

“People need to be aware, just like motorcycles, bicycles are out there,” Dyess said.

Riders didn’t have to be bicycle wreck survivors to join in the seven-mile ride. A number of riders were bike enthusiasts there to support survivors and raise awareness for bicycle safety both to the bicycle community and to the community at-large.

“I think this event is important for bike safety. We need to keep people’s minds on recognizing bikes on the roadways,” said Bob Doriot of Seymour.

Doriot has attended the event every year except one, when he couldn’t make it.

In past years, the event has faced some adverse weather conditions, including biting cold and torrential rain.

This year, the weather was mild, warm and sunny.

“It’s almost perfect this year,” Doriot said.

He said that was just right to bring out more riders.

“The greater number of people involved, the more people will see it. The more people who see it, the more who will become aware of bike riders,” Doriot said.