A ghost bike memorial project was started in St. Louis in October 2003. After observing a motorist strike a bicyclist in a bike lane on Holly Hills Boulevard, Patrick Van Der Tuin placed a white-painted bicycle on the spot with a hand-painted sign reading "Cyclist Struck Here".
In the aftermath of a devastating accident involving a motorist striking a bicyclist in a designated bike path on Holly Hills Boulevard, Patrick Van Der Tuin launched a memorial project in St. Louis in October 2003. He positioned a white-painted bicycle at the location and created a hand-painted sign that conveyed the tragic event.