It was an ordinary commute home for 20-year-old Simon Geoffroy that resulted in an accident that has put him in a Vancouver hospital.

Late on the afternoon of July 20, Geoffroy was biking to his home in Copper Ridge from his job as a computer camp leader at Yukon College, as he did every day.

In the Takhini North neighbourhood, the bicycle path cuts across Normandy Road and continues on the other side of the street.

As Geoffroy crossed the street to continue on the bike path, he was struck by a minivan.

“My mom called me and said that my brother was in a bike accident and broke his leg,” Simon’s brother, Étienne, said in an interview with the Star this morning.

His mother, Sylvie, called again to tell him that Simon had been hit by a vehicle. In critical condition, he was being medevaced south for hospital treatment.

“I didn’t really know what to think after that.”

Étienne was in Calgary training for skiing at the time of the accident, but went to Vancouver a week later to visit his brother.

It was a big shock to see Simon in such a rough state – his body was bruised, his eyelids swollen.

Simon underwent surgery for his broken leg and an injury to a neck artery.

Four days later, he was still recovering, but conscious.

“He knew who we were, but he was just really tired,” Étienne recalled.

Then, last week, there were some complications which forced him back into surgery.

Every hour, Simon is woken up for neurological tests, to assess his motor and sensory skills.

“Honestly, I think he’s had enough of it,” said his sibling.

Simon will have to postpone completing his fourth year of his engineering degree at the University of British Columbia-Okanagan in Kelowna.

It has been hard for Étienne to leave Vancouver to continue training in Calgary.

The boys’ parents, Sylvie and Christian, have been by Simon’s side in Vancouver since the accident.

Étienne has since taken on the role of speaking on the family’s behalf, since his mother is still too upset to discuss her son’s condition with anyone.

The prolonged stay in Vancouver is a financial burden to bear for the family.

To help the family offset the costs of staying in Vancouver, an online fundraising campaign was started with the help of the boys’ former vice-principal at F.H. Collins Secondary School and another Whitehorse resident.

With a target goal of $15,000, the GoFundMe page has generated nearly $11,000 in just one day.

“Take a look at pictures of Simon on his bike, on his skis, out enjoying the beautiful Yukon wilderness – it inspires us to do what we can to get him back out there,” the campaign page states.

The website link has been shared more than 400 times on social media – just a small indicator of the support in the community that Simon has behind him.

“It makes us feel like everyone wants to support my brother,” Étienne said.

The rallying has gone beyond raising money for the affected family.

A crosswalk has been painted at the site of the accident where the bicycle path crosses Normandy Road.

After the mishap, city officials made several recommendations to improve the safety of trail-street intersections like the one on Normandy Road.

Officials recommended erecting signs on the path reminding cyclists to stop before crossing the street, painting crosswalks and eliminating parking on that part of Normandy Road to ensure drivers have a clear line of sight.

Senior bylaw constable Tom Wyers has been present at some of the traffic committee meetings where the recommendations are being reviewed and assessed before going ahead.

All of the recommendations have been discussed in the meetings, he said Tuesday.

Now, it’s just a matter of getting things going.

“I’m quite certain that all of the suggestions have been accepted and they’ll be moving forward with them,” Wyers told the Star.

Downhill biking is Simon’s passion, but even with plenty of experience on a bicycle, the odds were against him in an area with tricky visibility at times.

People living in the area where the accident occurred have said large vehicles parked on the street can block oncoming drivers’ view of where the trail enters the road.

Étienne had become aware of that too, adding that he heard people say that it was “an accident waiting to happen.”

To assist the family during their stay in Vancouver, the fundraising website can be accessed through the following link: http://www.gofundme.com/HelpSimonGeoffroy