The cyclist who was killed on Friday after apparently failing to stop at a stop sign at Grant Road had brakes on his bike.

According to Matt Ronstadt, a Tucson Police Department public information officer, because of the damage to the bike they could not determine whether the brakes were working prior to the crash that killed John Imberg.

Here is what he wrote in an email, “The damage to the bike made it impossible to tell at the scene whether or not brakes were functional prior to the collision, but the bike was equipped with front/rear brakes.  According to witness statements, their “impression” based on what they observed is that he appeared to simply ride out into the road, and did not appear to be someone who was panicked over grabbing a handful of brake lever expecting to stop and instead found himself out of control.”

William Perry, who said he was Imberg’s friend, left a comment on an earlier story. I asked Perry if he would be willing to share more information about his friend. Here is what he wrote in a comment:

“I was asked to write a bit about my friend Jack, aka John Imberg. I posted above as Bear, as that is the name he knew me best by.

Jack lived alone in a cozy little trailer park off of Country Club and Ft. Lowell called “The Pines”. I lived next to him there for about four years and that’s where I met Jack, he was living there when I moved in. He worked up on Grant and Wilmot at a restaurant/bar called “Kappy’s”, as their dishwasher. He didn’t make much as a dishwasher so he rode his bike everywhere. He had been riding his bike up and down Grant Road for several years with no problem so I was really shocked to see that he ran a stop sign and was killed.

Jack believed in God and I had witnessed to him in the past and found this out. I believe he’s resting in Heaven now with the Lord, Jack had a heart of Gold.

Jack didn’t have a whole lot of friends here in Tucson, and his family lives in San Francisco where he was also born and raised. I’m saddened even further that there will most likely be no funeral or memorial services for my good friend, due his family being far away, and due to him being poor, living at poverty level most of his life, if not below.

Jack always had a smile on his face and had infectious laugh that could be heard from great distances and even through walls. He was a really cool guy and will be greatly missed by myself and my wife.

God Rest Your Soul John T. “Jack” Imberg, we love you man!