‘An inspiration to so many’: Community remembers bicyclist killed in crash

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - People are remembering the life of Jonah Holland, the woman who was tragically killed by a drunk driver in Henrico on Saturday while riding her bicycle with a friend.

Holland worked at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for over 14 years and was known as a prominent member of the community. President and CEO of the Botanical Garden Brian Trader fondly remembers Holland’s love for the gardens and how she would always come out early in the morning to take pictures of the nature.

“She was very compassionate, caring, she had a love for the natural world,” said Trader.

Holland’s outgoing personality is what many loved about her. She liked to stay active in her free time and was part of countless community organizations like the Richmond Triathlon Club and Wolf Pack Alpha Cycling.

“She loved biking, loved swimming, loved to travel,” explained Trader.

According to Trader, Holland was a beloved employee who worked as the digital content manager since 2008. She started in the role at a time when social media was still relatively unknown and quickly became a pioneer for public gardens looking to grow their social media pages.

“One thing that I very much appreciated that she did is she managed our interns that worked in our PR and Marketing Department. So not only did she like connecting people and helping people, but she inspired people and she was an inspiration to so many,” Trader expressed.

A grief counselor will be available to Lewis Ginter employees on Monday while many are still trying to process Holland’s loss.

“You know, we’ve lost one of our garden family members. It’s been really shocking and I think many of us are still trying to comprehend the loss,” Trader said.

The other woman struck by the drunk driver, Natalie Rainer, remains in critical condition at VCU Health. You can donate money to support her medical expenses through a GoFundMe set up in her honor.

Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved.

Send it to 12 here.

Want NBC12’s top stories in your inbox each morning? Subscribe here.