Tragedy struck the White House last week when 34-year-old Jake Brewer, a technology adviser to the President, was killed in a bicycle accident with an SUV.
Brewer was participating in a charity ride called Ride to Conquer Cancer. The 150-mile ride started at seven in the morning on Saturday. Jake, a trained triathlete, was participating in honor of a friend of his that had cancer.
About halfway through the afternoon, Brewer lost control of his bike as he rounded a sharp turn on Old Frederick Road in Mount Airy, MD. He crossed the double yellow line and hit an oncoming SUV straight on. The paramedics pronounced Jake dead at the scene.
President Obama released a statement on the White House website saying he was “heartbroken at the tragic loss of one of my advisors, Jake Brewer. Armed with a brilliant mind, a big heart and an insatiable desire to give back, Jake devoted his life to empowering people and making government work better for them.”
Brewer worked in a number of political campaigns, non-government organizations and companies that were focused on specific social issues before he started at the White House in June. One of his primary goals was to increase nationwide access to broadband. He was officially listed on the White House website as a senior policy adviser in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
Brewer leaves behind a daughter and a wife, Mary Katherine Ham, who is pregnant with their second child.