Widow of cyclist reacts after man pleads no-contest in death of her husband

Sherwood, Arkansas – Cecil Ferrell was arrested in early 2020. Police said John Mundell was riding his bike down Highway 107 in Sherwood when Ferrell struck him with his car and drove away.

Ferrell was charged with negligent homicide and leaving the scene. After his no-contest plea, he could face up to 42 years in prison. “How do you hit somebody, knowing you hit somebody and leave them on the side of the road?” Kimberly Mundell, John Mundell’s widow, said.

According to Mundell, her husband deserves justice in this case, and after reviewing many of the case facts, she thinks a maximum sentence is fair. “I don’t think anybody in my shoes would want anything less than that,” she explained.

Mundell described her husband as a passionate biker who was concerned with safety. “He always put safety first,” she said. “He always wore his helmet. He always had his headlight. He always had his taillight.”

Before his death, they had been married for only 58 days.

Mundell has become an avid biker herself and an advocate for cyclists in central Arkansas.

Her work has pushed cities to adopt biker-friendly infrastructure and policies, and her testimony led to the Arkansas legislature signing a law that automatically makes leaving the scene of a crash a Class B felony. “[John] would be proud of [me),” Mundell said. “That’s why I ride.”