27-year-old Dartmouth man killed in bicycle crash remembered as fixture in the community

A Dartmouth man who was well-known throughout the community has died in a bicycle crash.

Family and friends have announced that 27-year-old James Leandre was the victim of a fatal crash involving a large truck on Thursday in Acushnet. He was declared deceased at the scene. Leandre was known to be an experienced cyclist that rode often as he did on Thursday.

Leandre was a fixture in the community participating in events such as the Dartmouth Police Toy Drive and encouraged others to do the same. He was also an instructor at the non-profit organization Dream Out Loud which offers classes in publishing, graphic design, music, theater and video. The organization released a statement on social media after Leandre’s passing.

“James has been a music instructor at Dream Out Loud for the past 4 years and brought incredible knowledge, commitment, humor and talent to our team. He was extremely invested in our students’ professional and personal growth and always proud to share stories of his students’ strides and successes each semester. He also loved performing with them at our Student Showcase events! We will miss you greatly James and will keep your memory and creative spirit forever alive in our hearts and in the music program at Dream Out Loud.”

A friend of Leandre, Jackie Francisco, is collecting donations for Leandre’s mother to help with funeral expenses and had raised $3690 as of Christmas Eve. Her Venmo is @JacquelineFrancisco.