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American 'peace' cyclist killed by drunk driver in Russia

Ron McGerity had spent last two decades riding around the world promoting peace and raising money for charity

An American cyclist who has spent the past two decades riding around the world to promote peace and raise money for charity has been killed in Russia following a hit and run incident involving a drunken driver who police later detained.

Ron McGerity, originally from Boston but more recently based in Geneva, was riding his recumbent bike between Kostroma and Ivanovo, two of the ‘Golden Ring’ cities north east of Moscow, when he was run over on Thursday says Reuters, citing an Itar-Tass report.He was aged 61.

According to his Biker on the Road website, since 1995 he has travelled to more than 50 countries across four continents, and in 1999 began spreading messages of peace and goodwill to the authorities in cities he visited on behalf of municipal and church leaders in Geneva.

That year, Brazilian football player Ronaldo paid for McGerity to fly from Geneva to Jerusalem with his bike to pass on his message of peace.

The last picture he posted to Facebook, on Thursday, shows him with his bike in front of Lenin’s mausoleum in Moscow’s Red Square.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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Metaphor | 9 years ago
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POST TENEBRIS LUX
République et Canton de Genève 1815-

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IHphoto | 9 years ago
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This is so incredibly sad. I don't know about Russia per se (but drink is a massive problem there generally) but in many countries drink driving is still commonplace.

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zanf | 9 years ago
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Saw this last night in Reddit. Within hours there was dashcan footage from a car travelling in the opposite direction and was posted in the thread.

Not ashamed to say it reduced me to tears.

Unfortunately there have been to many cases like this. Christian Smith killed in Kent earlier this year came to mind, Pete Root & May Thompson in Thailand as well as Ian Hibell in Greece.

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