Dad with mission to ‘make cycling safe’ killed in hit-and-run on bike, NM group says
A “beloved cycling advocate” in New Mexico was killed in a hit-and-run while riding his bike, according to a cycling group and news reports.
Chuck Malagodi’s “dedication and passion for cycling touched countless lives,” the group BikeABQ wrote in a Jan. 22 post on Facebook.
He was the victim in a hit-and-run in Albuquerque over the weekend, according to the group.
Malagodi was struck by a white pickup, then the driver drove off, KOB reported, citing police.
The truck was found the next morning but “the driver is outstanding,” according to an Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers Facebook post Jan. 22.
Malagodi, 64, was Albuquerque’s longtime outdoor recreation education program coordinator before retiring, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
In the role, he created safe cycling curriculum for kids and started Esperanza Community Bike Shop, among other accomplishments, BikeABQ wrote. He was on a mission to “make cycling safe.”
“If you ride a bike regularly in Albuquerque, you have heard of Chuck or have been touched by his work,” friend Mary Erwin told the Albuquerque Journal.
Malagodi’s daughter, Angelina, told KRQE that through the Esperanza bike shop, her dad created “a community center where kids could learn how to be mechanics, kids could just have a space to hang out and be safe.”
She’s taking inspiration from him, according to the outlet.
“Maybe now is going to be my time to take care of my family but then start incorporating more time to give back to the community because I don’t know how to move on in my life anymore if I’m not living in his footsteps,” she told the outlet.
A memorial bike ride is planned Jan. 25 in Albuquerque, BikeABQ said.
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