Asheville police find, charge driver in hit-and-run death of cyclist; victim named
ASHEVILLE - Police have found and arrested the driver of a truck they say hit a bicyclist on Swannanoa River Road July 18, killing him.
Officers released the name of the man riding the bicycle July 19 after contacting his family. Alexander Rozos, 26 of Haw Creek was a fitness enthusiast who had studied at the Citadel and liked to rock climb with his father. He was riding to a climbing gym when he was struck, his father Michael Rozos told the Citizen Times.
"I got off work early so I could meet him to climb at Cultivate like we had done the previous day," Michael Rozos said.
A police investigation showed Rozos was riding a bicycle west along the 300 block of Swannanoa River Road near South Tunnel Road around 11:42 a.m. He was struck by a white box truck traveling in the same lane and direction.
The driver drove the truck away before officers arrived and Rozos died at the scene of the collision, said Asheville Police Department spokesperson Rick Rice.
"After further investigation by officers, the vehicle and driver were located later that afternoon. Upon completion of the APD’s investigation and consultation with the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office, the driver, Mauricio Roberto Melgar Delgado, 47, has been charged with felony hit and run causing serious injury/death," Rice said.
Delgado was taken into custody on July 18 and booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility under a $50,000 unsecured bond issued by the magistrate. Delgado bonded out, Rice said. That could mean paying a bondsman $5,0000, which is 10% of his bond.
Witnesses said they saw the collision and the white box truck driving west toward Biltmore Avenue, according to police.
A portion of Swannanoa River Road to South Tunnel was closed July 18 during the investigation.
Rozos played hockey for the South Carolina military college the Citadel for two seasons and planned to join the Army in September. He had just returned from attending the July 15 funeral of a Citadel classmate, his father said.
Michael Rozos described his son as "a pure fitness community lover and full-spectrum athlete." He had just self-published a book on Amazon, "How To Leave An Impact On The World, Made Simple," a fitness guide that simplifies advanced concepts of nutrition, psychology and personal health and encourages people to use them to become healthy.
Asheville has seen at least two cyclist fatalities after being struck by vehicles since 2022, one downtown and one in West Asheville. In a third accident in 2023 on Merrimon Avenue, a cyclist was seriously injured when struck by a truck.
Mike Sule, executive director of Asheville on Bikes, said he had spoken with Michael Rozos and that "right now is the time to grieve the loss of Alex and support his family and friends as best we can."
Soon, though, Sule said the bicycle safety advocacy group would talk about "how best to honor Alex" and advocate for "continued investment in safe, dignified public rights-of-way so all people reach their destinations safely."
"The motorist failed him, as did our transportation system, its agencies and our political leadership, as this road is dangerous by design, plans exist to improve it but the project is continually delayed."
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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville police find, charge driver in death of cyclist; victim named
