American 'peace' cyclist killed by drunk driver in Russia

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.