Middletown Cyclist Killed In Crash On Cross-Country Fundraiser

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A Middletown cyclist was struck and killed by the driver of a pickup truck last week in Texas while on a cross-country trek to raise funds for other bicyclists injured in car crashes, according to multiple reports.

Robert Hurd, 62, was struck around 9 a.m. on Thursday while riding his bicycle east along the shoulder of Highway 62/82 in Crosby County, according to KCBD.

WTNH News 8 reported the 91-year-old driver of a Toyota was traveling east in the outside, and Hurd veered into the outside lane of travel and was struck by the pickup truck. Hurd was pronounced dead at the scene, according to WTNH News 8.

Hurd, who owned Go To Fitness Ultimate Training Center in Middletown, had been injured in a crash in 2015 and spent more than two weeks in intensive care, according to FOX 61.

The Middletown Press reported that his near-death experience in 2015 inspired him to open the Go to Fitness Ultimate Training Center on Newfield Street in Middletown.

In that 2015 crash, Hurd went through 40 hours of surgery and his whole face had to be reconstructed, according to a post on GoFundMe that was launched to raise funds for Please Be Kind To Cyclists.

Now, eight years later, Hurd said he wanted to give back, according to the GoFundMe page titled “Saving Lives One Pedal Stroke at a Time”

“I will be riding my bike across the country starting in San Francisco back home to Connecticut and I would love to raise money for athletes that have been injured in car crashes,” the post reads. “My goal is to raise $10,000 to donate to ‘Be Kind to Cyclists,’ an organization whose mission revolves around fostering understanding and respect between motorists and cyclists through education and awareness initiatives. They also provide vital support to those whose lives have been forever changed by crashes involving motor vehicles through their Cyclist Tragedy Assistance Program.”

More than $4,200 had been raised through the GoFundMe campaign, as of Monday evening.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit the GoFundMe page here.

Read more at FOX 61 here, and the Middletown Press here.