MEDINA, TX- A cyclist who rode hundreds of miles across country died just a few miles from home Tuesday, after he was hit by a car on his way to work. DPS Troopers said a woman driving a Chevy pickup truck hit 59-year-old Randy Solis on Ranch Road 470, about two miles from State Highway 16. He died at the scene.
Solis started his spring journey in Ciudad Acuna and made it to Canada in 29 days. He rode 1,800 miles for fun and 40 5th and 6th graders from Medina ISD followed his journey through his
blog. After he came home, he kept letters they had written him hanging in his office at the Medina Community Library.
"He coined the phrase 'Best Little Library in Texas' and that's what he made it. In my eyes, it's the best little library in Texas," Mary Ellen Lindstrom said.
Lindstrom said Solis was humble about his incredible journey, and even insisted that no party be thrown for him once he returned.
"If you asked him for something, he'd say, 'my pencil is your pencil. My knife is your knife.' If he had it, he'd give it to you," she said.
Solis planned to ride from Florida to California in 2015. The only problem he encountered in his cross-country journey was a flat tire. He rode about 14 miles to work nearly every day, and was a "fixture" on the roadway from Bandera to Medina.
Troopers say the woman who hit Solis stopped at the scene and has not been charged. The investigation is ongoing.
Solis' nephew contacted News 4 WOAI and said no helmet was found at the scene of the accident, but his uncle was wearing a helmet when he was killed.
