An 86-year-old bicyclist who was fatally struck by a car in Lafayette on Tuesday morning has been identified as Joe Shami, a local legend in the cycling community.
The East Bay Times reports Shami was hit by an SUV in a roundabout intersection at Pleasant Hill Road and Olympic Boulevard. The driver stayed on the scene and spoke with police.
An off-duty nurse who was passing by stopped and provided care until paramedics arrived and took him to a hospital, where he passed Tuesday night.
Shami is well-known in the local cycling community.
In 2018, he completed a streak of cycling up Mount Diablo every week for 500 weeks straight at the age of 83.
He lived in Lafayette and would bike either 8-12 miles to the entrance of Mount Diablo State Park, before making the 11 mile ride to the top.
“It’s a spiritual experience,” Shami told the East Bay Times of the ride up Mount Diablo. “You’re with nature and when you go early, it’s quiet and peaceful. The mountain is awesome. You really don’t know what to expect each time. The seasons change. It goes from green and verdant to completely dry. It’s always different — every week.”
Before discovering cycling, Shami was an avid runner who ran 10 marathons.