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Felix Cesi Oliva Cruz, age 65, of Bay Shore, died Monday, Sept. 25, after he was hit by two different cars while bicycling in Central Islip, near East Suffolk and Lowell avenues.
It happened just steps from the Central Islip Long Island Rail Road station.
According to Suffolk County Police, Cruz was riding his bicycle northbound across East Suffolk Avenue when he was struck by two eastbound vehicles at around 6:30 a.m.
He was taken by ambulance to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore where he was pronounced dead.
The vehicles, described as a dark-colored small SUV and a white sedan, continued driving eastbound on East Suffolk Avenue, police said.
No suspects had been arrested as of Friday afternoon, Sept. 29.
Cruz was a native of Zaña, Peru and served in the Peruvian Navy, according to relatives, who remembered him as a quiet, friendly man who was always happy.
"Very loved by those of us who were lucky to know him," his cousin Tavito Oliva wrote on Facebook. "A perfect gentleman."
Relatives now face the difficult task of arranging his funeral services and have begun collecting donations to cover the cost of having Cruz cremated.
“This tragedy took an even more distressing turn as two vehicles ran over him and callously fled the scene, leaving us in a state of shock and anger at the lack of responsibility,” reads a GoFundMe campaign created by Diana Ybanez.
“Regrettably, our financial resources are limited, and we must humbly request your generous assistance to meet these expenses,” she said. “Every contribution, no matter how small, serves as a ray of hope that pierces through the darkness that has engulfed us.”
Those who wish to donate can do so here.
Investigators are asking anyone with information in the case to contact the Suffolk County Police Department at 631-852-6555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
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