Cyclist, riding across country to raise money for childhood cancer, fatally struck by car

Lici Beveridge | Hattiesburg American

Show Caption Hide Caption Emergency responders at scene where cyclist was killed A cyclist raising money for childhood cancer research was killed Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, on U.S. 98 in Lamar County, Mississippi.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A fundraising cycling tour turned tragic this week when a cyclist from New Hampshire was struck by a vehicle in Mississippi.

James Dobson, 32, from Dover, New Hampshire, was trying to raise $10,000 on the Positive Vibes Tour for CHaD hearts in action at Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The money was to help with research for childhood cancers.

“We here at CHaD are shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of James Dobson," Dr. Keith Loud, physician-in-chief at Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock said in an email. "As an avid cyclist myself, I am moved by not only the dedication but the courage it took to ride across the country in an effort to give back. A self-proclaimed ‘small town regular guy,’ James was a shining star, and we are honored to have had him shine his light in our direction. We express our deepest condolences to his friends and family.”

According to the tour's website, Dobson was on his way to San Diego.

The accident happened Tuesday afternoon in Lamar County, Mississippi, said Travis Luck, spokesman for the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

A black 2016 Dodge Challenger, driven by Hunter Buckley of Columbia, Mississippi, was traveling westbound on U.S. 98 when he struck Dobson, who was riding a recumbent tricycle. Dobson also was traveling west.

Luck said Buckley was unable to avoid hitting Dobson. No charges have been filed, but the incident remains under investigation.

Tuesday was Dobson's 44th day on the road.

Doug Bower, one of Dobson's friends, said the cyclist was liked by everyone who met him.

"James was infectious," he said. "His personality was fabulous. You couldn't meet a nicer person.

"He was driven. He wanted to raise money to help children and thought this was a good way to do this."

Another friend, James Richesin, who had known Dobson since high school, said Dobson was a character.

"He was one of a kind," said Richesin. "He liked to make people smile. That was his goal."

It was not the first time Dobson had taken a cross-country trip for charity. He took a minivan to San Diego to raise money for CHaD, and had people sign the van everywhere he stopped.

"Just so he could give a positive vibe to everyone," Richesin said. "He was very generous."

Dobson started training for the cycling tour three months before he left, and had never done anything like it before, Richesin said. Having made the trip by car, Dobson wanted to do something different.

"He wanted to do something amazing," Richesin said. "So he set his mind to it."

There was low visibility in the area of the accident because of the inclement weather, Luck said. Dobson probably was obscured from view because there's a small hill at that section of the road.

Dobson died at the scene. Buckley was not injured in the crash, Luck said.

Follow Lici Beveridge on Twitter: @LiciBev