A decorated Paralympic cyclist was killed Thursday in a crash involving a vehicle in McKinney, according to police and local reports.
The McKinney Police Department responded to the crash near Alma Drive and State Highway 121, where officers found a cyclist who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the driver remained at the scene and that the incident was not a hit-and-run, but authorities have not yet released details about what led to the crash.
Friends and family identified the cyclist as 54-year-old Dory Selinger, a Paralympic medalist whose career included a gold medal in track cycling at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, as well as a silver medal and two bronze medals at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney. Local reports also said he won gold medals at the 1998 and 2002 Para-cycling World Championships.
Selinger was widely remembered Thursday as both a world-class athlete and a mentor within the cycling community. FOX 4 reported that his leg was amputated below the knee after a 1993 crash in California in which a driver intentionally struck a group of cyclists. Friends said he turned that tragedy into a life of perseverance and accomplishment.
NBC 5 reported that Selinger’s wife said cycling was part of his daily routine and that she was alerted to the crash by his tracking device shortly after 6 a.m. She said she rushed to the scene but did not expect that he would not survive.
Tributes from fellow cyclists and friends spread quickly across North Texas and beyond following news of his death. Friends told local outlets they would remember Selinger for his humor, mentorship, and kindness, with many describing him as an inspiration to riders at every level of the sport.
McKinney police have not released additional details about the investigation.
