MARYVILLE, Tenn. — A Maryville man who was hit by a truck while riding his bicycle has died of his injuries, authorities said.
The Blount County Sheriff's Office said Christopher Sample, 36, was riding on the 300-block of Peterson Lane near Fairview Church around 8 p.m. on Friday when he was struck.
The truck that hit him fled the scene.
According to a neighbor who spoke on behalf of the family to 10News, Sample died on Thursday after his family donated his organs.
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Sample was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Florida but moved to Maryville just last year with his wife and two children, 10-year-old Gavin and 6-year-old Isabella.
"He could often be seen outside the family’s Green Valley home teaching his children to ride bicycles or playing soccer, basketball, or jumping on a trampoline with them. Sample had a soft spot for animals and, growing up, would rescue stray dogs and let them sleep in his parents’ bed," according to an email from neighbor Amber Martinez forwarded to 10News.
She said Sample had adopted a small flock of ducklings and could often be seen walking around the area leading a parade of chicks.
The BCSO believes it has found the truck involved in the hit-and-run and charges are pending against a suspect.