The Belgrade, Minn., community has suffered an "unimaginable loss" after teacher and coach Rich Vos was struck by a semi and killed while riding his bike early Tuesday morning.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Vos was riding his bike on Highway 71 at County Road 34, just south of Belgrade, when he was struck by the semi just before 5 a.m.
The initial report had no other information on the circumstances of the crash.
Vos, 38, taught eighth-grade math at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa High School, where he was also the long-time wrestling coach.
"We have suffered an unimaginable loss," said an entry Tuesday morning on a B-B-E Jaguars sports website. "Vos's passing leaves a huge hole to fill in both the teaching and coaching staffs of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa. That pales in comparison to the loss his family is dealing with right now."
After-school events at the school have been canceled for Tuesday.
Marion Godwin, the mother of the victim, gathered at the scene of the crash on Tuesday with several of Vos's siblings, of which he has 11 in all. She told FOX 9 News that her son grew up in Green Isle and Arlington before graduating at Arlington High School and heading to the University of Minnesota in Duluth. He was a wrestler at both schools.
Godwin explained that her son had recently lost 40 pounds and planned to keep riding his bike to keep the weight off. He always wore a safety jacket or vest, and had just invested in a $700 bicycle about three weeks ago that was equipped with mirrors and lights.
His family said Vos had a habit of taking a 20-mile bike ride each morning, and was about four miles into it when he was struck.
Family members said Vos also loved to fish and ride a motorcycle.
He leaves behind his wife, who is also a teacher in a different community, an 8-year-old daughter, and a 3-year-old son.
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