Family Sues Hospital After Asheville Cyclist Killed by Truck

A wrongful death lawsuit filed in Buncombe County Superior Court alleges that a hospital employee driving a heavy delivery truck overtook and struck cyclist Alexander Rozos on Swannanoa River Road on July 18, 2024, then left the scene. The complaint, filed December 22, 2025, names Maurice, also identified as Mauricio, Roberto Melgar Delgado as the driver and asserts that his employer, HCA Healthcare and Mission Hospital entities, bears vicarious liability for his actions.

According to the complaint, Delgado was operating a 20,000 pound box truck when he struck Rozos, who was traveling in the same direction. The family seeks compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses and pain and suffering, and alleges negligence by both the driver and the hospital system. The suit contends Delgado lacked proper training and that HCA and Mission failed to maintain adequate driver training, monitoring and safety policies for employees operating large vehicles on public roads.

Delgado was later indicted on felony hit and run charges in Buncombe County, and his criminal case remains pending. The civil action proceeds separately and could examine employer policies and oversight practices that apply to hospital affiliated drivers. Civil standards for negligence and vicarious liability differ from criminal standards, and the family is pursuing the civil case to address both financial losses and broader accountability.

The case underscores larger public health and safety concerns in Asheville and across Buncombe County. Heavier commercial and institutional vehicles share narrow streets with cyclists and pedestrians, exposing vulnerable road users to heightened risk. The complaint highlights questions about how large health care systems manage non clinical vehicle operations, including driver qualification, supervision and incident monitoring. Those issues intersect with local traffic planning and community calls for safer infrastructure on arterial roads such as Swannanoa River Road.

For residents, the lawsuit is a reminder of ongoing tensions between road design, enforcement and institutional responsibility. The outcome in both the criminal and civil proceedings may influence how hospitals and other large employers train and monitor drivers, and it may prompt renewed attention to policies that protect cyclists, pedestrians and the most vulnerable members of the community.