Nearly ten months after a dump truck driver crossed the center line and killed two elite cyclists during a group training ride in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, justice — at least by one measure — has been delivered. But for the families involved, it falls painfully short.
On Wednesday, 14 May 2026, Cody Dale Mundy, 34, of Alexander, pleaded guilty in Madison County Superior Court to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of Leonard “Lennie” Antonelli, 27, and Jacob Hill, 32, both of Asheville. A toxicology report confirmed Mundy was positive for methamphetamine, amphetamines and THC at the time of the crash. A third rider, Griffin Tichenor, survived with injuries.
Under the plea agreement, Mundy will serve six months of house arrest, five years of probation and 200 hours of community service within one year. A suspended sentence of 32 to 58 months was also handed down. He must surrender his commercial driving licence and undergo substance abuse treatment.
At the sentencing hearing, Lennie Antonelli’s mother, Josie, delivered a blistering statement: while Mundy serves no prison time, she said, the Antonelli family is serving a life sentence.
Survivor Griffin Tichenor, despite his grief, told the court he found himself wrestling between a desire for punitive justice and a growing understanding of restorative principles. “Part of me wants to forgive him — maybe not now, but maybe some day,” he said.
Both Antonelli and Hill were elite Category 1 racers who had been drawn to Asheville’s legendary cycling culture. Hill had raced to fourth place at the 2024 National Cycling League finals. Antonelli, a former Indiana University Little 500 rider, had risen rapidly through the amateur ranks before his death.
The crash occurred on 1 July 2025 during Asheville’s weekly Tuesday Night Worlds ride on N.C. 251.
Related: Gran Fondo Daily News original report, 9 July 2025
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