Almost every day, Carlos Medina would hop on his bike and ride to his night shift at the CTA maintenance facility in Skokie, where he worked as an electrician.

That’s likely what Medina, 37, of Logan Square, was doing when he was fatally struck by two cars Tuesday night near the 3500 block of Oakton Street in Skokie, one of which fled the scene, according to Juan Sotomayor, Medina’s neighbor for 25 years, and police.

Another neighbor, Lisa Guzman, said she first met Medina in 1987 when her family moved a few doors down from his home. Her brother and Medina became close friends shortly thereafter.

“This news was a shock to all of us,” Guzman told the Sun-Times on Thursday. “We grew up together. … My brother really lost his best friend.”

Guzman said everyone who grew up in the neighborhood stayed in touch, even though their personal lives often kept them apart. The last time she spoke to him was a few months ago, shortly after his father died earlier this year.

“We all have our own families and our own lives, but when we talked to each other, it was like before,” Guzman said. “He was a nice person, he had a good head on his shoulders.”

Officials said Medina was riding his bicycle when he was struck by a car around 10:35 p.m.

Medina fell to the ground and was struck by a second vehicle traveling east in the outside lane of Oakton Street. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

One of the drivers stayed and waited for the police, but the other driver fled the scene of the accident, police said. They were traveling in a dark vehicle.

According to Medina’s brother Mario Carrasco, Medina’s family is waiting for a final police report before they can talk about the tragedy.

In a statement Thursday, the CTA – where Medina “dutifully served as an electrician” for more than a year – mourned his “sudden and tragic death.” The agency also said grief counseling and support were available for CTA employees who also worked at the maintenance facility in Skokie.

“We extend our sincere condolences to Mr Medina’s family during this difficult time,” the statement said.

Sotomayor said that while he did not know the details of the accident, people should pay more attention to cyclists and avoid distractions while driving.

“Carlos was a pretty good cyclist, he’s been doing this for a long time,” Sotomayor said. “This is a loss.”

Christina Whitehouse, founder of the bicycle safety group Bike Lane Uprising, said Skokie has become a destination for cyclists in recent years due to well-developed bike lanes, but that’s a double-edged sword because of the lack of bike infrastructure to the trails, making it dangerous for anyone, including Medina, to bike in the area.

“My deepest sympathies go out to Carlos’ family and friends because this should not have happened,” Whitehouse said. “The reality is that it’s not really safe to use these trails. … He definitely won’t be the last cyclist to die in Skokie.”

Whitehouse said there have been more deaths, often unpunished, and injuries, often unreported, in the cycling community in recent years and she expects the situation to get worse.

“We’re seeing more cyclists and more bad car journeys and less is being done about it,” Whitehouse said. “Years ago we were talking about serious injuries (when cyclists are hit by cars). Nobody does that anymore, it just happens all the time. … It’s getting worse and worse. They’re writing their own destiny.”

Anyone with information about the crime can call Skokie police at 847-982-5900.

Contributors: Cindy Hernandez