Friends and family of 12-year-old Mikey Malanda say his last ride last weekend was part of a regular routine—something he had done almost every Sunday for years. He left home on his dirt bike, went to a nearby gas station to fill up, and then planned to meet friends to ride his pedal bike around the neighborhood.
Mikey had learned to carefully navigate the narrow streets of his northwest Charlotte neighborhood, especially the busy intersection of Oakdale and Auten roads—just as his aunt had always taught him. But tragedy occurred around 1 p.m. on Sunday. Authorities report that Mikey’s bike collided with a pickup truck at that exact spot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“He just went out to get a little gas so he could do something that made him happy,” said his aunt, Laure Makiona. “We never thought that would be the last time we’d see him.”
The devastating crash happened just weeks after Mikey finished sixth grade at Lake Norman Charter School in Huntersville, where he had been a student since kindergarten. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are still investigating the cause of the collision, and no charges have been filed at this time.
Mikey was headed to a gas station he had visited many times—first accompanied by his father before he was old enough to ride alone. It was only minutes from the home he shared with his dad, also named Mike Malanda. The two shared a special bond over their favorite movie, Charm City Kings, which tells the story of a Baltimore teen pursuing his dream of joining a local group of stunt riders.
That same home was where Mikey received his first bike—a small 5-volt electric model—which thrilled him then, just as he was later excited when his mother, Amie Malanda, saved up to surprise him with a bigger, faster bike: the very one he was riding that Sunday.
“He had been fascinated with motorcycles since he was two,” his father said. “He loved riding bikes and showing off his tricks.”
‘Big Mike’ at Lake Norman Charter
Although Mikey was an only child, his cousins considered him a true brother, and his aunts treated him like a son. He spent countless afternoons on the field with his 15-year-old cousin, Tiger Mukendi, playing lacrosse and comparing their heights—Mikey was eager to catch up. Mukendi had been coaching him ahead of tryouts, and Mikey looked forward to joining the school’s lacrosse team that fall.
