KIHEI, Maui — A Maui man who rode a bicycle to avoid burning gasoline and protect the environment died last week after a vehicle struck him in a hit-and-run.

Robert Clay's family and friends are still trying to cope with the loss of the man they said loved nature and maintained a healthy, low-consumption lifestyle.

They're also trying to come to terms with why the driver who struck him would leave the scene of a fatal accident.

"Robert was a very healthy guy. He rode a bike not just to save money, because he believed in not using gas," his father, Jay Clay, told the Maui News in a phone interview from his Florida residence.

Robert Clay, 46, died after he was struck by a vehicle on Kenolio Road on his way home from work Wednesday evening.

Maui police say the vehicle that struck Clay was recovered a few blocks away. The owner of the 2003 silver Honda Accord has been questioned and the investigation is continuing.

Robert Clay's girlfriend, Deena Ewins, said they opted to take their bicycles rather than drive to work on Wednesday. He worked at Ace Hardware while she rode to her job at Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods.

"We left the car home on purpose that day," she said. "If we had a whole day where we didn't drive at all, we had this reward system, where we would put a gold star on the calendar."

If they recorded 50 days that they did not drive, they rewarded themselves by going out to dinner.

Ewins called Clay "an environmental activist. ... He was very, very outspoken.

"He touched a lot of lives. He tried pushing for solar panels installed, wind power, all kinds of things."

Ewins said she and Clay moved from Seattle to Maui about 10 months ago, initially living in Pa'ia before moving to Kihei.

Clay was looking to qualify to be a substitute teacher while working at Ace Hardware.

"He was a very, very hard worker," Ewins said. "I've never seen anybody that has strong beliefs in the environment and worked so hard."

Jay Clay said his son remained a positive influence on his 15-year-old daughter, Alexandra "Allie" Clay, who lives in Seattle. Allie went to nature camps and always likes to do nature rides when she is with her grandparents in Florida, he said.

"That was started by her dad," Jay Clay said.

Understanding his love of nature, the family hopes to scatter Robert Clay's remains on Maui.

"We loved him very much," Jay Clay said.