Arizona police shoot driver who allegedly drove into cyclists at bike race
Police shot a man who reportedly drove a pickup truck into the Bike the Bluff bike race in Show Low, Arizona, injuring multiple cyclists.
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Police in Show Low, Arizona shot a man who allegedly drove his pickup truck into a group of cyclists participating in a bike race on Saturday morning, authorities said.
According to local media reports, the Show Low Police Department said that at approximately 7:25 a.m. the driver of a Ford F-150 drove into multiple cyclists participating in the Bike the Bluff road race, which this year is the Arizona State Championships, near downtown Show Low.
Officer shoots driver accused of hitting at least 6 cyclists during a road race in Show Low this morning. We have a crew in the area and will have the latest starting at 5 P.M. on @TelemundoAZ Photo courtesy: Jim Headley/The White Mountain Independent pic.twitter.com/OYfi3ZAL6v
— Christian Villegas (@chrisvillegas29) June 19, 2021
Show Low is located approximately 180 miles northeast of Phoenix.
In a statement released by Navajo County Emergency Management & Preparedness on its Facebook page, six victims of the crash were transported to a nearby hospital; four were in critical condition and two were in stable conditions. Two or three additional victims reported visited the hospital as well as walk-in patients.
One victim was also airlifted to a hospital in the Phoenix metro area, reported local media.
According to the statement, police tried to stop the suspect after the collision, and the suspect fled the scene. Police pursued the suspect behind a hardware store, where an officer shot the suspect.
The suspect was described as a 35-year-old white male. According to the most recent report he was in critical but stable condition.
“Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time,” said Kristine Sleighter, a spokesperson with the police department.
According to The New York Times the driver struck riders competing in the Masters 55-plus age group. Mike Godwin, owner of a local bike shop, told The Times that the riders were in the first mile and a half of the racecourse when they were struck by the driver.
Multiple state agencies plan to investigate the incident, including the Show Low Police Department, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
This incident is highly upsetting and troubling, and we here at VeloNews wish a speedy recovery to the victims.