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Two dead, three injured after driver crashes into cyclists on charity rideBroken bike (CC licensed image by garryknight, www.flickr.com)

Two dead, three injured after driver crashes into cyclists on charity ride

Driver was on wrong side of road when he ploughed into group in Michigan on Saturday
by Simon_MacMichael
Mon, Aug 01, 2022 12:49
7

Two riders were killed and three others seriously injured when a driver crashed into a group of cyclists taking part in a charity ride in Michigan.

The five cyclists, all men, were riding southbound through Ronald Township, a small town around 100 miles northwest of Detroit, when they were hit head-on by the driver of an SUV who was trying to overtake another vehicle, Ion1a County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook.

The fatal crash happened at 11.15am on Saturday 30 July, with one of the cyclists pronounced dead at the scene and the second dying from his injuries after being taken by helicopter to a hospital in Grand Rapids.

The three other riders all sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital by ambulance.

The driver of the SUV has been arrested for for two counts of Operating While Intoxicated Causing Death.

All five cyclists were taking part in the 35th edition of the Make-A-Wish Bicycle Tour, a three-day ride taking in much of the state to raise funds for a charity that aims to fulfil the wishes of critically ill children taking in much of the state.

In a post to Twitter on Sunday, Make-A-Wish Michigan said: “ Our staff and the entire Make-A-Wish family are heartbroken and offer our deepest sympathy for the riders involved, their loved ones, and all members of the Wish-A-Mile (WAM) community at this time.”

Police have said that the names of the cyclists will be released once all next-of-kin have been informed, and further details of the driver will be made public once he has been charged and arraigned.

Roland Township
Michigan
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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andystow | 2 years ago
2 likes

Turns out she was likely on a mix of drugs, not alcohol, and has done it before.

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/prosecutor-claims-driver-didnt...

[Prosecuting attorney Kyle] Butler claims Benn had slow and slurred speech, lack of balance and couldn't follow instructions.

She may have not understood the gravity of the situation because she allegedly said, 'that almost looks real,' referring to the crime scene.

However, she had no alcohol in her system.

Butler says she was prescribed Aderall and Suboxone, and had prescription bottles for Benzodiazepine in her car.

Benn was also charged with Operating while Visibly Impaired back in 2017 in the same county. During the incident, Butler says deputies made similar observations about her demeanor.

Avatar
lonpfrb replied to andystow | 2 years ago
1 like
andystow wrote:

Butler says she was prescribed Aderall and Suboxone, and had prescription bottles for Benzodiazepine in her car.

Benn was also charged with Operating while Visibly Impaired back in 2017 in the same county. During the incident, Butler says deputies made similar observations about her demeanor.

Incompetence to self-administer prescription drugs is a threat to the patient that would justify supervision.

When the drugs have the potential effect of incompetence in operating machinery, surely that demands disqualification of the license to operate.

Failure to revoke the license a systematic failure...

Avatar
peted76 | 2 years ago
2 likes

Absolutle horror! 

The poor familes of those cyclists, the world needs to be better! 

Avatar
rct | 2 years ago
5 likes

Horrific.  Yet you know the driver will get off comparatively lightly because he used a vehicle and not a firearm.

RIP.

Avatar
andystow replied to rct | 2 years ago
1 like
rct wrote:

Horrific.  Yet you know the driver will get off comparatively lightly because he used a vehicle and not a firearm.

RIP.

Hopefully not. The Kalamazoo crash, also in Michigan, resulted in a sentence of 40 to 75 years, which is basically life as the perpetrator was over 50 years old at the time of sentencing.

That was of course an even more egregious crime, with multiple drugs involved, and killing five cyclists. But still, Michigan is not Texas or Florida, so I hold out hope for more than a slap on the wrist.

Avatar
adamrice replied to rct | 2 years ago
2 likes

I wouldn't assume that. Drunk driving is treated seriously in the USA. If you get pulled over driving drunk—without being involved in an accident—it will cost you about $14,000 where I live.

Admittedly, killing the cyclists may be treated as a mitigating factor.

Avatar
Jenova20 replied to rct | 2 years ago
4 likes
rct wrote:

Horrific.  Yet you know the driver will get off comparatively lightly because he used a vehicle and not a firearm.

RIP.

 

This is the US, so the sentence will likely be decent. Over here the driver probably wouldn't even lose their licence...And if they claimed the sun was in their eyes they'd probably get no penalty at all.

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