Five cyclists killed as truck driver slams into group of riders in Nevada
Five cyclists were killed and others are hurt when a box truck driver drove into a large group of riders and the support car traveling with them on Thursday morning in Nevada.
According to reports in local media, the cyclists were taking part in an annual 130-mile ride in Nevada and were on a stretch of U.S. 95 in an area of desert near the town of Searchlight when the crash occurred. Some of the cyclists were riding behind the Subaru support vehicle traveling with them, and others were in front of it, when the box truck hit the group from behind.
The truck pinned several riders against the Subaru, and also drove the Subaru into other cyclists further ahead in the group.
The five cyclists who lost their lives were pronounced dead at the scene. Three other cyclists were injured, one critically, as was the driver of the support vehicle.
“Three were dead instantly, as you could tell from their bodies,” said Nevada cyclist Michael Anderson, who was riding in the group, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I watched two die in front of me. I have been crying all day.”
The driver of the box truck was reportedly cooperative with law enforcement, and police did not suspect him to have been impaired. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the incident is the deadliest automobile/bicycle crash since at least 2004, when data became available.
A drive-through vigil will be held on Saturday at the Las Vegas Cyclery to honor those who lost their lives, and Anderson started a GoFundMe to help their families.
Our condolences go out to the families and friends of those who were killed in the crash.
The post Five cyclists killed as truck driver slams into group of riders in Nevada appeared first on CyclingTips.