These are the victims of the deadly Kalamazoo bicycle crash

[HuckleB]

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2016/06/these_are_the_victims_of_the_d.html

"...

These are the victims of the deadly Kalamazoo bicycle crash of June 7, 2016.

Five bicyclists died when a blue Chevrolet pickup hit them as they were riding north in the 5500 block of North Westnedge Avenue in Cooper Township. Four more bicyclists were seriously injured.

The bicyclists were members of the Chain Gang bicycle group, who had started a 28.5-mile ride from a county health building on Gull Road. They were about five miles into the ride when they were hit.

The group was struck behind by the pickup around 6:30 p.m. Police have said the driver is in police custody, and a determination on any charges against the driver will be made Thursday.

..."

---------------------------------

[exboyfil]

1. Interesting family

http://heavy.com/news/2016/06/charlie-charles-e-pickett-jr-battle-creek-kalamazoo-bicycle-bike-crash-driver-suspect-name-victims-photos-facebook/

WWMT-TT went to Pickett’s home for comment on Wednesday, but said the family threatened to chase a reporter and cameraman off their property with a front end loader and then pursued the news crew in a car after the verbal altercation.

[HuckleB]

2. Wow.

Dang.

Thanks for sharing that information

[TexasProgresive]

3. At 66 I am right in the middle of their age group.

I don't know what caused this man to run them down. The last news on the truck driver is that charges will be filed today. I'd like to think he had a stroke or something and not that he did it on purpose.

[HuckleB]

4. The article in the first response indicates he had been driving erratically.

The police were already looking for him, before he hit the cyclists, as other people had called on him.

Perhaps we will know more later today.

[TexasProgresive]

5. I have diabetes

A couple of months ago I experienced a hypoglycemic episode while on a bike ride. I knew something was wrong but my brain was in neutral. I thought something was wrong with the bike. I was swerving all over the road like I was drunk. Maybe he is diabetic and was hypoglycemic.

The story about his family chasing the reporters away, well, I can cut them some slack. Reporters can be like rabid animals.

[HuckleB]

6. Yeah, I'm holding judgment until we know more.

It's still horrific.

[TexasProgresive]

7. Without a doubt, It gave me cold chills when I heard about it yesterday morning

I'll bet all 9 were good friends. The 4 survivors will be suffering deep grief along with family. After the Uber shooter the whole county and state will be in mourning.

[gollygee]

11. He's being charged with 2nd degree murder

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2016/06/arraignment.html

More info after 4.

[hfojvt]

12. that was Janklow's excuse

after he killed a motorcyclist.

But he was a known leadfoot with a history. He blew a stop sign at about 65 miles per hour.

[closeupready]

8. I have a bike but never use it, in part due to bad drivers on the roads.

They give out driver's licenses like candy canes.

[HuckleB]

9. I used to ride quite a lot, including as a commuter.

My nerves are mostly shot from that, though. I hit bike/pedestrian only trails as much as I can now. And we have Sunday Parkways every month in Portland, where this is circular course that is closed to cars for a few hours, in different parts of town.

[closeupready]

14. Bike trails are fine - they have some here in NY,

in Manhattan and in Brooklyn but they are still located too close to vehicular traffic corridors (IMO) (like the West Side Highway, for example). I think the thing to do here is to schlep your bike on the car/SUV up to the Hudson River Valley or out on Long Island or even Jersey. I can't be bothered with that, though - I just do my jog and I'll take up biking if/when I move somewhere less congested.

[TransitJohn]

10. Even though licenses are too easy to get, a lot of drivers are still unlicensed

My friend got rear-ended last year and hit the trifecta: no license, uninsured, and undocumented. His insurance more than doubled, because his carrier couldn't get money out of the other driver.

[closeupready]

15. Wow. Can't top that for 'life sucks'.

[romanic]

13. K-Zoo has dealt with so much this year.

Very tragic story.