Seven riders were hospitalised with four left in critical condition after a man reportedly drove into a group of cyclists participating at the Arizona State Championships on Saturday morning. The driver was shot by police after fleeing the scene.
The 35-year-old drove a Ford F-150 pickup truck into a group of riders at the Bike the Bluff 58-mile road race, which this year served as the Arizona State Championships, Velonews reported.
Local media reports state that the incident happened at 7:25 on Saturday morning, with the man hitting the group of riders in Show Low, 130 miles north-east of Phoenix.
Photographs taken at the scene show mangled bikes littered across the road, and a front wheel lodged in the front grill of the pickup truck, which bore damage where it had struck the riders.
According to a statement released by local police, the suspect fled in his vehicle after police tried to stop him at the scene of the collision. They then gave chase before a police officer shot the driver, who remains in critical but stable condition.
The statement noted that six victims of the crash were taken to a local hospital, with another airlifted from the scene to a hospital in Phoenix. Four are in critical condition and two in stable condition, while two to three additional victims were walk-in patients.
"Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families at this time," said local police spokesperson Kristine Sleighter.
The Show Low Police Department, Navajo County Sheriff's Office, and Arizona Department of Public Safety will all investigate the incident, reported Velonews.
