Kalamazoo bicycle crash
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| Date | June 7, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cooper Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°19′27″N 85°35′24″W / 42.32417°N 85.59000°W |
| Also known as | Kalamazoo cycling tragedy, Cooper Township crash |
| Type | Bicycle crash |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 4 |
| Convicted | Charles Pickett Jr. |
On June 7, 2016, a motorist drove a pickup truck into a group of cyclists in Cooper Township in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.[1] Five cyclists were killed in the crash, and four were injured.[1] Paul Selden, the Director of Road Safety for the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club, called the crash "the worst of its kind in Kalamazoo County, and possibly in the entire state of Michigan".[2]
A permanent memorial installed at Markin Glen County Park was unveiled in a ceremony on the second anniversary of the tragedy.[3] In 2018, the driver was sentenced to 40 to 75 years in prison on counts of murder, operating under the influence causing death, and operating under the influence causing injury.
Witnesses noticed a pickup truck driving erratically around Cooper Township, Michigan.[4] The pickup was reported to the police, 30 minutes before the crash occurred.[5]
Around 6:30 pm (Eastern Time), on Westnedge Avenue near Markin Glen Park in Cooper Township, the pickup collided with the back of the group of cyclists.[6][7] The group of bicyclists involved in the crash is called the "Chain Gang".[8] An accident expert later testified that the pickup had been driving at 58 miles per hour (93 km/h) in a 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) zone.[9] The driver of the pickup fled the scene but was soon arrested.[4] Rescue services arrived two minutes after the crash.[10]
The five who died were:[11] Debbie Bradley, 53, of Augusta; Suzanne Joan Sippel, 56, of Augusta; Lorenz John (Larry) Paulik, 74, of Kalamazoo; Fred Anton (Tony) Nelson, 73, of Kalamazoo; and Melissa Ann Fevig Hughes, 42, of Augusta.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) led an investigation of the crash because of its overall impact.[12] On April 25, 2017, the NTSB issued its final report on the event. They ruled that the probable cause of the crash was "the impairing effects of the driver's polysubstance abuse in the hours before the crash."[13]